Current News
17/12/2010 10:40:38
Short Breaks Christmas Opening Hours
Please see below Short Breaks opening hours over the Christmas and New Year Period
Friday 17th December - closing at 18:00 - Christmas Party
Monday 20th - Thursday 23rd - 09:00 - 18:00
Friday 24th December - closing at 09:00 - 16:00
Saturday 25th - Tuesday 28th December - closed - we will be monitoring our phone and email for any urgent queries
Wednesday 29th December - 09:00 - 18:00
Thursday 30th December - 09:00 - 18:00
Friday 31st December - 09:00 - 16:00
Saturday 1st January - Closed
Sunday 2nd January - 10:00 - 14:00
Monday 3rd January - 10:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 4th January onwards - normal
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our customers a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.
21/12/2010 17:13:35
Eurostar Services on Wednesday 22nd December
We have been advised that Eurostar are planning to operate a near normal service tomorrow Wednesday 22nd December. Eurostar will be operating a normal check in , although they are asking customers to arrive an hour before their scheduled departure time.
The direct service to Disneyland Paris is scheduled to operate as normal and check in for this service will be open from 08:00 for a scheduled departure at 09:44
Please see below the details of the reprotection of the 9 out of 52 services that have been cancelled tomorrow
Cancelled Services - Advice on when to check-in for alternative services
Nine Trains will be cancelled out of our programme of 52 services. The following services will not operate and please can you follow this advise as to when to arrive for check-in and on which service you will be allocated.
London to Paris
With the exception of the three trains below, customers are advised to check in as normal for their scheduled departures. Check In for your train will open 1 hour before departure.
Train 9006, the 07:27 departure from London to Paris is cancelled. Customers will be accommodated on trains 9078 at 05:25, 9004 at 06:55, 9008 at 08:02 and 9014 at 09:32. We advise customers holding tickets for train 9006 to arrive at St Pancras between 04:30 and 09:00 in order to be reallocated onto one of the next available trains.
Train 9012, the 08:55 departure from London to Paris is cancelled. Customers will be accommodated on trains 9014 at 09:32, 9018 at 10:25, 9024 at 12:29, 9030 at 14:04 or alternatively customers may travel to Marne La Vallee (Disneyland Paris) at 09:53 and transfer to central Paris using the RER line A with a journey time of approximately 45 minutes. We advise customers with tickets for train 9012 to arrive at St Pancras between 08:30 and 13:00 in order to be reallocated onto one of the next available trains.
Train 9044, the 17:30 departure from London to Paris is cancelled. Customers will be accommodated on trains 9038 at 16:02, 9040 at 16:25, 9046 at 17.55 and 9050 at 19:02. We advise customers with tickets for train 9044 to arrive at St Pancras between 14:00 and 18:00 in order to be reallocated onto one of the next available trains
London to Brussels
With the exception of the three trains below, customers are advised to check in as normal for their scheduled departures. Check In for your train will open 1 hour before departure.
Train 9108, the 06:20 departure from London to Brussels is cancelled. Customers will be accommodated on trains 9112 at 07:30 or train 9120 at 08:27. We advise customers to arrive at St Pancras between 06:00 and 08:00 in order to be reallocated one of the next available trains.
Train 9148, the 16:57 departure from London to Brussels is cancelled. Customers will be accommodated on trains 9139 at 14:29, 9145 at 15:59 and 9157 at 18:59. We advise customers to arrive at St Pancras between 13.00 and 18.00 in order to be reallocated onto one of the next available trains.
Paris to London
With the exception of the three trains below, customers are advised to check in as normal for their scheduled departures. Check In for your train will open 1 hour before departure.
Train 9005, the 06:43 departure from Paris to London is cancelled. Customers will be accommodated on train 9007 at 07:13. We advise customers to arrive at Paris Nord station at 06:00 in order to be allocated on one of the next available trains
Train 9053, the 18:43 departure from Paris to London is cancelled. Customers will be accommodated on trains 9047 at 17:13, 9051 at 18:13 and 9055 at 19:13. We advise customers to arrive at Paris Nord station between 16:00 and 18:30 in order to be reallocated onto one of the next available trains.
Brussels to London
With the exception of the three trains below, customers are advised to check in as normal for their scheduled departures. Check In for your train will open 1 hour before departure.
Train 9121, the 09:56 departure from Brussels to London is cancelled. Customers will be accommodated on trains 9115 at 08:26 and 9129 at 11:59. We advise customers to arrive at Brussels Midi Station between 07:00 and 11:00 in order to be reallocated to one of the next available trains.
Train 9153, the 17:59 departure from Brussels to London is cancelled. Customers will be accomodated on trains 9139 at 14:29, 9145 at 15:59 and train 9157 at 18:59. We advise customers to arrive at Brussels Midi station between 13.00 and 18:00 in order to be allocated a seat on one of the next available trains.
Special Information for Disney Travellers
London to Marne La Vallee (Disneyland)
Train 9074 at 09:53 will depart as scheduled. Customers are advised to arrive as normal for this service. Check In will open from 08.00
Marne La Vallee (Disneyland) to London
Train 9057 at 19:37 will depart as scheduled. Customers are advised to arrive as normal for this service. Check In will open from 18:00
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to call us.
Please note that as services are now running as close to normal as possible normal cancelloation/amendment charges will apply.
14/10/2010 14:17:00
Massive Eurostar Investment in New Rolling Stock - The Eurostar e320
Eurostar has recently announced a £700 million investment in it's fleet funded by both banks and Eurostar itself.
