More take the train

Recent environmental protests at airports have urged travelers to reconsider their plane tickets and jump on a train instead. It seems that people are starting to listen. That or they just can’t face another five hours in the crowded security lines at Heathrow. Whatever the reason, Eurostar, the train linking England to Europe, has seen its passenger numbers climbing.

Among those making the switch from air to rail are a number of executive travelers. The number of passengers traveling for business on Eurostar between January and June this year grew by 13 per cent.

But the first six months of the year has been generally good to the rail line, which operates trains between London, Paris and Brussels. Ticket sales during the period rose 13.6 per cent to a total of £295.7 million.

“These are really encouraging results,” said Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown.