Eurostar celebrates ‘Waterloo Sunset’ after 13 momentous years, as the last trains leave Waterloo International. Services will resume tomorrow (14 November) from Eurostar’s new central London home at St Pancras International. Eurostar, the high-speed train service between the UK and the Continent, will today (Tuesday 13 November) say goodbye to Waterloo International after exactly 13 years of operations. Overnight, Eurostar will move to a new London home at the beautifully restored St Pancras International, where services will resume tomorrow (Wednesday 14 November) at 11.01am. Richard Brown, Chief Executive of Eurostar, said: “We are celebrating 13 momentous years since the birth of Eurostar, and I want to thank all those who have supported us, travelled with us and worked alongside us. We are hugely proud to have developed into the world’s leading international train operator, and pleased that the millions of travellers that we have brought through our terminal have also helped in the local regeneration of the Waterloo and South Bank areas.”
While the final hours of preparation for Eurostar’s 15-hour overnight move to St Pancras International get underway, today’s celebrations, entitled ‘Waterloo Sunset’ in honour of the song by The Kinks, will see live music, and local dance and theatre groups performing on Waterloo International’s departures concourse. The drivers of Eurostar’s first ever service from Waterloo International in 1994, Bob Priston, and of Eurostar’s fastest ever train, Alan Pears – who set the UK speed record of 208mph (334.7km/h) in July 2003 – will be joining frequent travellers, well-wishers and Eurostar staff to wave off the last trains. The last train to Paris is scheduled to leave at 18.09, while the last train to Brussels is scheduled to depart at 18.12. The final arrival from Brussels is due at 19.28 and from Paris at 19.58. Eurostar launched international rail services from Waterloo International on 14 November 1994. Since then it has carried over 81 million passengers on more than 230,000 thousand trains. The service began with two trains a day between London and Paris, and London and Brussels.
Today Eurostar operates up to 17 daily services to Paris and up to 10 daily services to Brussels. 1. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking Waterloo International (until today, 13 November), St Pancras International (from tomorrow, 14 November), Ebbsfleet International (from Monday 19 November), Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps. 2. Journeys to and from St Pancras International using High Speed 1, the UK’s first high-speed line, will be at least 20 minutes shorter, with non-stop times of: London – Paris 2h 15min, London – Brussels 1h 51min, and London - Lille 1h 20min. 3. Ebbsfleet International will be Eurostar’s second new UK station and is just off junction 2 of the M25 near Dartford crossing and Bluewater shopping centre in north Kent. Services will begin on 19 November and journey times will be 10 minutes shorter than from St Pancras. 4. Eurostar and Eurotunnel are entirely separate companies. Eurostar operates high-speed passenger trains, while Eurotunnel operates a vehicle shuttle service and the Channel tunnel itself. Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s biggest customer. 5. To book tickets for Eurostar call 0870 264 2644.
