"The revival comes after Eurostar announced that it has ordered 30 new double-decker trains from Alstom, with an option for a further 20 trains later if needed. The new fleet, named Eurostar Celestia will be a bespoke design created from Alstom's Avelia Horizon platform. The Avelia Horizon is a high-speed passenger train designed and produced by Alstom that will go into service with SNCF Voyageurs in France next year. It has a broadly similar design to SNCF's existing TGV Duplex sets, with double-decker coaches and a push-pull configuration with a power car on either end."
"Eurostar says that seat capacity will increase by 20% on each new train, subject to final design specifications. It is expected that each 200-metre set will have around 540 seats. If running in 400m formation (as through the Channel Tunnel today), there would be around 1,080 seats per service. That will require St Pancras International to be upgraded in time to cope with the additional passengers, or whisper it quietly, maybe reopen Ashford or Ebsfleet International stations."
Eurostar has ordered 30 double-decker trains from Alstom, with an option for 20 more, to create a new Eurostar Celestia fleet based on the Avelia Horizon platform. The Avelia Horizon features double-decker coaches and a push-pull configuration similar to TGV Duplex sets. Each 200-metre set is expected to offer around 540 seats, rising to about 1,080 seats when coupled into 400m formations through the Channel Tunnel, representing roughly a 20% capacity increase per train. The trains will be interoperable across Eurostar's five current countries and new destinations Geneva and Frankfurt. Deliveries begin January 2031, with commercial services from May 2031. St Pancras International may require upgrades or alternative stations may reopen to handle additional passengers. The return marks roughly 60 years since the SR Class 4DD double-deckers were withdrawn in 1971.
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