Eurostar History

17 May 1993

Completion of Waterloo International Terminal

20 June 1993

First test train arrives in the UK through the Channel Tunnel

6 May 1994

Channel Tunnel inaugurated by HM The Queen and President Mitterrand of France

14 November 1994

Public Eurostar services commence with two services each way to Paris and Brussels

8 January 1996

Start of services from Ashford International, Kent

1 June 1996

London & Continental Railways (LCR) assumes ownership of European Passenger Services, the British operator.

29 June 1996

Start of Direct services to Disneyland Paris

14 November 1996

Eurostar Frequent Traveller, Eurostar's Loyalty programme launched

13 December 1997

Start of ski train services to the French Alps

14 December 1997

Inauguration of the Belgian high-speed line reduces London-Brussels journey time to two hours and 40 minutes.

1 October 1998

Start of work on the UK high speed rail line between the Channel Tunnel and London

11 March 1999

Formation of Eurostar Group announced

20 July 2002

Start of direct services from Waterloo and Ashford to Avignon

30 July 2003

Eurostar sets new UK rail speed record of 208.0 mph or 334.7 km/h

16 September 2003

CTRL1 opens on time and on budget

28 September 2003

Passenger services begin on CTRL1

23 August 2004

Eurostar sets a new punctuality record with 97.35% of trains arriving on time or early during the week of 16-22 August 2004

7 September 2004

Eurostar launches its first refurbished train

14 November 2004

Eurostar celebrates its 10th birthday

5 January 2005

Record passenger figures, sales revenue and punctuality announced

1 September 2005

Eurostar reinvents first class, splitting business and leisure travellers with the launch of Business Premier and Leisure Select

14 Nov 2006

Eurostar announces that services from St Pancras International will begin on 14 November 2007

17 April 2006

Eurostar launches the ‘Tread Lightly’ initiative. This means that all Eurostar journeys to/from St Pancras International will be carbon neutral. Eurostar also pledges to reduce its overall carbon emissions by 25% by 2012

11 July 2007

Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh travel with Eurostar to Brussels

4 September 2007

Eurostar makes its inaugural run between Paris Nord and St Pancras International. The journey takes only 2 hours 3 minutes

20 September 2007

Eurostar makes the inaugural run from Brussels Midi to St Pancras International in only 1 hour 41 minutes

2 October 2007

Eurostar opens its new depot, Temple Mills International, in East London in preparation for the switch of services to St Pancras International

13 November 2007

The last Eurostar services arrive and depart from Waterloo International

14 November 2007

Eurostar launches services from St Pancras International

19 November 2007

Services are launched from Ebbsfleet International, Eurostar’s newest station located just off Junction 2 of the M25 in Kent