By Martin Banks - 15th November 2007
MEPs have given a guarded welcome to the launch of Eurostar’s new high-speed link.
Eurostar says the new service, which shaves about 20 minutes off travel times to Paris and Brussels, marks the start of a new era in faster and greener rail travel between the UK, France and Belgium.
Following a 15-hour, overnight move from Eurostar’s former London terminal at Waterloo international, which is now closed, the first train left Brussels Midi station on Wednesday at 10.15am for the newly-restored St Pancras station.
City centre-to-city centre journeys between London and Brussels now take just one hour 51 minutes non-stop, London-Paris two hours 15 minutes, and London-Lille only one hour 20 minutes.
UK Socialist MEP Brian Simpson welcomed the new service but warned that it must also herald the introduction of more high-speed rail links in the UK.
Simpson, his party’s transport spokesman in parliament, said, “The danger is that with the opening of St Pancras, the UK government will feel the job is done.
“But they must take the next step of linking other major UK cities, like Manchester, into the European high-speed network.
“This week is about St Pancras but next week should be about linking the rest of the country to the high-speed rail network and delivering a first-class service not just for London but to other parts of the country too.”
After welcoming the first train from Brussels, Richard Brown, Chief Executive of Eurostar, said: “This marks a new dawn for short-haul travel in Europe. Our move to St Pancras International and the introduction of through fares make Eurostar even more accessible to travellers across Britain.
“We will carry passengers with greater speed, ease and reliability than ever before, and our travellers will have the extra reassurance of knowing that they are making far less environmental impact compared with flying.
Tony Juniper, executive director of UK Friends of the Earth, described the launch as a “landmark day” for green travel and the first step towards making short-haul flights a thing of the past.
“Eurostar shows that short-haul rail travel is not only better for the environment than flying, but that it can also be quicker, easier and more comfortable as well.”
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