Rail industry adds voice to calls for Eurostar support
The rail industry has thrown its weight behind calls for the government to prop up the struggling Eurostar rail link between the UK and the continent.
Yesterday a group of London-based businesses wrote to ministers demanding swift action to safeguard the Eurostar’s future.
Now the Rail Industry Association (RIA), a trade body which represents the UK’s supply chain, has added its voice to the demands.
Chief executive Darren Caplan said: “The RIA, which represent rail businesses across the UK – including many of those within Eurostar’s supply chain – will be keen to see what can be done to ensure the cross-border rail line can continue to operate.
“Eurostar is a vital part of the country’s international connectivity, linking the UK with the continent. And it supports thousands of jobs and investment, right across the country.
“In such turbulent times, following the Coronavirus pandemic, it is vital that Eurostar has the certainty it needs, and rail suppliers have the confidence and certainty they need, to enable it to continue to deliver services, and support the wider UK economy, not just now during these difficult months but also for the future recovery.”
The Eurostar is 55 per cent owned by French state rail firm SNCF. The UK sold its stake in the rail link to a group of private firms for £757m in 2015.
According to London First, the group behind the letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and transport secretary Grant Shapps, four out five passengers choose the Eurostar for trips to Paris and Brussels.
As a result of the pandemic, passenger numbers on the service have fallen 95 per cent since March, leading to fears that the Eurostar will run out of money within months.
Given the new lockdown restrictions, which include a ban on all but essential international travel, numbers are likely to remain low throughout the spring, crippling the service further.
The calls come days after ministers announced that a new scheme of support for the UK’s airports would begin in the next few weeks.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We recognise the significant financial challenges facing Eurostar as a result of Covid-19 and the unprecedented circumstances currently faced by the international travel industry.
“The Government has been engaging extensively with Eurostar on a regular basis since the beginning of the outbreak. We will continue to work closely with them as we support the safe restart and recovery of international travel.”