Eurostar Orders £1.7Bn Double-Decker Trains for Channel Tunnel Route

Eurostar has announced a €2bn (£1.7bn) order for a new generation of double-decker high-speed trains from French manufacturer Alstom, marking the first time such trains will operate on the UK mainland.

The new Eurostar Celestia fleet will enter service in 2031, each carrying over 1,000 passengers — about 20% more than the operator’s largest current trains. Designed for both comfort and sustainability, the double-deckers will include extra space for wheelchairs, bicycles and additional legroom, with Eurostar teasing «new surprises» for passengers.

Eurostar plans to maintain the fleet at its Temple Mills depot in north-east London, backed by an additional €80mln investment expected to create 350 jobs. The expansion comes as the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) considers whether Eurostar must share the site with rival international operators, including Virgin, Trenitalia and Gemini, all seeking to launch cross-Channel services.

Chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave said the new fleet was part of Eurostar’s strategy to reach 30 mln passengers in the coming years.

«We’re particularly proud to bring double-decker trains to the UK for the very first time,» she said.

Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge called the Celestia trains «a vision of sustainable and competitive European mobility.» The new fleet will serve Eurostar’s existing network and future routes to Frankfurt and Geneva, expanding total capacity by around 30% once all units are delivered.