Eurostar train services offer passengers an alternative to air travel that is attracting more and more people. Before the Chunnel between great Britain and the Continent, air travel was the service of choice for most travellers - since the ramp up in airport security and the advent of longer check-in lines and security, processing air travel has become more and more tedious. Added to that is the more recent skyrocketing fuel costs as crude oil went as high as 160 USD per barrel. When the Eurostar train was first introduced back in the 90s, predictions were that people would turn to rail travel in droves. That didn't happen as quickly as originally predicted. In 1996 passenger forecasts for 2004 were pegged at 21.4 million. Only 7.3 million passengers travelled via Eurostar in 2004. Now Eurostar is projecting a passenger load of 10 million by 2010. Recent increases in train travel make it likely that number will be exceeded. Besides the convenience of travel via Eurostar compared to air travel, several other factors explain the increase. With new stations opening, including the new Eurostar terminal at St. Pancras, more passengers have faster access to the service. And the service itself is faster. There is very little time difference now between the time it takes to fly from Heathrow to Charles De Gaul in Paris and the time it takes to travel by Eurostar. Planes can get cancelled because of fog - the Eurostar trains run whatever the weather in Paris - the only difference is that the non-flying time is spent relaxing in a comfortable train rather than in endless lines. Direct London to Paris Eurostar travel time is less than three hours. On average the trains travel at about 186 km an hour. The only speed variable comes while the train is in the tunnel. Regulations require that the trains go at a slower pace through the tunnel for safety purposes. Eurostar is adding more and more services to more and more cities in Great Britain and Paris/Brussels. With the addition of new rolling stock, the frequency of train service is also increasing. Moreover, train service tends to be fairly reliable with a 91 percent plus on time rating for 2007. For Brits visiting the Continent and vice versa, Eurostar is the perfect alternative to air travel. In the first six months of 2008 the number of passenegers has increased by a whopping 18 percent. All of this bodes well for commerce in all cities within Eurostar service and especially cities like Paris and London because they are so frequently destination cities for people on holidays. Predictably people are willing to take a short ride on the Eurostar to spend even small periods of time abroad. Theatre in London? Dinner in Paris? Shopping in either city? You can do it all in a weekend and enjoy the ride back and forth as well. Americans planning a trip to England or France should look into the Eurostar as well. It's a way to see more than they perhaps originally planned. At the same time, the time spent on the Eurostar can ratchet down considerably the stress of travel. But a warning to those who do take the Eurostar plunge - you might return home just a wee bit jealous after experiencing what real train travel can and should be in the 21st century.
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