The investment will further cement Eurostar's role in being at the forefront of the increasing customer choice of rail over air travel.
As well as the complete refurbishment of the current rolling stock Eurostar will , subject to contract , purchase 10 new trains from German firm Seimens. As well as increasing the capacity per train from 750 to 900 seats , the new Eurostar e320 will reduce journey times and also make cities such as Amsterdam and Geneva much more accessible. Jurney time to Paris would be reduced to just over two hours.
Journeys to Disneyland Paris could be reduced to under 2 1/2 hours.
A key element of the new e320 Eurostar trains is that will be interoperable ie can operate on most if not all of the European high speed rail network.
The redesign of current stock and the interior design of the new stock will be undertaken by Pininfarina best know for their work with Ferrari.
In addition the new trains will be equipped with the latest in on board services including the most advanced wi-fi - and access to video , news and music feeds to make either the Eurostar leisure or business journey as productive or enjoyable as possible.
The dates for introduction of the new or refurbished trains is yet to be confirmed although being one of the official carriers to London 2012 one would expect Eurostar to want to have them operable by then.
15/10/2010 16:26:47
Belgian Rail Strike Monday 18th October 2010 affecting Eurostar services.
We have just been advised that the Belgian Rail Strike taking place from 22:00 on Sunday 17th October to 22:00 on Monday 18th October will affect Eurostar services to Brussels and therefore affect customers travelling back to the UK from any Belgian destination on this day.
Eurostar will be operating a limited service to Lille from the uk.
There will also be a limited coach service running from Brussels to Lille on Monday.
Short Breaks are in the process of contacting any affected customers and advising them of their options.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any more information.
24/11/2010 16:12:6
Disneyland Paris Christmas is in Full Swing
The Christmas Season at Disneyland Paris is now in full swing - here's a taster of what's happening in Europe's Premier Family holiday destination.
At Disneyland® Park
Your favourite Disneyland characters including the New Generation will be dressed up in their Christmas Best and just waiting to meet and greet you in a special Xmas Disneyland way . Rapunzel, the latest heroine from Disney Studios, will appear every day on the Royal Castle Stage. And you can't miss Mickey’s Winter Wonderland musical, featuring a host of Disney heroes again all helping you to celebrate Christmas Disney style.
Don't miss the special Christmas Parades
The Once Upon a Dream Parade is followed by Dreams of Christmas: which tells Disney's classic stories with a Christmas twist Santa will also make an appearance with elves and toys all contained in his magical sleigh and to round off a busy day what better than to see the amazing Fantillusion festival of light parade.
Christmas Lights at Disneyland Paris
Each day after the sun has set Mickey and friends will gather at the front of a giant tree and magically turn on the wonderful Christmas lights - the highlight being turning's Sleeping Beauty's Castle into a glistening Palace to make you feel even more like you have experienced a Disneyland Christmas Treat.
Whilst availability on Eurostar is getting tight during the school holidays , there is still time to get a bargain before and also on Eurotunnel and other Ferry operators.
30/11/2010 9:53:55
Eurostar Services Today
We have been advised that whilst Eurostar services are running to a normal schedule delays of approximately 30 minutes are occuring due to speed restrictions on the high speed lines in both the UK and Northern France.
As we have any further news we will update this section of the site.
01/12/2010 10:0:16
Eurostar Service Today and Short Breaks Ltd
We have been advised of the following by Eurostar with regards to services
Due to weather conditions there are speed restrictions on the high speed lines in both the UK and Norther Europe. As a consequence Eurostar services are experiencing delay of up to 30 minutes.
In addition as a consequence of this there have regerttably been some cancellations but customers have been reaccomodated as below
Cancelled trains, Wednesday 1 December:
Between London and Brussels
06:59 from Brussels to London (Train 9109). Travellers wishing to travel will be accommodated on to the following London service at 07:59 (train 9113). Travellers from Lille should check-in as normal as an additional service has been arranged.
17.27 from London to Brussels (train 9150). Travellers wishing to travel will be accommodated on to the following Brussels service at 18.35 (train 9154), which will also stop at Ebbsfleet and Lille.
Between London and Paris
07:27 from London to Paris (train 9006). Travellers wishing to travel will be accommodated on to the following Paris service at 08:02 (train 9008) which will stop at Ebbsfleet and Calais.
09:13 from Paris to London (train 9015). Travellers wishing to travel will be accommodated on the following London train at 10.13 (train 9019) which will also stop at Ebbsfleet or at 11.13 (9023)
16:55 from London to Paris (train 9042) (17:27 from Ashford). Travellers wishing to travel will be accommodated on to the following Paris service at 17:30 (train 9044), which will also stop at Ashford 30 minutes later.
18.43 from Paris to London (train 9053). Travellers wishing to travel will be accommodated on to the following London service at 19.13 (train 9055) which will also stop at Ashford
Short Breaks Ltd
We are open but are slightly understaffed please rest assured that we will do our best to answer your calls as soon as is possible.
Thank you for your patience
02/12/2010 9:11:33
Eurostar Services today and Short Breaks Opening
We have a limited number of staff in the ofice at the moment and more are on the way but we make take longer to deal with any enquiries that we would hope - please leave message or email info@short-breaks.com and we will answer them as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience.
We have been advised by Eurostar that some services to and from Paris and Brussels have been cancelled as per the table below.
Customers on the affected trains will be reaccomodated and you are advised where possible to check in as normal.
The service to Disneyland Paris is scheduled to operate although like other services is subject to delay.
