Eurostar to bring the first double-decker trains to the UK

Eurostar has ordered new ‘Celestia’ double-decker trains, the first of their kind to operate through the Channel Tunnel and on the UK rail network.

The operator has confirmed an order for 30 of the new trains with an option for an additional 20. The new Celestia trains are supplied by Alstom and are 200 metres long with two floors of seating for passengers.

The trains will be interoperable across all five countries in which the Eurostar operates, and they will also serve Geneva and Frankfurt as destinations.

Each new 200 metre-long train is expected to have around 540 seats. If running in a 400-metre formation, as trains run through the Channel Tunnel today, they would offer 1,080 seats per service.

Eurostar said the Celestia trains are designed for sustainability and accessibility, supporting its long-term environmental goals.

The first Celestia trains will join the Eurostar fleet in January 2031, with commercial services set to launch in May the same year.

The new trains will operate alongside Eurostar’s current fleet, bringing its total to 67 trains, a 30% increase on its fleet size today.

The fleet of Celestia trains will be maintained at the Temple Mills depot in London, which will be extensively redeveloped to accommodate the new double-decker trains.

Eurostar said this new fleet would create 350 more highly-skilled jobs at the depot, and it noted that more than half of all Eurostar jobs are already based in the United Kingdom.

“Placing this milestone order marks the concrete realisation of Eurostar’s ambitious growth strategy – to reach 30 million passengers by investing in a brand-new fleet. We’re particularly proud to bring double-decker trains to the UK for the very first time,” said Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave.

“Customers can expect a very special new train with Eurostar Celestia, which will offer exceptional comfort, a unique Eurostar experience and new surprises to be revealed.”

“This is a golden age for international sustainable travel – and Eurostar is leading the race,” Cazenave said.

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