Posts

Dave

Eurostar sets the stage for athletes and fans at Paris 2024

/in /by

Eurostar, the European high-speed rail service, is primed to play a pivotal role in transporting athletes and enthusiasts to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympics.

With over 415,000 tickets already sold for travel to the Games across its network, Eurostar anticipates welcoming a multitude of passengers, including more than 2,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes from esteemed teams such as Team GB, Team Belgium, Team Netherlands and Team Germany.

In preparation for this monumental event, Eurostar is ramping up its services and bolstering its staff presence in stations to ensure customers receive a medal-worthy experience.

The company is even enlisting volunteers from within its ranks to adopt a ‘Games Maker’ style role, reminiscent of the London 2012 Olympics, as travellers embark on their journey to Paris.

On peak Olympic days, up to eight additional services will run between London and Paris compared to the usual timetable, ensuring seamless connectivity for passengers.

To commemorate the countdown to the Games, Eurostar recently welcomed two Team GB athletes to St Pancras International. Among them was Adam Burgess, a qualified Olympian and Great Britain’s first-ever canoe slalom U23 World Champion, alongside Team GB Breaker B-Boy Kid Karam, who is making history as the first to represent Team GB in Breaking, a sport making its Olympic debut at Paris 2024.

Reflecting on the significance of Breaking’s inclusion in the Olympics, Kid Karam remarked,

We’re breaking into the Olympics, quite literally. The sport is something the world hasn’t seen before, it’s a sport without equipment or coaches which means the onus is entirely on you as an athlete.

Beyond providing sustainable transport for athletes and spectators, Eurostar is committed to minimising the carbon footprint of the Games, aspiring to make Paris 2024 the greenest Olympics yet.

Eurostar trains boast a remarkable 95% lower carbon footprint than flying, emitting only 5.5g of CO₂ per passenger kilometre.

Moreover, the company has been lauded by the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good standard for its dedication to serving locally sourced, seasonal ingredients on board.

Commenting on Eurostar’s pivotal role in facilitating travel to the Paris 2024 Olympics, Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO of Eurostar, expressed her enthusiasm, stating,

As we mark the 100-day countdown to the Olympics, we prepare to welcome spectators to celebrate values and to create memorable experiences. We’re providing the greenest games yet for over 2,000 athletes and their staff. Only Eurostar can deliver this with our extensive network of 5 countries. On the way back, I am sure our trains will be full of gold. Paris 2024 will start before the official opening ceremony on-board Eurostar: we are excited to be the official travel partner not only for one, but four Olympic and Paralympic teams: Team GB, Team Belgium, Team Germany, Team Netherlands.

For further information about travel arrangements to the Paris 2024 Olympics, readers are encouraged to contact their Global Travel Management Account Manager.

Dave

Trees4Travel announces partnership with Eurostar

/in /by

Eurostar, the high-speed rail service linking the UK and mainland Europe, is launching a new partnership with Trees4Travel which offers passengers the opportunity to plant a tree when they book their journey via the Eurostar for Business platform.

The new initiative comes after growing demand from Eurostar business travellers to further support sustainable travel initiatives. Passengers can now choose to plant a tree when booking on the Eurostar for Business platform at a cost of £3 or €3.50 per tree and Eurostar has pledged to match each tree purchased.

Launched in September 2020, the Eurostar for Business platform offers organisations of any size a seamless start to their travel experience with all bookings easily accessible in one place, as well as access to promotional fares.

“Planet and people positive”: Trees4Travel always seeks to create partnerships that go further than simply neutralising carbon.

Trees4Travel will facilitate the activation for Eurostar, undertaking reforestation projects in developing countries to restore eco-systems, biodiversity and in support of indigenous communities through the dignity of employment.

Furthermore, Trees4Travel also assigns each tree planted with a share of an investment into a United Nations Certified Emissions Reduction renewable energy programme, which, they explain, is suitable for corporate mandatory reporting.

Nico Nicholas Co-founder and Chief Eco Officer at Trees4Travel said,

We are so delighted to be working with this most sustainability forward-thinking transport provider.

This Eurostar initiative will not only draw down more than double the carbon created by any of the journeys it represents, but also should inspire other carriers to recognize that so much can be done, if we only work together on climate action.

Eurostar’s Head of Indirect Sales & Distribution, Paul Brindley, said

We are proud to be the greener way to go between the UK and the continent and we are committed to reducing our own impact on the environment. We know that sustainability is at the heart of business travel policies and we are always looking for more ways we can help our business travellers to be part of creating a more sustainable future.