Customers wishing to travel are advised to turn up at the station for their original booked train and they will be accommodated on the next available service. For travellers booked on a late evening services that has been cancelled, you are advised to turn up after 12:00. We will try to allocate seating on another service as per the revised timetable.
For full timetable details please go to http://www.eurostar.com/UK/be/leisure/customer_care/questions_answers.jsp?rfrr=UK%3AUK%3AexpressBook_body_For%20more%20information%20please%20click%20here. Whilst Eurostar may be offering changes and cancellations without charge , please note that some of the hotels may still still levy charges.
Once again thank you for your patience.
06/12/2010 10:48:50
Eurostar Services Today
We have been advised today that services are running normally except for some Belgian Services where an earlier infrastructure problem with Belgian tracks has caused some delays - this probelm has been rectified and Eurostar are working to get services back to normal
18/12/2010 11:50:49
Eurostar services today and Short Breaks
We have been advised that due to the weather conditions Eurostar services are subject to speed restrictions and therefore journey times are extended by up to an hour.
At present we have not been advised of any cancellations.
In order the interests of our staff's safety we have closed our office but are monitoring messages and emails and will respond as soon as possible but we ask that you bear with us as we may not respond to your contact as sson as we would wish
If we are advised of any changes to the above we will update this page
20/12/2010 10:38:37
Eurostar Services from 19th December - 24th December 2010
Eurostar have advised that today and possibly up to the 24th December , due to infrastructure issues and severe weather conditions in Kent and in Northern Europe they are running a contingency timetable which means that services are subject to delay and in some cases cancellation.
Customers who are booked on services that are cancelled will be accomodated on available services but again will be subject to delay.
Eurostar are treating the direct Disney service as a priority.
Please note that while Eurostar are offering changes to tickets , hotels have varying charges that they implementing so please call us for clarification.
Eurostar are not accepting any sales for any trains up to 24th December 2010.
21/12/2010 10:1:29
Eurostar Services Today
Due to the weather conditions and consequent speed restrictions Eurostar has had to cancel some services.
We have been advised that the direct service to Disneyland Paris will be operating but is subject to delay.
Customers who have tickets to travel today and have to travel are advised to arrive at the relavant station at least an hour before their scheduled departure time. As you may have seen there were substantial queues at St Pancras yesterday and whilst some trains have departed this morning we cannot guarantee that thsi will not occur today.
For those customers who have been unable to return from Paris are advised to go to Gare Du Nord and also to keep any relevant receipts so that you can claim as per the below
Please note that if you are one of the affected travellers, we will be reimbursing reasonable out-of-pocket expenses caused by the overnight delay. This includes hotel accommodation (up to £150 or euro equivalent) transport (taxis, underground and parking) and meals.
The process for claiming all of the above will be to write into Traveller Care at:
Traveller Care
2nd Floor, Kent House
81 Station Road
Ashford
Kent
TN23 1AP
traveller.care@eurostar.com
We will endeavour to keep our customers informed as to the ongoing situation
15/09/2010 15:13:28
Short Breaks are Moving Thursday 16th - Friday 17th September 2010
Over the next two days Short Breaks will be moving to our brand new offices.
We have worked so that any disruption to our service to you will be kept at an absolute minimum , but there will be a period from approximately 17:00 on Thursday 16th September that we will not be available to take any bookings either on or off line until 09:00 on Friday 17th September.
We will be able to take calls on the numbers on 0844 482 2977 should you need to contact us.
We hope to keep any disruption to an absolute minimum but we may not be able to respond as quickly as we would normally hope.
The new offices are at
40A Napier Road
Bromley
Kent
BR2 9JA
11/08/2010 17:3:56
Eurostar Engineering works October and November 2010
We have been advised that due to engineering works on 30 October, 31 October and 20 November 2010,
some Eurostar trains from Paris to London will be departing earlier than the scheduled
departure time.
We have checked our records and will advise any customers who may be affected by these minor changes
Eurostar Train Original Paris New Paris Difference in
Number departure times departure time departure times
9007 07:13 07:07 -6 minutes
9019 10:13 10:10 -3 minutes
9023 11:13 11:07 -6 minutes
9035 14:13 14:09 -4 minutes
9039 15:07 15:04 -3 minutes
9043 16:13 16:07 -6 minutes
9045 16:43 16:40 -3 minutes
9047 17:13 17:07 -6 minutes
9049 17:43 17:34 -9 minutes
9051 18:13 18:10 -3 minutes
9059 20:13 20:07 -6 minutes
9061 20:43 20:40 -3 minutes
• Trains will arrive within a few minutes of original arrival time, with the
following
exceptions:
- Eurostar 9011 departing 08:07 will arrive at 09:54, 18 minutes later than
originally
scheduled
- Train 9031 departing 13:04 will arrive at 14:42, 11 minutes later than
originally
scheduled
- Train 9055 departing 19:13 will arrive at 20:40, 6 minutes later than
originally
scheduled
- Train 9063 departing 21:13 will arrive at 22:42, 13 minutes later than
originally
scheduled
• For technical reasons only 1 of the 12 trains affected (trains 9049) will show the
revised times on the booking system. All other Paris-London Eurostar trains will continue to show the original departure times.
Short Breaks Ltd
04/08/2010 11:53:5
Eurostar Sales and Passenger Increase in the First Half of 2010
Eurostar revenues increased by 18% to £404 million and passenger numbers rose by 6% to 4.6 million during the first half of 2010.
As well as the the impact of the ash cloud disruption the increase also reflects a increase in both business and leisure travellers in Eurostar during the period.
Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive of Eurostar, said:
“Over the last six months, we have delivered strong growth in both business and leisure bookings. As the economic environment has strengthened we have seen an uplift in the business market and an overall increase in the number of passengers travelling.
“Whilst our core routes continue to be busy more and more people are opting to travel further afield and explore new destinations by train. Forward bookings are looking strong and with the increasing appetite for high speed rail travel in Europe, the trend looks set to continue.”
02/07/2010 14:50:43
Eurostar Catering Today - Friday 2nd July 2010
We have just been advised that due to French industrial action there has not been any catering in both Leisure Select and Business Premier Classes on Eurostar trains back from Paris today.
On behalf of Eurostar we apologise to any of our customers who have been affected by this.If youu have been affected please contact us on your return and we will take up compensation claims with Eurostar on your behalf.
As soon as we are made aware that catering has been resumed we will update the site.
29/06/2010 14:21:17
Important Eurotunnel Advice for Summer 2010
IMPORTANT EUROTUNNEL INFORMATION
With the busy summer holiday period fast approaching, we have been asked by Eurotunnel to remind you to kindly respect your check-in and departure times.
It is imperative that you arrive in time to meet your departure to avoid being delayed, as Eurotunnel will be extremely busy during these popular travel periods.
Please note that whilst there is very little available space for certain weekends in July and August it is still worth contact Short Breaks as we will be able to help find suitable Eurotunnel travel times . The first weekend in September returning from Calais is almost full.
In the event that you need to amend your outbound or return travel, please do so , where possible,before you travel.
As you can appreciate, space will be limited for those customers who simply arrive at check-in, expecting to travel and these customers may experience a lengthy wait.
We thank you for your understanding and assistance with this matter.
23/06/2010 9:42:45
French National Strike - Thursday 24th June 2010 - No Effect on Eurostar
We have been advised that from 22:00 today (Wednesday 23rd June) to 08:00 on Friday 25th June there will be a French National strike that could cause disruption to transport services.
Eurostar services will operate as normal.
Interconnecting services ie trains travell to Disney via Lille coudl be affected but we have checked all boookings travelling over the affected period and non of our customers should be inconvenienced.
As always if you need any more information please call us and we will be happy to help.
09/06/2010 16:15:46
Short Breaks Ltd win Award for Best Short Break Tour Operator to France 2010
On Saturday night Short Breaks were pleased to accept the award for Best Short Break Tour Operator to France 2010 at an awards ceremony at the pristine Park Plaza Wesminister Bridge Hotel , London organised by Atout France - the official French Government Tourist Board. In their words ....
Award nomination process:
ATOUT FRANCE UK has appointed a jury composed of key local partners and associations dealing with France and British tour operators, and formed the following jury:
ABTOF
P&V
RAILEUROPE
SEAFRANCE
COACH TOURISM COUNCIL
The French Travel Trade Awards give special recognition to 8 operators for their contribution to the promotion of the destination France in various categories and take into account innovation, initiatives and general dedication to France in the programmes.
The judging process was extremely close with all those nominated demonstrating strong commitment and creativity during the very challenging economic climate of the past 2 years.
Well done the winners!
Nominations & results:
Best Short Breaks Tour Operator 2010
Short Breaks Ltd (winner)
French Travel Service
Railbookers
Ski Weekends
' We are , of course , pleased to accept this award in recognition of the great value , diverse breaks that we provide and the level of service that we strive to give and are sure that it will push us to further improve the product to France that we offer in the future ' Vid Veerapen General Manager
03/06/2010 15:46:0
Eurostar become a partner for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Bid
Eurostar, have signed to become a Tier 2 partner in support of England’s bid for the FIFA 2018 World Cup.
The latest tie-up with another major sporting initiative follows the announcement by LOCOG for Eurostar as a Tier 3 sponsor and the International Rail Services Provider for London 2012.
England 2018 Bid’s CEO, Andy Anson, said “The fact that England is easy to get to and easy to get around is an important selling point of our bid. Eurostar is a fitting example of our world-class transport system and we are delighted to be working with them for the remainder of this campaign.”
Eurostar’s Commercial Director, Nick Mercer, commented: “With London directly linked to the European high-speed network it is a complete no-brainer that Eurostar should become a partner in FIFA’s England 2018 bid. ….”
20/05/2010 12:11:26
Eurostar offers a new class of service Standard Premier
Eurostar, has today announced an important change to its class of service range.
Eurostar is introducing Standard Premier – a ‘mid-class’ designed to appeal to not only the more cost-conscious business traveller, but also leisure travellers who want that little bit extra space and service.
Standard Premier tickets are now on sale for travel from 1 September. The new class will replace Eurostar’s existing Leisure Select class, which has been on offer since 2005.
This change comes as a result of extensive customer feedback and market research and sees Eurostar’s class offerings move towards a more intuitive structure with Standard Premier perfectly complementing the existing Business Premier and Standard classes.
Commercial Director Nick Mercer said:
"Following extensive research and feedback from our corporate clients and business travel agents, it became very clear that there was a strong appetite for a mid-range product pitched between our fully-flexible Business Premier and Standard classes.
We have taken this on board and have now introduced a new class which not only meets the needs of our more cost-conscious business customers but also appeals to the leisure traveller looking for a bit of extra comfort and service on board.
With the introduction of Standard Premier, we now have a range of products that meets the differing needs of all our customers."
What is on offer?
