Eurostar takes High Speed 1 on tour of UK cities



Eurostar takes High Speed 1 on tour of UK cities

Filed 30/04/07  

Transport Briefing



Cross Channel train operator Eurostar is to start a 50 city, five month UK tour on 8 May to promote the regional benefits of High Speed 1*, the speeded up rail link from London to the Continent which is due to launch on 14 November.

The tour will involve roadshows in 50 locations from Edinburgh to Brighton and Exeter to Hull. Representatives from the company will meet politicians, councillors, business leaders, tourism chiefs and community groups to detail the benefits.

Eurostar’s retained communications agency Consolidated, which handles consumer, corporate and public affairs for the organisation, will help deliver the roadshow programme in each city.

From November Eurostar trains will be able to travel at speeds of up to 186mph along a dedicated rail route all the way from London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel, cutting journey times to Paris, Brussels and Lille by 23-25 minutes. This will mean that for the first time the UK will be fully plugged into Europe’s fast growing high-speed rail network.

The briefings will also include details of the range of shops, bars and restaurants that will be sited in St Pancras International in a bid to promote the station as a destination in its own right.

Eurostar says High Speed 1 will bring many towns and cities in the UK closer to destinations in Europe and give continental visitors easier access to more of Britain. Tourism by rail to regions north and west of London is expected to increase significantly, as it already has done in London and south east England.

Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown said: "Our new stations and High Speed 1 will unlock the power of Eurostar for people living in the regions. Attractive fares, better connections with domestic rail services and faster journey times to Paris and Brussels will ensure seamless journeys and provide a genuine alternative to short-haul air.

"Together with our domestic rail partners we will offer a more compelling option for travellers both in terms of convenience - where for instance you will be able to buy a return ticket from Peterborough to Paris - and with a much wider choice of departure times."

* What is High Speed 1 ? (See Eurostar website at: )

High Speed 1 is the UK’s first high-speed line linking London and the UK to the European high-speed rail network. The project was known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), but the finished line is called High Speed 1.

The first section of the high-speed line was brought into service in September 2003, enabling Eurostar to operate at 186 mph/300 km/h in the UK for the first time.

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