Air France to challenge Eurostar monopoly with faster rail

Eurostar’s grip on rail service to France from St Pancras is expected to end in 2010, when the new “open access” regulations come into force. At that time, both travel times and fares could fall based on the recent announcement by Air France that it will be operating higher-speed rail service to Paris by then.

The London to Paris journey would take under two hours, according to the Air France plan that would use a new generation of high-speed train on the route from St Pancras. Trains would operate at maximum speeds reaching 224mph, which is 38mph faster than the top Eurostar speeds.

As tightened financial conditions have hurt airlines, with softened demand for seats, high-speed rail services have become increasingly popular. Eurostar passenger numbers rose by 18 per cent in the first six months of 2008.

Eurostar has said that it welcomes competition on the route and that interest from air carriers “had been expected.” It added, however, that airlines had “a lot to learn” about the rail business before they would be competitive.

“This shows that airlines now realise that high-speed rail is increasingly the natural choice for business and leisure journeys across Europe,” said a spokesperson for Eurostar.

www.airfrance.com