Business Premier
Eurostar's exclusive business class offers the highest level of freedom to work in dedicated, comfortable surroundings. With fully flexible fares, Business Premier offers a 10 minute express check-in, business lounge access, plus drinks and a fine food menus often designed by top ranking chefs. This summer, Business Premier travellers will enjoy menus designed by Michelin star chef Graham Garrett from acclaimed Kent restaurant 'The West House'.
Standard Premier
This new class of service provides for travellers seeking more from their time on board. With the option of flexible fares*, Standard Premier offers the freedom to work, think, or simply unwind. Customers are presented with calm, spacious surroundings with on-board staff offering a light meal and a selection of magazines.
Standard Class
All the advantages of high-speed, city centre to city centre rail travel, plus great value. Standard Class is for travellers on a budget who don’t want to compromise on style or comfort.
20/05/2010 11:59:26
Eurostar to sponsor London 2012
Eurostar has become a tier 3 sponsor of London 2012, the 30th domestic sponsor , The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) announced
Eurostar has become Official International Rail Services Provider and will be providing the London 2012 Olympics with arrival and departure services at St Pancras International for those competing and working at the Games who are travelling to London on its trains. It will also provide international rail services for London 2012's operational requirements.
Eurostar will also have a role to play for both the Belgian and French Olympic Organising committees in the transportation of their respective teams.
As part of its sponsorship of the London 2012 Games, Eurostar will be conducting a number of activations across the UK, France and Belgium to promote London 2012 as a truly sustainable Games.
The first main Eurostar activation is the Tri-City-Athlon planned for 14 September 2010 which takes places across the three capital cities that Eurostar serves. Over one day participants will do a swim in Paris, a cycle in Brussels and a run in London.
LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe commented: "We are thrilled that Eurostar has come onboard as a London 2012 partner. They are an iconic brand with a strong emphasis on quality and I know they will ensure that everyone coming to London 2012 by rail, either as a competitor or spectator, has the best travel experience possible from the moment they start their journey."
Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive of Eurostar, said: "We are proud to be partners with London 2012 and believe we will play a critical role in bringing people from all over Europe. As the high speed rail link between the UK and the continent we will be bringing over a million people to and from the UK during the Games and will help make London 2012 the most sustainable Games possible."
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We have been advised that there will be a French National strike from 5pm today which will last approximately 24 hours.
We have been advised by Eurostar that their services will not be affected by this action and will run as normal.
ShortBreaks Ltd
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Despite reports on the BBC and other news sources we have been informed by
Eurostar that services are likely to run as normal.
If we hear anything to the contrary we will post news here and if necessary be
contacting passengers who may be affected.
If you have any further questions please check back here or call us on
0844 482 2977 |
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Ticket sales up 6.8% in Q3 2009 compared to Q3 2008
Signs of an upturn in business travel market
Eurostar, the provider rail journeys between the UK and the Continent, today
announced its Quarter 3 2009 July - September results which report some recovery
in sales.
Whilst sales and revenues for the year to date are down slightly and the
business travel environment remains challenging, overall sales revenue in Q3
2009 is up 6.8% on the same period last year. This uplift is due to the impact
of the fire on a shuttle in the Channel Tunnel in September last year which
depressed the Q3 2008 results, helped by growth in the leisure market and a
bottoming-out in the decline of business sales.
Overall ticket sales between January and September 2009 totalled £504.9 million
and since the beginning of the year Eurostar has welcomed 6.9 million
travellers. Whilst this is down 0.9% on 2008, the volume of passengers
travelling in Q3 2009 went up to 2.6 million from 2.4 million 2008. This sees an
11% increase in passengers travelling outbound from the UK and a 7% increase of
passengers travelling inbound from the Continent year on year.
The increase reflects the success of the ‘Little Break, Big Difference’
advertising campaign which has encouraged UK travellers to treat themselves for
as little as the £59 return fare – Eurostar’s lead in fare which has stayed the
same for the last six years.
Richard Brown, Chief Executive, Eurostar, said:
“Today’s figures show that despite tough times, people are increasingly
realising the great benefit of travelling with Eurostar.
“These individuals are part of what we call the ‘Eurostar Generation’;
travellers who over the past decade and a half have experienced significant
changes to the way they live, work and play as the network of high-speed rail
services steadily grows.”
Brown also said that whilst the economic climate remains difficult there are
signs that the worst might be over for the business market:
“In
recent weeks a number of our major corporate clients have eased their business
travel restrictions. Although it is early days, this may be a sign of an
upturn.” |
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Short-haul travellers who choose high-speed rail over the plane are already
making huge and immediate reductions in their carbon dioxide emissions – simply
by switching how they get from A to B.
Eurostar, the provider of carbon neutral, high-speed rail journeys between the
UK and mainland Europe, highlighted (22 September) the value of emissions cuts
being made right now, on the day that the aviation industry promised to cuts
emissions by 50% by 2050.
Eurostar’s Head of Environment and Energy Louisa Bell said:
“While we welcome this move, there is no better time to remind travellers of the
carbon dioxide savings that can be made today, simply by choosing train over
plane.
“High-speed
rail in the form of Eurostar achieves an immediate 90% cut in journey emissions,
based on research which has shown that a Eurostar trip generates just 10% of the
CO2 emissions of an equivalent flight. What’s more, as governments pursue
policies to decarbonise electricity supplies, the emissions from high-speed rail
journeys will only further reduce.
“Whilst the aviation industry has made long-term promises to halve carbon
dioxide emissions by 2050, consumers are already making much bigger cuts, simply
by choosing to take the train.
