Eurostar places €2bn order for 50 Alstom double-decker high-speed rolling stock
Eurostar has confirmed a €2bn ($2.32bn) investment in up to 50 new Avelia Horizon double-decker very high-speed trains from Alstom Group.
The contract includes an initial order for 30 trains, with an option for an additional 20.
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Delivery of the first six Celestia units is scheduled for January 2031 with commercial operation beginning in May of that year.
The new rolling stock, named Eurostar Celestia, is engineered on Alstom’s Avelia Horizon platform.
Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said: “Placing this milestone order marks the concrete realisation of Eurostar’s ambitious growth strategy – to reach 30 million passengers by investing in a brand-new fleet. We’re particularly proud to bring double-decker trains to the UK for the very first time.”
SNCF Voyageurs’ board has also approved this order as the third tranche under the agreement, adding to 115 Avelia Horizons that have been already ordered.
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By GlobalDataEurostar intends to maintain the expanded fleet at its existing Temple Mills depot in London.
Facility upgrades at an estimated €80m will enable accommodation of the new units and generate around 350 specialised jobs, augmenting current UK-based staff numbers.
Alstom will support production of the Avelia Horizon series by investing €150m to expand output at ten manufacturing sites across France.
The expanded fleet will operate alongside Eurostar’s existing 17 e320s, raising the total to 67 trains.
The new Avelia Horizon units will become the first double-decker trains to operate through the Channel Tunnel and onto the UK rail network, supporting Eurostar’s strategic aim to scale up to 30 million annual passengers.
Each train, of 200m length, is designed for interoperability across the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, and is also intended to reach Geneva and Frankfurt.
Key design elements include a modular architecture with two power cars and nine articulated double-deck passenger cars.
The new four-voltage models are configured for cross-border operation under various European electrification standards.
According to manufacturer specifications, the units will offer a seating capacity increase of approximately 20% over current single-deck services.
Each of the units will accommodate about 540 passengers, with double-unit formations providing up to 1,080 seats per service.
Alstom claimed that Avelia Horizon trains can reach top speeds of 320km/h.
These new trains are expected to consume 20–50% less energy than previous models and utilise a structure that is 97% recyclable, with 25% made from recycled materials.
Furthermore, they can reduce maintenance costs by up to 30% through component redesign and integrated remote diagnostics for predictive maintenance.
Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge said: “By choosing Avelia Horizon to renew its fleet, Eurostar is confirming its desire to combine technological performance, energy efficiency and passenger comfort.
“This new-generation train, designed to meet the demands of international very high-speed traffic, embodies our vision of sustainable and competitive European mobility.”
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