Eurostar achieved a 10.9% increase in ticket sales and a 10.3% growth in passenger numbers in 2008, despite the Channel Tunnel fire.

In the first full year of operation of its High Speed 1, the rail operator reached a record level of £664 million in ticket sales and broke the nine million barrier for the first time with 9.1 million travellers carried.

It said the results would have been significantly stronger but for the closure of part of the Channel Tunnel following a fire on board a Eurotunnel freight shuttle on September 11.

The disruption continues to cause reductions in services and longer journey times.

It said this hit sales, particularly as passengers tend to book up to four months in advance, while the subsequent economic downturn had little impact on the year as a whole.

Looking ahead, chief executive Richard Brown said: “The short-term outlook for 2009 is challenging, but the long-term prospects for Eurostar and high-speed rail are very good.

“High Speed 1 is fully connected into Europe’s fast expanding high-speed network and we expect to see continuing growth in the number of travellers making longer connecting journeys from towns and cities across the UK to Belgium and France, as well as to destinations in the Netherlands and Germany.

“Whilst reduced tunnel access will affect the first quarter of 2009, we expect to return to a full timetable in the early spring with journey times restored to 1h 51 to Brussels and 2h 15 to Paris once Eurotunnel completes repairs to the Channel Tunnel.”

Eurostar also claimed it was outstripping its airline rivals when it comes to punctuality.

It said an average of 92.4% of trains arrived on time or early during 2008, compared to 65.4% for its airline competitors on the same route, according to Jan to Nov 2008, data from Civil Aviation Authority.

By Bev Fearis