Main lines • High Speed Rail • Eurostar

Note: this page is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for the official page of the operating company or manufacturer. 

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In brief

➤ See Eurostar’s story before 2024
Routes after merger with Thalys in October 2023
➤ Brussels-Midi – London St Pancras
➤ Amsterdam CS – Rotterdam CS – Brussels-Midi – London St Pancras
➤ Paris-Nord – London St Pancras
➤ Paris-Nord – Brussels-Midi – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Amsterdam CS (ex-Thalys route)
➤ Paris-Nord – Brussels-Midi – Liège-Guillemins – Aachen – Cologne – Düsseldorf – Dortmund (ex-Thalys route)
➤ Amsterdam CS – Rotterdam CS – Brussels-Midi – Bourg St Maurice (saturday winter season – ex-Thalys route)
➤ Amsterdam CS – Rotterdam CS – Brussels-Midi – Avignon-TGV – Marseille St Charles (saturday summer season – ex-Thalys route)

Rolling stock (past and present)

TMST Class 375
GEC-Alsthom
1993 – …

A consortium led by GEC-Alstom won the initial contract for 30 18-car trainsets. They run with DC motors. The contract was subsequently extended to include an additional trainset and a further 7 NOL (North Of London) trainsets – each with 14 cars – to serve Birmingham, Manchester and beyond. These destinations were never called.

TGV-R (Réseau)
Alstom
1993 – …

To gain access to Belgium (3kV DC) and the Netherlands (1500V DC), the SNCF detached to Thalys 10 TGV-R trainsets no. 4531 to 4540 from its fleet, which made up the third of the four TGV-Réseau SNCF sub-series. They could run on three currents and two voltages, as they do in France. However, they could not travel to Germany.

PBKA
Alstom
1996 – …

Delivered between 1996 and 1997, 17 ‘PBKA’ (Paris-Bruxelles-Amsterdam/Cologne) trains were added to the fleet. They are registered with the SNCF under the 4300 series, and differ from the TGV-R trainsets in the new design of the power cars. They are four-current with switchgear for 15kV and the PZB system in Germany, as well as the SNCB’s TBL2 system.

e320 Class 374
Siemens Velaro UK
2015 – …

In October 2010, Eurostar announced the winner of a call for tenders to extend the fleet: it was Siemens. This did not go down well in Paris, which was too used to Alstom. Based on the Velaro platform, the e320 is a derivative of the ICE 3. Eurostar ordered 17 18-car trainsets, with asynchronous motors. The first trainset entered service in 2015.

A new chapter

Eurostar reported that for 2023, Eurostar Group exceeded €2 billion revenue for the first time and achieved EBITDA of €423m. This success was due to a ramp up of operations from 2022 to 2023, and overall growth in passenger numbers reaching nearly 19 million. This strong performance in 2023 means Eurostar

2024 – New future and new rolling stock

This allowed Eurostat to look forward to a new future. The company targeted a growth to 30 million annual passengers Eurostar expects by 2030 and for future growth. In addition, There was also an urgent need to replace the PBA and PBKA trains of the old Thalys, all of which had been in service for 30 years.

This is why, in the spring 2024, the company announced an investment in 50 new high-speed trains. The new fleet will eventually operate alongside Eurostar’s current fleet of 17 e320s, providing a total fleet of up to 67 trains (a 30% increase compared to the 51 trains Eurostar operates today). While the detailed design elements are to be confirmed, the new trains will set the standards for customer experience and comfort. It aims for the first new trains to be in service from the early 2030s.

Both Eurostar customers and staff will be involved in the design process and all trains will be created in the most eco-friendly way. The new fleet will be required to have improved energy consumption versus the current fleet. 🟧

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