Eurotunnel welcomes the introduction of a new high-speed rail link between the UK and continental Europe
This morning heralded the launch of direct high-speed passenger rail services between London and Amsterdam via the Channel Tunnel.
Eurotunnel welcomes this historic event: the first Eurostar to connect London to Amsterdam in less than 4 hours crossed the Channel through the Tunnel this morning, reaching the continent at 10:23 local time.
Eurostar and Eurotunnel staff have worked hard to achieve this milestone, with the many obstacles overcome to gain agreement between all parties across 4 different countries having taken considerable efforts. Border controls remain to be improved so that customers using this new route can experience the level of fluidity they have the right to expect.
On the eve of the UK leaving the European Union, this new link is a very powerful sign of confidence in the strength of cross-Channel traffic. The new Eurostar service, in the medium term, should capture a little over a quarter of the air traffic on the route, equivalent to more than a million passengers per year.
