Eurostar Invests €2 Billion in New Double-Decker Trains for European Expansion

Major Fleet Investment

Eurostar has reportedly finalized a €2 billion deal to purchase next-generation double-decker trains from French manufacturer Alstom, according to industry reports. The company has ordered 30 Alstom Avelia Horizon models, with the first six trains scheduled for delivery in 2031. Sources indicate this massive investment will form the backbone of Eurostar’s expansion strategy to new destinations including Geneva and Frankfurt.

Major Fleet Investment
Strategic Growth Initiative
Competitive Landscape Shifts
Enhanced Capacity and Connectivity
Tunnel Capacity and Certification

Strategic Growth Initiative

The new fleet will replace Eurostar’s aging collection of 34 Alstom models and operate alongside its current 17 Siemens e320 trains, analysts suggest. Company CEO Gwendoline Cazenave stated that “this order is a concrete milestone in our growth strategy,” according to the report. The expansion focuses on connecting major cities within five hours travel time from London, targeting routes where Eurostar believes it can effectively compete with airline services.

“We are going to connect big cities that are below five hours’ journey time,” Cazenave explained, “because what we know is that above five hours, the train is not relevant.” The report states Eurostar aims to increase services between London and Paris while expanding into new markets with sufficient business, leisure and family travel demand.

Competitive Landscape Shifts

The growth initiative comes as Eurostar faces the potential end of its monopoly on passenger trains through the Channel Tunnel. The company is reportedly confronting a crucial decision by the UK’s Office of Road and Rail regarding exclusive use of the Temple Mills repair depot in London. Rival operators including Virgin, Evolyn, Gemini and Trenitalia are all proposing competing Channel Tunnel services but require access to the depot for maintenance operations.

Cazenave indicated Eurostar plans to hire an additional 350 people at the depot to service the new trains, bringing the total workforce to 800. The depot is currently leased by Eurostar and represents the only facility in the UK capable of parking and maintaining high-speed cross-Channel trains., according to according to reports

Enhanced Capacity and Connectivity

The new double-decker trains will feature a capacity of 1,080 seats, approximately 20% higher than the current 890-seat models. According to the report, Eurostar selected the Alstom models partly because the manufacturer could deliver them sooner than alternative options. The company has secured options for an additional 20 trains and production slots for all 50 vehicles.

Eurostar’s growth strategy includes connecting services with other high-speed operators such as France’s TGV and, eventually, the UK’s High Speed 2 rail link. The purchase will be substantially financed by debt, enabled by refinancing a significant portion of borrowings accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tunnel Capacity and Certification

Currently, about 400 trains use the Channel Tunnel daily, including freight and car-carrying services. Getlink, which manages the tunnel infrastructure, estimates capacity for approximately 1,000 trains per day. Following the Alstom agreement, Eurostar will work with the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority and Getlink to certify the new trains for tunnel operation—a process that typically requires several years to complete.

This substantial investment in new rolling stock represents one of the most significant developments in cross-Channel rail travel since Eurostar’s inception, potentially reshaping European high-speed rail competition amid changing market dynamics.