Eurostar runs at 186mph between Channel Tunnel and London for First Time

On Tuesday, Eurostar, the high-speed train operator that links the UK with the Continent of Europe, ran its inaugural train over Britain’s new 186mph high-speed line, arriving into the restored St Pancras International terminal in London.

The train from the Gare du Nord station in Paris, left mid-morning and arrived at St Pancras International in London minutes before midday setting a new record of just seconds over 2 hours 3 minutes. The current scheduled time between Paris and Waterloo is 2 hours 35 minutes and the new scheduled time from November between Paris and St Pancras has been set at 2 hrs and 15 minutes, saving passengers more than 20 minutes off the current timetable.

The train travelled the full length of High Speed 1, the new line that connects Britain to Europe’s fast-expanding high-speed rail network that will enable seamless, city centre-to-city centre journeys that are already familiar to millions of continental Europeans.

The excellent connections between domestic and Eurostar services at St Pancras International will also enable travellers from towns and cities across Britain to reach mainland Europe quickly and easily. Faster journeys between the UK and the continent should help to boost business and tourism in London and in the regions – aiding the economy and adding to the UK’s competitive advantage.

The UK’s first high-speed line runs for 68 miles (109 km) from the Channel Tunnel near Folkestone to St Pancras International in central London. It passes through Ashford International and Eurostar’s new station at Ebbsfleet International in Kent, before crossing under the River Thames and approaching the capital in tunnels under east London. Eurostar trains will travel at a speed of 186 mph (300km/h), 50% faster than even Britain’s fastest domestic rail services, but still considerably slower than trains in Europe.

Richard Brown, Chief Executive of Eurostar, said, “Eurostar will soon have two new stations, opening up European rail travel to millions more people across Britain. St Pancras International has numerous rail connections to towns and cities north and south of the capital, while Ebbsfleet International - just off junction 2 of the M25 and close to Bluewater shopping centre in Kent - is conveniently located for 10 million people across southern England.”

Eurostar will launch services from St Pancras International on 14 November this year, having run the final trains from Waterloo the previous evening. The new station at Ebbsfleet International, just off junction 2 of the M25 near Dartford crossing and Bluewater shopping centre in north Kent, will open on 19 November. Journey times will be 10 minutes shorter than from St Pancras.

The High Speed 1 timetable will for the first time enable UK business travellers to reach the centres of Paris and Brussels before 9am, ready for a full day’s work. Leisure passengers will benefit from later evening departures, allowing them longer for their trips. Journey times on High Speed 1, the UK’s first high-speed line, will be London – Paris 2h 15min; London – Brussels 1h 51min; and London - Lille 1h 20min.

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