Eurostar chief dismisses ‘misleading’ Brexit report
Eurostar has dismissed a report from the Department for Transport warning that a no-deal Brexit will lead to long queues at London St Pancras station.
Speaking to the BBC Radio 4 programme, chief executive Mike Cooper said the report was misleading.
He said the cross channel rail operator was ‘clearly hoping for the best’ with regards to Brexit but was ‘planning for all eventualities’.
Today Eurostar reported a rise of 7% in passenger numbers year-on-year to 11 million travellers in 2018.
Sales revenues were up 12% and business passenger numbers up 12%.
It said the growth was also underpinned by strong US traveller numbers and the launch of its new service between London and Amsterdam.
The number of US travellers incorporating the Eurostar experience in their tour of Europe also increased in 2018. US passenger numbers grew by 9% year-on-year.
Cooper added: "Over the last 25 years Eurostar has led the way in cross-Channel travel, cementing the links between the UK and mainland Europe. The popularity of our new service between London and Amsterdam shows the growing appetite among customers for international high-speed rail travel and a sustainable alternative to the airlines."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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