Government to sell stake in Eurostar
The Government is to sell its 40% stake in the cross-Channel passenger rail service Eurostar.
The announcement is contained in the new national infrastructure plan (NIP), said Sky News, which sets out over £375 billion of planned public and private investments to 2030 and beyond.
Last month Eurostar, the majority of which is owned by the French state rail operator SNCF, revealed it had seen a 10% increase in revenue this summer compared with 2012 and passenger numbers during the same period were up 5% to 2.7 million. Profits doubled to £52 million.
In September, Eurostar announced plans to extend its operations, adding a new rail service from London to Amsterdam in December 2016, which will make it an even tougher competitor for airlines on short-haul routes.
Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander will unveil the NIP alongside Commercial Secretary and former London Olympics chief Lord Deighton.
Other measures being announced, said Sky News, include a £50 million redevelopment of Gatwick Airport’s railway station.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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