“Across Europe, for high-speed journeys of up to four hours, typically more than
half the market now prefers rail to air. For shorter trips, the market share of
rail is significantly greater.”
Under its Tread Lightly environmental plan launched in April 2007, Eurostar has
a target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions per traveller journey by 35% by
2012, compared with 2007.
The train operator has already achieved a 31% cut in journey emissions, largely
through a switch to lower carbon sources of electricity along its routes, and
without using offsetting in order to achieve its target.
Eurostar’s policy is only to use offsetting where emissions cannot yet be
eliminated. This is done in order to make all journeys carbon neutral, at no
extra cost to passengers.
More widely across Europe, high-speed trains are already enabling travellers to
make major reductions in journey emissions compared with the old alternative of
flying. And with the size of Europe’s high-speed rail network due to triple in
the 15 years to 2020, passengers will be able to travel faster point-to-point by
high-speed rail than by plane on nearly half of Europe’s busiest air routes,
according to a recent study by Boston Consulting Group*.
It conducted a survey of 13,000 pan-European distance travellers from 13
countries, which found that more than 30 percent would like to switch modes with
the proportion in some countries as high as 65 percent.
*Boston Consulting Group: ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’, March 2009 |
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Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service that links the UK with the continent, today unveiled a new look and feel for the onboard branding of “Leisure Select” - its first class accommodation for leisure travellers.
The rich and colourful imagery of the new branding re-defines the Leisure Select experience by using pictures of cultural hotspots - particularly cafes, bars and restaurants - in London, Paris and Brussels that have been selected as offering great value for money.
The revamp of Leisure Select branding is expected to further increase the number of travellers who choose this popular, first class ‘treat’ between London, Paris and Brussels, as well as on the daily services to Disneyland Resort Paris and the weekly direct services from London to Avignon in Provence during the summer.
Eurostar and third party travel agents and tour operators who sell Eurostar tickets will also use the new Leisure Select identity to enhance their marketing of the product.
Leisure Select offers style, quality and value, and includes a choice of meals and drinks served at seat.
Uniquely, Eurostar offers three classes of services on its trains, including two first class products:
“Business Premier” is tailored to provide maximum flexibility of ticketing, 10-minute check-in, business lounge access and a highly productive work-on-the move environment, with a catering service designed to fit around the needs of business travellers, including an express breakfast service.
“Leisure Select” occupies the same spacious first class coaches as Business Premier, with roomy seats, power points, newspapers and magazines. However, it is aimed at travellers who want to relax, not work, with at seat service designed to maximise the enjoyment of the journey. Travellers are offered champagne, a choice of meal, and have the opportunity to read, play games or meet like-minded travellers.
“Standard Class” offers excellent value,travellers can purchase food and drinks from the bar buffet, or take their own food on board. All three classes offer the reassurance that a journey by high-speed rail is far less environmentally damaging than the alternative of flying. |
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Raising the self imposed target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions
per traveller journey
Travellers want businesses to go the extra mile to reduce their environmental impact, according to new research
More than 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide saved by travellers switching from plane to train
Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service between Britain and mainland Europe, today published its first Tread Lightly Report, revealing progress towards achieving its environmental targets.
Higher load factors and a switch of electricity supply in the Channel Tunnel have chiefly contributed to a cut of more than a quarter (31%) in carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) per passenger journey, compared with 2007. Eurostar has now raised its target to a 35% saving by 2012.
The Tread Lightly plan was published in April 2007 and included:
- a target of cutting CO2 emissions by 25% (now 35%) per passenger journey by 2012
- a 10-point plan to reduce all other environmental impacts
- a commitment to neutralise the carbon from all passenger journeys from the date of Eurostar’s move to St Pancras International (14 November 2007), by offsetting them through investment in projects that reduce the same amount of CO2
On 14 November 2007, Eurostar became the first train operator in the world to make all passenger journeys carbon neutral at no extra charge. Since then, travellers who have switched from plane to train have reduced the emissions from their journeys by an estimated 40,000 tonnes of CO2 compared with if they had made their journeys by air.
Research commissioned by Eurostar among the general public in the United Kingdom, France and Belgium shows that the environment remains a priority for consumers, despite the economic downturn. The survey by Hall & Partners* found that:
- 7 out of 10 believe large companies have a responsibility to go beyond simple box ticking when reducing the impact of their products (73% UK, 79% France, 77% Belgium)
- 7 out of 10 think their own actions and consumption choices can affect global warming and climate change (75% UK, 79% France, 75% Belgium)
- 6 out of 10 consumers say the environment is a priority when spending (60% UK, 64% France, 68% Belgium)
- 4 out of 10 say environmental issues had an impact on decisions when making recent purchases or choices concerning holiday travel (48% UK, 39% France, 37% Belgium)
Richard Brown, Chief Executive, Eurostar, said: “There is a clear appetite among consumers to find ways of reducing the carbon emissions from their holiday travel, and an expectation that the industry should help them do this.
“It is time to harness consumer pressure and business creativity into a virtuous circle of actions to tackle climate change, that will help travellers cut the overall emissions generated by their holiday travel.”
Progress on the 10-point plan has included:
- a big increase in waste recycling at Eurostar’s UK maintenance depot
- a reduction of over 70% in waste being sent to landfill from directly managed sites compared to 2007
- new measures to help travellers to reduce emissions when connecting with Eurostar services
- the introduction of biodegradable and recyclable paper and plastic crockery and cutlery on board
- greener electricity tariffs at head office, the UK contact centre and Ashford International car park
- recycling of old uniforms into new clothing and accessory products
Progress on other points such as the handling of on-board waste and replacement of air-conditioning refrigerants on trains is taking longer than expected, and the target dates have been extended.
