Chunnel News April 20th, 2007
A Letter from Eurostar CEO Richard Brown
As a Eurostar traveller, we wanted you to be the first to know about some significant changes we’re making across our business.You may already be aware that a Eurostar journey is 10 times less polluting than flying. But we believe that everyone can do more. So, from 14 November 2007, the day we open at St Pancras International, we are changing the way we operate as a business. We have now launched Tread Lightly, an initiative designed to further reduce our impact on the environment (what scientists call our footprint) and to help all our travellers do the same. As part of this initiative, we have made a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a further 25% per traveller journey by 2012. Consequently we will be making changes across all areas of our business in order to reduce our impact on the environment, from the big things like energy efficiency, paperless ticketing and waste management to smaller cultural changes like recycling in our offices. Any remaining emissions will be offset, at no cost to our travellers, meaning that from November 14th 2007, Eurostar is proud to offer carbon neutral journeys. We’re on a journey. A very important one. And, as ever, we’re delighted to have you with us. Kind regards, Richard BrownChief Executive OfficerEurostar
Chunnel News January 12th, 2007
Eurostar Reports Full-Year Sales Increased in 2006
Forbes.com Brings us news of Eurostar's Full-year sales increase for this past year. Many travelers prefer the Eurostar to flying because it is more environmentally friendly. Also, a large campaign to promote the cinematic release of The Da Vinci Code this year helped boosts sales as well. Click here to read the entire article.
Chunnel News November 17th, 2006
More Information on Eurostar Chunnel Service from St Pancras Station
Times Online Reports more news about the switch to service at St Pancras Station in London a year from now, November 2007. The travel times will decrease by about 20 minutes; you'll be able to travel between London and Paris in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Travel between London and Brussels will take less than 2 hours! Read more about it by clicking the article above.
Chunnel News November 16th, 2006
Eurostar Announces Date of St. Pancras Service Opening
LONDON: Eurostar on Tuesday said that its high-speed train line connecting London and Paris in two hours and 15 minutes will open on November 14, 2007, serving a new station in the British capital. In a year from Tuesday, Eurostar will move its services from the central London station of Waterloo International to St Pancras International, slightly further north, the company said in a statement. On the same day, Eurostar will open a new high-speed line through the Channel Tunnel, which cuts the travel time from London to Paris, and from London to Brussels by between 20 and 25 minutes. The trip from Paris's Gare du Nord station to London's St Pancras will take two hours and 15 minutes, down from two hours and 40 minutes currently. It will take one hour and 20 minutes to travel to the northern French city of Lille from London, and one hour and 51 minutes to Brussels from the British capital. The new line will be opened at the inauguration of the English end of the expressway that connects the tunnel to St Pancras International. Eurostar said that it will move the services from Waterloo to St Pancras "overnight in order to minimise disruption to travellers". Services for departures and arrivals at Waterloo will continue up to and including November 13, 2007. That will make St Pancras, which currently serves six train lines and several subway lines, "one of the foremost rail hubs in Europe," the company said. "This move will be the most significant event in Eurostar's history since we started running passenger services 12 years ago today," said Richard Brown, the company's chief executive. "It will mark the start of a new era in travel between the UK and mainland Europe," he said. The company will also launch services from Ebbsfleet International, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) southeast of London in the town of Dartford. That will allow travellers using the station to reach Paris in two hours and five minutes, and Brussels in one hour and 40 minutes.
source: channelnewasia.com AFP/so.
Chunnel News October 18th, 2006
Eurostar claim Environmental high ground over Cheap Flights
Passengers who fly between London, Paris and Brussels generate ten times more emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) than travellers who go by rail, according to a study commissioned by train operator Eurostar. The research shows that each passenger on a return flight between London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle generates 122 kilograms of CO2, compared with just 11 kilograms for a traveller on a London-Paris return journey by train. A round trip between London Heathrow and Brussels airport generates 160 kg of CO2 per passenger, against only 18 kg of CO2 for a return journey by rail. Eurostar claim the figures are the most detailed ever produced and are based on actual passenger numbers, exact distances of rail and air routes, actual aircraft types in use on different routes, and the mix of electricity sources used by the company’s high speed trains. Eurostar chief executive, Richard Brown, said: “Travellers are increasingly demanding factual information about the environmental impact of their travel plans, and what they can do to reduce emissions of gases which are causing climate change.” With journey times between London and the Continent set to be cut by 20 minutes with the opening of the line into St Pancras in autumn 2007, Eurostar say the environmental advantages of using their service will be further increased. The research also shows that travelling by high-speed rail will generate even less CO2 per passenger in future years, due to increased supplies of renewable energy and UK policies to reduce CO2 emissions.
