Eurostar posts turnover increase after revamp

   LONDON, January 9, 2008 – Eurostar, which operates the high-speed rail
link connecting Britain with France and Belgium, announced a sharp rise in
turnover and passenger numbers Wednesday after major service improvements.
   It said turnover for 2007 was 599 million pounds (803 million euros, 1.2
billion dollars), 15.5 percent up on 2006, while the number of passengers it
carried rose 5.1 percent to 8.26 million.
   Eurostar said November’s opening of a quicker section of track on the
British side, which shaved 20 minutes off journey times, and switching the
London terminus to a revamped Saint Pancras station had a major effect on the
figures.
   Between November 14 — when the switch to Saint Pancras was completed —
and December 31, Eurostar recorded an 11 percent increase in traffic compared to the same period in 2006, and a 20 percent turnover rise.
   The firm also recorded an 11.9 percent increase in the number of tickets
sold to business travellers.
   Guillaume Pepy, the chairman of Eurostar and chief executive officer of
French rail operator SNCF, described the results as "spectacular" in a
statement.
   He also pledged to focus on areas including punctuality — the current rate
is 91.5 percent — and sustainable development in 2008.
   Since November 14, Eurostar train journeys have been carbon neutral.

AFP