Eurostar Sees Record Passenger Number

Eurostar sees record passenger number

BRUSSELS, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) — Channel tunnel rail service Eurostar reported on Monday a 2.4 percent increase in passenger number last year, carrying a record a 7.5 million people between Belgium, France and Britain.

Eurostar said the increase was boosted by a 14 percent rise in business class traffic thanks to decreasing business-class cabins on airlines.

Overall, the firm said it took 71 percent of the London-Paris market and 64 percent of the London-Brussels market.

Sales in 2005 were 676 million euros (about 811 million U.S. dollars ), up 7 percent over previous year.

To meet growing demand, a 10th daily weekday London-Brussels service will be introduced on Feb. 13, Eurostar said.

Eurostar’s punctuality in 2005 was 86.3 percent, much better than airline competitors operating on the London / Paris / Brussels routes, the rail service said.