Despite the ups and downs at the end of 2023, marked by a strike byEurotunnelfollowed by flooding in a railway tunnel in South London, which had a major impact on cross-Channel traffic, Eurostar experienced a wonderful 2023. The rail carrier, in which SNCF has a stake of almost 56%, carried 18.6 million passengers last year, up 22% compared with 2022. This is close to the 19 million recorded in 2019, before the Covid-19 crisis. In detail, 8 million people will have travelled between France and the United Kingdom, 3.3 million between France and Belgium and more than 2 million between France and the Netherlands.
As part of the merger of Thalys into Eurostar, 2023 will have been a key year, with the launch of the company's new logo, accompanied by its first communication campaign, a new website, a unified application and loyalty programme. Eurostar points out that these good results can be attributed to strong demand on its routes. Paris-London, up 25%Paris-Amsterdam (+17%), Paris-Brussels (+12%) and routes to Germany (+19%). However, the airline did not wish to divulge any information on its business traffic over the past year, nor on the new offers which are still expected for this professional clientele.
Two million passengers expected for the Olympic Games
However, 2024 promises to be more complicated for Eurostar because of the redevelopment work at Amsterdam Centraal station, which will see the cross-Channel terminal closed for 6 months from next June. While Eurostar trains will continue to terminate in Amsterdam, passengers travelling in the opposite direction will have to take a conventional train to Brussels-Midi, where they will be able to board a Eurostar after passing through customs and security.
Inevitable shifts to air travel are therefore expected during this period. But the company is hoping to offset this by carrying two million passengers to Paris from across its entire network during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the longer term, Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave has reaffirmed her goal of carrying 30 million passengers in Europe by 2030.
