With less than a month to go before the Paris Olympic Games commence, Eurostar inaugurated its "Golden Train" on Thursday. To mark the occasion, the company has decorated the train gold.
The train will take the Belgian delegations to the Olympics and Paralympics, as well as bringing the athletes back home after the event. Seven Olympic and Paralympic teams will be transported by Eurostar to Paris this summer, with a total of over 2,000 athletes and team members from Belgium, the UK, the Netherlands and Germany.
As the train will transport teams back to their home countries, CO2 emissions will be reduced by an average of 90% to 95% compared with using aeroplanes, coaches, or cars.
No other transport company is working in partnership with so many different teams, Eurostar has stated. As well as transporting athletes, the rail company will take an estimated 2 million spectators to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics between July and September. Especially high numbers are anticipated around the days of the opening and closing ceremonies.
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Eurostar has seen a 20% rise in bookings between Belgium and Paris compared to summer 2023. Across its entire network, the increase in day-trip bookings is up to 50%. The company has adapted its timetables as a result, with trains leaving Brussels early in the morning (6:03 on weekdays, 6:33 at weekends) and returning later than usual (with a departure from Paris at 23:45).
Thanks to this revised timetable tickets are still available, Eurostar said. To cope with the passenger influx, the high-speed train operator has increased its capacity between the Belgian and French capitals by 35%.
