Behind Eurostar's new routes sits a new fleet. Celestia, ordered from Alstom in a deal worth around €2 billion, will run to up to 50 trains, with the first six hoped to be carrying passengers by 2031.
The headline: two decks
They'd be the first double-deck high-speed trains ever to run through the Channel Tunnel — proven technology on the continent, where Deutsche Bahn and SNCF have run twin-deck trains for decades, but new beneath the sea. Each train stands 4.33 metres tall (16cm up on today's e320s) and 200 metres long; two coupled together seat 1,080 passengers.
What it unlocks
Eurostar expects roughly 20% more capacity, up to 50% less energy use per seat, and around 30% more trains serving London as older stock retires — the muscle behind the planned Frankfurt and Switzerland routes. Before any of that, each design must clear a years-long certification process for the Tunnel and every country it serves.
Every Eurostar journey starts with reaching the station on time. Rushxo runs fixed-fare private hire across London and the UK, 24/7 — the quote is the fare, with no surge for early starts or late arrivals. Book a St Pancras transfer, WhatsApp us, or call 020 8888 9988.
Official sources
Quick answers
What are Celestia trains?
Eurostar's next-generation fleet from Alstom — up to 50 double-deck high-speed trains, the first of their kind to run through the Channel Tunnel, hoped in service from 2031.
How many passengers will Celestia carry?
Each 200-metre train seats around 540; two coupled together carry 1,080 — part of a roughly 20% capacity increase across the fleet.
Why do the new trains take so long to arrive?
High-speed trains must complete a years-long certification process for the Channel Tunnel and every national network they serve before carrying passengers.
Celestia Trains: events, venues, airports & the wider network
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