Eurostar Achieved 10.3 Percent Growth in Passenger Numbers in 2008

Eurostar achieved a 10.9 percent increase in ticket sales and a 10.3 percent 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 travelers 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.

Eurostar also claimed it was outstripping its airline rivals when it comes to punctuality. It said an average of 92.4 percent of trains arrived on time or early during 2008, compared to 65.4 percent for its airline competitors on the same route, according to Jan to Nov 2008, data from Civil Aviation Authority.