Although Eurostar has achieved its 25% target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions per journey earlier than expected, it foresees a modest reversal this year as a result of the economic downturn. Nevertheless the target has now been raised to a 35% reduction in emissions per passenger journey by 2012.
Richard Brown said: “We expected that much of the reduction in emissions per journey would come in the first two years. We are now investing significant resources to achieve the harder-to-win savings to be gained over the next three years.”
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· 1.92 million travellers carried
· Punctuality of 96% on Eurostar following restoration of full service through the Channel Tunnel
Eurostar, the achieved sales of £168.1 million in the first three months of 2009, down 5.8% from £178.5 million for the same period last year. Traveller numbers totalled 1.92 million, down 11.5% on 2.17 million last time.
Both sales revenue and traveller numbers were significantly affected by the restrictions on Channel Tunnel capacity following the fire on a Eurotunnel shuttle train last September, and the consequent reduction in Eurostar services. The global economic downturn has also had a particular impact on business traffic with demand reducing and customers down-trading.
However, following the full opening of the tunnel on 23 February, Eurostar was able to resume full promotional campaigns in its three core markets which has already lead to a significant increase in leisure sales. Indeed, set against a challenging economic environment, leisure sales were up 2.2% in a first quarter which had just five weeks of full service operation. In France and Belgium one of the key factors in stimulating travel has been the favourable exchange rate for euro-zone visitors to London and other parts of the UK.
Overall, business sales were down around 20% compared with January to March last year due to the combined affect of the capacity and operating restrictions in the Channel Tunnel and the global recession.
The return to normal operations through the tunnel enabled Eurostar to achieve punctuality of 96% between 23 February and the end of March and compares with an average punctuality of 79% on the air routes with which Eurostar competes.
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Eurostar, has announced that it has awarded the design contract for the interior refurbishment of its fleet to the Italian design consultancy Pininfarina.
Pininfarina has been appointed after a lengthy and rigorous selection process. The company is a world-class design house that is best known for its work in the car industry, with prestige marques such as Ferrari and Maserati as well as volume manufacturers including Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Ford and Volvo. It is also developing the revolutionary, electric Pininfarina BlueCar that is due to go into production in 2011, and which will cut carbon dioxide emissions from road travel.
Importantly for Eurostar, Pininfarina also has extensive experience in the rail industry, having designed the interiors and exteriors of Italy’s high-speed trains; rolling stock for Swiss, Danish and Norwegian Railways; automated light rail cars in Lille, northern France; and trams for cities in Italy, Greece, Sweden and Turkey.Pininfarina will be responsible for the full interior design including styling and engineering, and the exterior livery. The 28 trains in the Eurostar fleet will be fitted out by SNCF, and the first ones are due in service in 2012.
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We have been advised that Eurostar is operating a service today although it is subject to delay and possible cancellation.
As we are advised of any more information we will pass on to you.
We are waiting for information with regards to how Disneyland Paris will deal with customers who are unable to travel and will advise as soon as we know.
If you require more information please email info@short-breaks.com and we will do our best to answer your query.
Short Breaks Ltd |
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As per news received last night we are pleased to advise that as of the 11th February the Channel Tunnel will be back to operating normally. Until 22nd February the timetable will operate as it is at the moment - from the 23rd February a new timetable will be operating. We are currently loading the new Eurostar timetable and will be advising customers who have already booked of any changes to their timings as soon as possible.
We appreciate that for many of customers we have already advised you of changes to your journey which may now change again - we apologise for any inconvenience and confusion this has caused.
The positive news is that after the 23rd of February journey times will now be faster with Paris only two and a quarter hours , Brussels under 2 hours , Lille in under an hour and a quarter.
Please find the new timetable here.
If you have already booked with us and would like to compare your original times with the new timetable please
do so here
Short Breaks Ltd |
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There are reports in the press of the possibility of strike action by Eurostar trains drivers in the run up to Christmas. At present we have not been advised by Eurostar of the effect, if any this will have on customers we have travelling with us.
Of course as soon as we are advised on any concrete developments from Eurostar we will advise accordingly. In the meantime please see below a statement from Marc Noaro Eurostar's customer services director.
Eurostar said it had already met with and continues to talk to the unions to resolve the dispute.
“The rosters and shift patterns were introduced as a result of the amended timetable since the incident in the Channel Tunnel in September and fully meet the conditions of contract for all Eurostar UK train managers,” a statement said.
Eurostar UK train managers represent a proportion of the total complement, which includes staff from French and Belgian national railways.
Eurostar customer services director Marc Noaro said: “Following the Channel Tunnel incident and the introduction of the current amended timetable our passengers have experienced significant disruption and by far the majority have understood the situation. We are extremely disappointed that our UK train managers have decided on this course of action and at this time, and we will make every effort to ensure our travellers face no further disruption in the busy period up to Christmas & the New Year.” |
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Eurostar have confirmed that their amended timetable as below will now operate until March 11th 2009.
ShortBreaks are in the process of informing all of our customers of possible time changes to their travel arrangements by either phone, email or letter.
Eurostar will inform us early in the New Year with regards to the timetable post the 11th March and as soon as we know. we will inform you.
If you have any queries at all regarding this please contact us at info@short-breaks.com.
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Eurostar have increased the number of trains operating to all destinations as of today and are now running 15 trains to Paris daily (up from 12). Eurostar have also opened sales on certain trains operating this weekend, so if you would like to travel please call us on 0844 482 2977.
