Eurostar to offer through fares
Eurostar is launching fares from 68 UK towns and cities
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Wednesday, 24, Oct 2007 07:47
Eurostar has announced that through fares to Europe from 68 towns and cities across Britain will soon be available.
In a joint statement with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) the company revealed that it had secured deals with various train operators to provide fares to the continent from a minimum price of £67.
It is hoped that the move will boost the number of Eurostar journeys made by residents living in the UK regions and will also allow the Channel Tunnel rail service to compete more effectively with regional airlines.
Eurostar says that it has struck deals with East Midlands Trains, First Capital Connect, GNER and Virgin Trains to sell return fares to Paris and the city's Disneyland resort, Brussels and Lille. Return fares to 75 connecting destinations across France and to any station in Belgium will also be available.
A range of through fares will also be available for passengers using Chiltern Railways and London Midland train services.
Travellers will be able to buy the tickets from November 14th, the day when Eurostar trains will leave from London's new St Pancras International station for the first time.
Initially customers will be able to purchase the tickets via the Eurostar call centre, while from mid-December they will also be able to do so via the company's website and other train companies taking part in the initiative.
Eurostar also plans to extend the range of through fares available to passengers next year, so that rail tickets to Europe will be available from more UK stations.
Commenting on the move Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown said: "Eurostar's move to St Pancras International and the introduction of through fares will open up rail travel to the continent for millions of people living to the north of London.
ATOC commercial director David Mapp added: "The collaboration between Eurostar and Britain's train operators is an important step in integrating UK and continental rail travel and builds on the enormous investment in the new high-speed line and St Pancras International."
Meanwhile Eurostar has also revealed that a "record" number of passengers travelled on its trains during the third quarter.
Some 2.23 million people travelled on Eurostar services to the continent between July and September, a 3.6 per cent increase on the previous year.
Ticket revenues also climbed by 13.8 per cent year-on-year to total £148.5 million, with Eurostar attributing the increase to the rising number of business passengers using its services and higher demand for travel during the recent Rugby World Cup.