In just a few months’ time, Eurostar tickets could get noticeably cheaper.
To get from London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel, the Eurostar travels along the High Speed 1 (HS1) rail line. Now, the Office for Rail Road (ORR) has officially told the line (also used by Southeastern) that it must lower its running costs and charges for the trains that run along it.
Most importantly, ORR believes that those changes will allow lower ticket prices for train passengers. That means Eurostar will be able to cut its ticket prices from April. We don’t know exactly when or by how much, though.
ORR had its final say on HS1 costs yesterday (January 6) after reviewing its spending plans for April 2025 to March 2030 and publishing a draft back in September. It concluded that the plans ‘did not meet [HS1’s] duties for efficient spending’ and has ordered it to bring down spending on day-to-day operations and maintenance.
The changes should save operators up to £5 million. Feras Alshaker, ORR’s director of planning and performance, said that it ‘should benefit everyone who uses this railway’. Score!
In a statement, Eurostar said: ‘We welcome the ORR's decision to instruct HS1 to reduce track access charges on the Eurostar route. In recent years, these charges have risen significantly above the rate of inflation, which has put pressure on our ability to invest in the stations and infrastructure needed to support our future growth plans.
‘This decision provides us with the financial headroom to make critical investments that will enhance the customer experience and ensure the long-term sustainability of high-speed rail connectivity between the UK and continental Europe. We are committed to working closely with HS1 and the ORR to implement this decision in a way that benefits passengers and supports the continued development of this vital international transport link.’
In the meantime, check out Eurostar’s flash sale this week – with tickets from just £35.
More cheap travel with Time Out
It’s rare that we can get train tickets for cheap here in the UK. So, we think it’s a pretty big deal when the new year rail sales roll around. Here’s how to get half-price train tickets on Great Western Railway services and unlimited weekend travel in Liverpool this January for just £2.
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