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Eurostar have indicated to us that the limited timetable that is operating will continue to do so until the 30th September. Please see the timetables below.
As sales for these Eurostar trains have now stopped please contact us & we can look at alternative means of transport for you.
We advise all our customers to check in as early as possible and you will be allocated on the first available train.
Please be aware that there may be delays in boarding trains and journey times will be longer than published times. Eurostar staff at station will be on hand and will do everything possible to make this as stress free as possible.
Please also note that check in at all stations as below. We are contacting any customers who may be affected by the early closure of check in.
If you require any more information or have any questions please call and we will be happy to help.
Services direct to Disneyland® Paris are unnaffected and travel times areas below. For via Lille services you will be accommodated on the first available train from Lille to Disneyland Paris.
Please also note that the information we have can be subject to late changes dependant on the situation and hope that you understand this.
Station closure times
- London check-in will close at 18.45 (BST) until further notice
- Paris check-in will close at 20.00 (CET) until further notice
- Brussels check-in will close at 20.30 (CET) until further notice
Eurostar timetables
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LONDON - PARIS |
| Train no. |
Departure |
Arrival |
Also Calls At |
9078 |
05.22 |
09.03 |
Ebbsfleet |
9004 |
06.55 |
10.57 |
Ashford |
9006 |
07.27 |
11.13 |
Ebbsfleet; Calais |
9014 |
09.25 |
13.02 |
Ebbsfleet |
9026 |
13.22 |
16.57 |
Ashford |
9028 |
13.38 |
17.03 |
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9030 |
15.04 |
18.57 |
Ebbsfleet |
9036 |
15.29 |
19.17 |
Ebbsfleet; Calais |
9040 |
16.55 |
20.57 |
Ashford |
9044 |
17.30 |
21.02 |
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9050 |
19.00 |
22.57 |
Ebbsfleet |
9054 |
19.29 |
23.02 |
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PARIS - LONDON |
| Train no. |
Departure |
Arrival |
Also Calls At |
9005 |
06.43 |
08.21 |
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9011 |
08.07 |
10.29 |
Calais; Ebbsfleet |
9015 |
08.52 |
10.36 |
Ashford |
9019 |
10.13 |
12.17 |
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9027 |
12.13 |
14.17 |
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9031 |
12.43 |
14.34 |
Lille; Calais; Ebbsfleet |
9039 |
14.43 |
16.36 |
Calais; Ashford |
9043 |
16.13 |
18.24 |
Ebbsfleet |
9047 |
16.43 |
18.36 |
Ebbsfleet |
9051 |
18.13 |
20.27 |
Ebbsfleet |
9053 |
18.43 |
20.42 |
Ashford |
9061 |
20.43 |
22.34 |
Ebbsfleet |
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LONDON - BRUSSELS |
| Train no. |
Departure |
Arrival |
Also Calls At |
9110 |
07.18 |
10.44 |
Ebbsfleet; Lille |
9114 |
09.28 |
12.33 |
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9132 |
13.25 |
16.44 |
Ebbsfleet; Lille |
9138 |
15.34 |
18.44 |
Lille |
9150 |
17.27 |
20.49 |
Ebbsfleet; Lille |
9158 |
19.32 |
22.49 |
Lille |
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BRUSSELS – LONDON |
| Train no. |
Departure |
Arrival |
Also Calls At |
9109 |
06.59 |
08.17 |
Lille |
9117 |
08.59 |
10.24 |
Lille; Ebbsfleet |
9141 |
14.59 |
16.17 |
Lille |
9149 |
17.01 |
18.28 |
Lille; Ebbsfleet |
9157 |
18.59 |
20.21 |
Lille |
9165 |
21.02 |
22.27 |
Lille; Ebbsfleet |
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LONDON - DISNEYLAND RESORT PARIS |
| Train no. |
Departure |
Arrival |
Also Calls At |
9074 |
09.16 |
13.15 |
Ebbsfleet; Ashford; Lille |
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DISNEYLAND RESORT PARIS – LONDON |
| Train no. |
Departure |
Arrival |
Also Calls At |
9057 |
19.37 |
22.2 |
Lille; Ashford |
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As of today we have been advised that the limited timetable Eurostar are operating will continue until Sunday 21st September.
All customers who have valid bookings will be able to travel although they may be subject to delay.
We have contacted all of our customers who are travelling up until Tuesday. We will endeavour to contact other customers over the next few days.
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We have been advised that it is very unlikely that Eurostar will be resuming normal service this weekend Saturday 13th Sep and Sunday 14th Sep.
We are now in the process of contacting all of our clients travelling over this weekend to offer alternative dates and accommodation.
As soon as we have more information regarding travel from Monday onwards we will be contacting clients ASAP as well as posting the information up on this page. Please keep checking back for updates.
As always, please contact us on 0844 482 2977 for further information, we are more than happy to help. |
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As it stands there is still no more information regarding Eurostar service over the weekend and beyond.
Once further information becomes available to us we will post up on our site ASAP. Please keep checking back.
Again, if you have any more questions please call us on 0844 482 2977, we are more than happy to help |
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Due to the incident on Thursday 11 September in the Channel Tunnel, involving a Eurotunnel shuttle train, Eurostar does not expect to operate a service on Friday 12 September between the UK and the Continent.
We do not, as yet, have any further news regarding travel for Saturday and beyond.
As soon as we have more information we will post information here and will call customers to advise of the situation, In the meantime if you have any questions please call us and we will be pleased to help. |