Eurostar International Ltd, the company that operates high-speed passenger trains between London and the European mainland, via the Channel Tunnel, has released a video to provide prospective passengers with a first glimpse of the new trains that will be carrying them from 2014.
The new Valaro e320 trains are being built as part of a £700m investment in Eurostar’s fleet that will also see an extensive refurbishment of existing trains.
The video shows one of the new trains taking shape in the factory, currently in the form of an impressive, polished metal carcass. Designed by Italian design studio, Pininfarina, the company is having ten of the e320’s built at an estimated cost of €6bn, with the balance of the £700m investment being spent on refurbishment.
With the ability to haul 16 passenger cars, the trains will be 400-metres (1,312 ft) long. They will have a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph) and provide 894-950 seats, exceeding the current Eurostar fleet, which has a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) and seating capacity of 750.
Eurostar CEO, Nicolas Petrovic, said: ‘The redesign and upgrading of our fleet marks the next phase of our business. With customers increasingly opting for rail over plane for short-haul journeys across Europe, we want to provide an unrivalled travel experience between the UK and the continent and to encourage more passengers to choose high speed rail as their preferred option.’
The trains will operate an expanded route network, including services from London to Cologne and Amsterdam, and Eurostar is on schedule to complete the transformation of its entire fleet by 2015.
The video can be viewed at http://the10group.isebox.net/eurostar/eurostar-reveals-new-trains-web-video-and-images/
