Eurostar passenger numbers up

5 April 2004

BRUSSELS – The number of passengers using the Eurostar train service that links London with Brussels and Paris increased by 19 percent in the first quarter of 2004 compared to the same period last year, the company announced on Monday.

Eurostar said improved punctuality and a new range of fares were behind the encouraging figures.

The increased passenger numbers also meant the company’s turnover increased by 17 percent during the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2003.

Improvements in punctuality have been particularly noticeable this year Eurostar said. Between January and March 89 percent of Eurostar trains arrived on time. Last year the figure for the same period was 73 percent.

Eurostar has shaved around 20 minutes of its journey times since a new high-speed rail line opened in the United Kingdom last September.

Subject: Belgian news