We are pleased to partner with Trees4Travel to bring this to the Eurostar for Business platform and look forward to growing our relationship and many trees on behalf of our travellers.

Scott Pawley, Managing Director of Global Travel Management, said

Trees4Travel and Eurostar working together demonstrates how joined-up thinking and a passion for the environment can lead to positive actions.

We’re proud that Global Travel Management was the first UK travel management company to partner with Trees4Travel when we launched the GTM Carbon Offset Programme. So, to have Eurostar also involved with Trees4Travel is a further vindication of the decision we made.

Many of our customers take pride in the virtual forests they are investing in. And the great news is that we’re adding more trees – and offsetting more carbon – every single month.

You can find out about the GTM Carbon Offset Programme and see the latest data on numbers of trees planted and amounts of greenhouse gas sequestered in the following article:

We plant trees to offset carbon dioxide
Kelly

M23 closures may cause travel delay for Gatwick passengers

/in /by

Passengers flying into or out of London Gatwick next week could face delays to their journeys as work continues in order to upgrade the M23 to a “smart motorway”.  During this period, there will be closures on the M23 as well as no access into Gatwick Airport from junction 9. 

Highways England have scheduled roadworks which will close parts of the M23 as well as the westbound spur of the M23.

  • On Monday 13 May, there will be a full southbound carriageway closure from the M23 Junction 8 to Junction 9. The southbound carriageway will be open from Junction 9, allowing traffic leaving Gatwick to use the motorway. Southbound traffic will be diverted via M25 Junction 6, A22 and A264 to join the M23 at Junction 10. Traffic for Gatwick will then follow a secondary diversion via Crawley (A2011, A23 and Airport Way) to reach the airport. And full northbound closure Junction 10 to Junction 8. Northbound traffic for Gatwick will be diverted off the motorway at Junction 10 and via the Crawley diversion.
  • On Tuesday 14 May, there will be a full closure of the southbound carriageway between Junction 8 and Junction 9. The southbound carriageway will be open from Junction 9, allowing traffic leaving Gatwick to use the motorway. Southbound traffic will be diverted via M25 Junction 6, A22 and A264 to join the M23 at Junction 10.
  • On Wednesday 15 to Thursday 16 May there will be a full northbound closure on the M23 from Junction 10-8 for two nights. Traffic will be diverted off the motorway at Junction 10. Traffic for Gatwick will follow the diversion route via Crawley (A2011, A23, Airport Way) to reach the airport. Traffic for the M25 will follow a signed diversion via A264 and A22 to join the M25 at Junction 6.
  • On Friday 17 May to Sunday 19 May the southbound exit slip and northbound exit slip from the M23 to Gatwick will be closed for traffic. There will be no access into Gatwick Airport from junction 9. The M23 main carriageway in both directions will be open for traffic. There will be a fully signed diversion route in place. Traffic for Gatwick will then follow a secondary diversion via Crawley (A2011, A23 and Airport Way) to reach the airport.

Sussex Police, Surrey Police and Local Authorities have approved the following diversions:

  • From Junction 10 of the M23 to Gatwick Airport– via the A2011, A23, Airport Way leading to the North and South Terminals.
  • To the M25 – via junction 10 of the M23, A264, A22 follow signs to Godstone and join M25 at junction 6.
Contact your GTM Account Manager if you need to re-arrange your travel plans

If you are travelling to or from Gatwick Airport on 17, 18 or 19 May, it is advisable to consider how best to make your journey to or from the airport.  These options could include:

  • Leaving considerably more time for your journey, as diversion routes are likely to be congested
  • Re-arranging flights either for alternative dates or via other London airports
  • Booking Gatwick Express – or other train services – to or from the airport
  • Switching from flights to Eurostar, where appropriate
  • Hiring a private jet

The closures are part of a £164milllion major scheme to upgrade the 11mile stretch of M23 between junctions 8 and 10.  The design phase started in 2016 and work commenced in July 2018, which completion due in the Spring of 2020.  This scheme aims to:

  • reduce congestion by smoothing the flow of traffic to improve journey times and make them more reliable
  • facilitate economic growth within the region, by providing much-needed capacity on the motorway
  • maximise motorway capacity while maintaining safety

The M23 is a crucial part of the UK strategic road network connecting Crawley and Gatwick Airport to the M25 motorway, routes into London and the rest of the UK.