source: flightmapping.com
Chunnel News September 7th 2006
Eurostar sees Increase in Travel
Eurostar has seen a 27 percent increase in traveller numbers since the introduction of tougher airport security restrictions across Europe, carrying an extra 28,000 travellers over the first four days (10-13 August) of air travel disruption. Despite the unexpected surge in demand for its services between London, Paris and Brussels, Eurostar's punctuality averaged 94% over the four days, enabling thousands of travellers to avoid long hold-ups at airports. Eurostar has also seen significant numbers of travellers using Eurostar as part of longer rail journeys between the UK and mainland Europe, making onward connections in France and Belgium via other high-speed operators. The Netherlands, Germany and the south of France have proved particularly popular onward destinations. Simon Montague, Director of Communications, Eurostar said: "Our staff have reacted quickly and efficiently to help travellers whose airline journeys have been disrupted. We are pleased that we have been able to assist thousands of travellers in reaching their destinations. Many travellers will have discovered that Europe's high-speed rail network is an increasingly attractive alternative to short-haul air travel." Eurostar is expecting increased demand to continue this week, as travellers seek to avoid continuing airport delays. Travellers are advised to book as early ahead as possible in order to avoid possible queues at Eurostar terminals. Eurostar’s high levels of security screening for travellers and luggage remain in place.
source: Easier.com
This is very exciting Chunnel News that we're sharing with you! It just goes to show that you must book in advance to get the best fares.
Chunnel News September 6th, 2006
A couple Interesting Chunnel news Articles for you...
A couple of interesting Chunnel News articles for you today, both about people who have taken the Eurostar to Paris for a short visit. Read about their experiences below...
A Weekend In Paris is full of ideas for the traveler who wants to spend just a weekend in the city. There are some great tips here!
"...the apocryphal Breakfast in London/Lunch in Paris notion is now a very easy reality, thanks to the Eurostar. The perfect Francophile's weekend is a comfortable and speedy train ride from London that doesn't feel much longer than a suburban commute to Frankston. As with any short trip, there are two rules to a brief stay in Paris: commit yourself to spending money where it counts, and discipline yourself not to do too much..." - Continue Reading this article
Bonjour, Paris is a charming article about two sisters recent excersion to Paris.
"We are hurtling to Paris on the Eurostar train from London, having just emerged from the darkness of the Channel Tunnel into the soft light of France. The patchwork of lavender, green and hay-coloured fields outside the window looks much the same as the English farms we passed earlier. The houses are different, though. The roofs are pointier, the windows slimmer, more upright. It's très French, I think, remembering another useful word. I am deeply thrilled about my first trip to Paris. I have a dream of the city made up of impressions from films, music and literature..." - Continue Reading this article
September 1st, 2006
Chunnel News - Teacher urges students to see the world Jodie Fuqua wanted to do more than tell her Hartselle Junior High School social studies students about the world, so she showed it to them. Fuqua and a group of 27 Hartselle students and guardians traveled July 18-25 on an independent vacation to Europe for tours of London and Paris. Fuqua said at least five of the travelers had never flown on an airplane and the majority of the group had never traveled outside of the United States. “I wanted them to see that there is more to life,” Fuqua explained. “I wanted them to be open and flexible about the differences in culture, and everyone was. It was phenomenal. Everyone’s attitudes were so great.” Attitudes remained positive even after the group was left at London Heathrow Airport and waited four hours for another motorcoach to take them to their hotel. Once they arrived, the American travelers were surprised to find that none of the hotel rooms were air-conditioned. “The hotels there usually don’t need air conditioning, but they were experiencing the same heat wave there that we were here,” Fuqua recalled. “The kids learned to appreciate ice and air conditioning, for sure. It opened their eyes and made them more appreciative of the luxuries and comforts of home.” The trip was Fuqua’s fourth to Europe but her first as a non-school sponsored trip leader. The group’s London excursion included walking tours of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle and the Tower of London, afternoon tea at Harrods, a medieval dinner show, riding the London Eye, and strolling through Piccadilly Circus. “We also saw Stonehenge, which was really a ‘wow’ moment for everyone, and we ended our trip to London by taking the Eurostar Chunnel under the English Channel to Paris,” Fuqua said. Paris highlights included bus tours of the city, a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, a nighttime boat cruise along the Seine, viewing The Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum, sampling escargot and crepes, and visiting Sacre Coeur Church--where the group received a special treat. “A guitarist was performing there and I asked him to play ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’” Fuqua explained. “The kids were all tired and ready to come home, and they all were surprised that he knew the words, so everyone sang along.” Mark and Amy Coleman of Hartselle accompanied their son Will on the European vacation and experienced a moment of one of the largest and oldest annual sporting events in Europe--The Tour de France. The 2006 bicycling event was in its 93rd year and featured its third American winner. “We saw everyone gathered down along the street and we waited with them about 45 minutes,” Mark Coleman recalled. “Then we noticed everyone getting loud and cheering. In about five seconds it was over. Amy snapped a few pictures, but I couldn’t believe it went by that fast.” Coleman said the group vacation was a “sampler” of European destinations that encouraged him to study the area and plan a future trip. “Jodie did a great job organizing the trip,” Coleman said. “It’s amazing the number of significant sites we could see in one day.”
source: Tracy B. Cieniewicz, Hartselle Enquirer.
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