Channel Tunnel train company Eurostar says the imminent opening of its new high-speed line has contributed to a huge boost to ticket sales.
The firm said today that two weeks after tickets went on sale for the maiden journeys from its new UK base at St Pancras International, more than 110,000 passengers had booked seats.
Eurostar services relocate to St Pancras on November 14th after 13 years at London Waterloo International.
The change in station coincides with the opening of the high speed one rail line that connects to services on the continent.
Eurostar says that the 186mph speed line – 50 per cent faster than UK domestic rail services – will cut average journey times by 20 minutes, making trips to Paris two hours 15 minutes long and journeys to Brussels one hour and 51 minutes in duration.
"We are seeing a huge surge in advance bookings for travel on high speed one," commented the company's chief executive Richard Brown.
"It's solid evidence that the travelling public is excited by the prospect of journeys that are at least 20 minutes quicker, the experience of travelling at 186mph in the UK, and the desire to switch from flying in order to 'do the right thing' for the environment."
Digg 
Delicious 
Reddit 
StumbleUpon 
Google 
Technorati 
Netvouz