Contact your GTM Account Manager if you want to change your travel plans, switch flights, pre-book Gatwick Express trips, book a Eurostar journey or hire a private jet during the M23 road closures.

Eurostar Logo
Paul

Eurostar Confirms Start of Amsterdam Services.

/in /by

Eurostar has confirmed the start of services between London St Pancras station and Amsterdam Centraal on 4th April 2018.

Trains departing from St Pancras will take 3 hours 41 minutes, with a morning service departing at 0831 and an early evening service at 1731. However, on the return service passengers will have to take a Thalys train from Amsterdam Centraal to Brussels-Midi/Zuid, in order to go through security, before taking a Eurostar service back to St Pancras.

Paul

Disruption to Eurostar Services Monday 2nd March.

/in /by

Due to a person hit by a train between Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International, the High Speed line is currently closed.  As a result Eurostar trains are subject to delay and cancellation this afternoon.  Emergency services are attending the incident and as soon as they advise the line can reopen our service will resume – we expect a further update shortly.

Due to likely delays and/or cancellations, customers due to travel today are advised to exchange to travel another day or refund their ticket.

Paul

Significant Eurotunnel Delays.

/in /by

Hundreds of passengers have had to be evacuated from a broken-down train in the Channel Tunnel this morning, in an incident which has led to long delays for travellers today (Monday 7th July).

The French-bound Eurotunnel passenger shuttle train came to a halt about a quarter of the way through the tunnel after a problem with the overhead power line. As it was likely to be some time before the train could be moved, the 382 passengers and four dogs were evacuated and taken on to the French terminal.

Services through the tunnel, using one of the two running tunnels, were able to continue but Eurotunnel warned that services were being delayed, with hold-ups possibly lasting for the rest of the day.

The problem has also affected Eurostar’s services, with four services already being cancelled today.

Paul

New Eurostar & Deutsche Bahn Destinations.

/in /by

With just one ticket you can now travel on Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn to twelve cities in Germany. By taking the Eurostar to Brussels you can then connect on to Deutsche Bahn services to: Aachen, Berlin, Bonn, Bremen, Cologne, Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover or Munich.

Fares start from just £49.50 one-way, with the shortest journey time being just 3 hours and 46 mins to Aachen.

Paul

France – General Strike 10 September.

/in /by

This afternoon it has been reported that the national general strike by public sector workers in France is going ahead tomorrow.

It is now understood that air travel will be impacted, however, to what degree is as yet unknown. Eurocontrol reports that air traffic routes may be reduced by 20 percent depending on staffing, but that will depend on the situation that develops through tomorrow.

According to the Director of Operations, there may be delays in the Brest area as early as this evening (Monday 9th September). From tomorrow delays of 25 minutes to two hours should be expected in the areas controlled by towers around Bordeaux, Reims, Paris, Marseille and Brest.

There are likely to be air traffic restrictions at Paris-Orly, Lyn and Marseille. As always, our advice to to check in online for your flight and ensure that your email address and cell phone number is in your booking.

Eurostar’s services are unaffected. For more information on SNCF’s TGV services please check www.infolignes.com

Paul

French Industrial Action – Eurostar Services Unaffected.

/in /by

Further to our post below, regarding the SNCF industrial action later this week, please note that Eurostar services are unaffected. Further information concerning any possible onward journey on the French domestic rail network can be found at: www.infolignes.com

Paul

Adverse Weather Continuing To Affect Travel In Europe.

/in /by

The continued wintry weather in northern Europe continues to impact upon travel. Last night a severe snowstorm brought further travel problems to north-western Europe, with the effects continuing into today (Wednesday 13th March).

Hundreds of flights at Europe’s major airports were affected. Rail services, including cross-Channel Eurostar trains, were not spared from the blizzard-like conditions. Eurostar said it would “operate an amended timetable” on Wednesday, while Thalys said travellers
should expect disruption.

France was the worst affected, however, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and England also reported disruptions to travel. Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris cancelled up to a quarter of their scheduled flights. 

Frankfurt Airport in Germany re-opened two runways by late Tuesday after being briefly forced to completely close because of the heavy snow. An airport spokesman said 700 flights had been cancelled and warned of more cancellations and delays on Wednesday. Public transport in Berlin was affected with several regional trains cancelled or delayed. In Belgium, the snowstorm caused massive traffic disruptions because of snowdrifts and ice.

Please ensure we have your mobile/cell phone number and email address on file and always remember to checkin online for your flight or Eurostar service. This will help to avoid wasted journeys.

Roll on the summer!