On 22 October 2025, Eurostar has announced a landmark €2 billion investment in up to 50 new double-decker trains — the first of their kind to operate through the Channel Tunnel and on the United Kingdom‘s rail network.
The new fleet, called Eurostar Celestia, will be built by French manufacturer Alstom Group and represents a major step in Eurostar’s strategy to reach 30 million passengers a year.
Under the deal, Eurostar has confirmed a firm order for 30 trains, with an option for a further 20. The trains will be based on Alstom’s Avelia Horizon platform, known in France as the TGV-M. Each 200-metre train will be interoperable across all five countries currently served by Eurostar, as well as new destinations Geneva in Switzerland and Frankfurt in Germany.
A “heavenly” new generation
Eurostar Celestia will feature a bespoke interior design that reflects the company’s premium brand. The name, chosen by Eurostar employees, is derived from the Latin caelestis — meaning “heavenly” — a reference to the stars and to Eurostar’s ambition of linking a “constellation of cities” across Europe.
Seat capacity will rise by around 20%, with each 200-metre train offering about 540 seats. When operated in 400-metre formations, as currently used through the Channel Tunnel, trains could carry up to 1,080 passengers per service.
The first trains are expected to enter service in May 2031, following delivery in January 2031. Six new trains will be operational at that time, marking the beginning of what Eurostar calls “a new era” for its passengers.
Once all trains are delivered, the Eurostar fleet will rise to 67 sets — a 30% increase compared to the current size. The new units will operate alongside 17 existing Siemens e320 trains, which were introduced less than a decade ago.
Expansion at Temple Mills
Eurostar plans to maintain the expanded fleet at its Temple Mills depot in London, which will undergo an €80 million upgrade to accommodate the double-deckers. The investment will create around 350 new skilled jobs, adding to the 450 already based at the site. More than half of all Eurostar staff are currently employed in the UK.
Designed for sustainability and accessibility
The all-electric Eurostar Celestia fleet has been designed with sustainability and accessibility as core principles. The trains’ design process includes input from passenger and accessibility groups as well as 100 Eurostar team members, aiming to enhance comfort, inclusivity, and environmental performance.
Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said the investment marked “the concrete realisation of Eurostar’s ambitious growth strategy.”
“We’re particularly proud to bring double-decker trains to the UK for the very first time,” she said. “Customers can expect a very special new train with Eurostar Celestia, which will offer exceptional comfort, a unique Eurostar experience and new surprises to be revealed. This is a golden age for international sustainable travel – and Eurostar is leading the race.”
Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO of Alstom, added: “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.”
Jon Worth: “Pragmatism, and a lack of ambition”
Independent railway commentator Jon Worth, writing on his CrossChannelRail blog, described Eurostar’s order as a pragmatic but ultimately cautious move. While the company has announced an option for up to 50 trains, Worth notes that only 30 trains are actually being ordered — fewer than the 50-train figure that had circulated for more than a year.
“Put all the rhetoric to one side,” he wrote. “Eurostar is being less ambitious than expected.”
According to Worth, the order largely reflects Eurostar’s existing fleet composition following its 2023 merger with Thalys. The former Thalys trains — nine PBA sets and 17 PBKA sets — are due for replacement, and the 30 new Avelia Horizon units effectively serve that need.
In other words, the new trains may never actually operate through the Channel Tunnel.
The Channel Tunnel routes will continue to be served by Eurostar’s 17 Siemens e320 trains, which are only around a decade old. However, Eurostar also retains eight ageing e300 TMST trains that will soon need replacement. Replacing those would require at least 16 new 200-metre units, plus a few more for route expansions from London to Frankfurt and Geneva — a scenario that the optional 20 additional trains could cover.
Worth also raises technical and regulatory concerns. It remains unclear whether the Avelia Horizon can be made fully compliant with Channel Tunnel evacuation and fire safety rules, which are among the most stringent in the world.
By contrast, Alstom’s single-deck Avelia Stream design has previously been confirmed to meet such requirements, according to UK regulatory filings.
This uncertainty, Worth suggests, could leave Eurostar with two distinct fleets once again — one operating in Continental Europe – France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and another for the Channel Tunnel.
“Had Eurostar, from the off, been politically able to order something other than Avelia Horizon,” he wrote, “then this problem might have been easier to overcome.”
Balancing vision and reality
Worth’s analysis underscores the complexity of Eurostar’s position: balancing an ambitious sustainability and expansion agenda with regulatory, technical, and financial realities. The Celestia announcement reflects both a milestone in cross-border rail design and a calculated step rather than a leap.
While Eurostar’s new fleet will symbolise a new era in European high-speed travel — with increased capacity, greater comfort, and a commitment to sustainable growth — industry observers remain cautious about whether it signals a bold new future or a carefully managed evolution.
SNCF Voyageurs
Worths notes on BlueSky it’s actually SNCF Voyageurs who ordered the trainsets, an Alstom press release reveals. “So I’m not sure they even considered anything else seriously.”
Channel Tunnel updates
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will they be wine red or blue white yellow?
The press release uses a silver livery. https://mediacentre.eurostar.com/mc_view?language=&article_Id=ka4WS0000000Y6XYAU. I expect the Thalys burgundy to disappear. The new uniforms are blue.
Oh my God, that is extremely ugly. I miss the good old ‘Thalys’ times…
Like this ad:
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