Eurostar calls for urgent help
EUROSTAR HAS called for urgent financial support, similar to that given to airlines, as it struggles to survive during the latest lockdown. Leaders of the business campaign group London First have written to the UK Government asking for ‘swift action’ to prevent the service from collapse. Cross-Channel ridership is down 95% due to the coronavirus pandemic and its associated travel restrictions. The operator has been forced to reduce services to just one train a day on its London to Paris and Amsterdam routes. The majority of staff have been furloughed but worries about the long-term future of the business are causing great concern. In the shorter term, passenger numbers are expected to remain extremely low into the spring, even if some restrictions are lifted, and with little revenue coming in it could soon run out of money.
The operator
French national is owned by railway SNCF (55%), Belgium’s SNCB (5%) and a consortium of Caisse de Dépôt Placement du Québec and Hermes Infrastructure, which took on the UK government’s 40% stake six years ago. Consequently, it is not eligible for Government support in the same way UK franchisees are. Eurostar has stated: “We are encouraged by the governmentbacked loans that have been awarded to airlines and would once again ask that this kind of support be extended to international highspeed rail, which has been severely impacted by the pandemic.” There are other means that could help Eurostar, such as business rates relief and possibly access to government loans.
The RMT trade union has also raised the issue and called for “urgent, decisive and co-ordinated action to prevent the collapse of the vital Eurostar link”. As this issue closed for press discussions with governments was continuing.