News: Eurostar profit from airports chaos
Flights > News > # 1149 (15/01/2007)
Eurostar saw record sales and traveller numbers in 2006 as it attracted hoards of passengers who might usually have taken flights to France and Belgium.
The security meltdown at British airports during the summer and the severe fog before Christmas put many travellers off flying.
Eurostar sales topped half a billion pounds for the first time, rising 11.7% from £463.8 million to £518.3 million. In total 7.85 million travellers chose Eurostar in 2006, up 5.4 % on 2005. Leisure traveller numbers rose by 4.5%, while the largest increase was in business traveller numbers, rising over 17%.
Eurostar has also recorded its best ever punctuality figures. 91.5% of journeys were on time, compared to an average of just 70% for flights on the London to Paris and London to Brussels routes.
Eurostar chief executive, Richard Brown, said: “These are record results on sales, traveller numbers and punctuality. I am delighted at the strong growth in the number of business travellers, who are discovering the punctuality and productivity advantages that Eurostar offers compared with the experience of flying.”
In November, Eurostar will move from Waterloo to the newly renovated St Pancras. A new station will also be opening at Ebbsfleet in north Kent. The fastest journey times from London to Paris will be slashed from 2hr 35min to 2hr 15min, and from London to Brussels from 2hr 20min to 1hr 50min.
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