Eurostar rises in world of high-speed rail

Boasting more destinations and a carbon-neutral footprint, Eurostar carried a record 8.26 million passengers in 2007 and logged a 15 percent increase in ticket sales to £599 million (US$1.1 billion).

This is the first year the rail line broke the 8 million-passenger mark. Other highlights include the November launch of the new High Speed 1 service train that travels at 186 mph and the restoration of the St. Pancras International train station.

“The UK is now truly part of Europe’s high-speed rail network and this country can be rightly proud of the huge achievement that the successful launch of High Speed 1 and St. Pancras International represents,” said Richard Brown, chief executive of Eurostar in the announcement of the year-end traffic results.

The rail lines also saw a large increase in business travelers, up nearly 12 percent from the previous year.