Latest news with #HighSpeed1
Time Out
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Uber has revealed plans to run trains to Europe from Stratford in east London
For a long time, the Eurostar has been the only passenger train ferrying Brits from London, under the Channel and onto the Continent. But not for long. In recent years cross-Channel ambitions have been revealed by the likes of Deutsche Bahn and Evolyn, while Virgin has announced a new service that will be a direct competitor with the OG London-Paris line, due to launch in 2029. Now there's been an update for yet another Eurostar competitor. It involves Gemini Trains, which is led by Labour peer Tony Berkeley and was launched back in March. Gemini will be teaming up with Uber to launch a new international train line, that could take Londoners en train to Paris and Brussels from Stratford in the heart of east London. 'Stratford is a bit of a blank canvas,' said Adrian Quine, chief executive of Gemini Trains. 'It's a bit like London City airport as opposed to Heathrow or Gatwick: it's very quick and easy to get through. It's going to be far less crowded, so we think it's a bit of a jewel in the crown.' When the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (AKA High Speed 1, HS1) was built back in 2007 Stratford International station was fitted out to handle passengers heading across the Channel from London, but it was never used for this purpose. The HS1 Stratford station has only been used by domestic Southeastern trains using the high-speed track to stations in Kent. Quine said a Stratty to Paris train could be 'as quick, if not quicker' than the service from St Pancras. He said that Londoners could be hopping on in east London and hopping off at Paris Nord or Brussels Midi by 2030.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Could Stratford replace St Pancras as the gateway to Europe?
The transport tech giant Uber is to take on Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel – but you may need an Uber to reach the departure station in east London. Uber has teamed up with a start-up operator, Gemini Trains, to promote a planned rival service linking London with Paris and Brussels. If the partners are permitted to launch trains to Continental Europe, they will not start from the terminal at St Pancras – but six miles down the track at Stratford International. 'Stratford is actually a bit of a blank canvas,' said Adrian Quine, chief executive of Gemini Trains. 'It's a bit like London City airport as opposed to Heathrow or Gatwick: it's very quick and easy to get through. It's going to be far less crowded, so we think it's a bit of a jewel in the crown.' When the High Speed 1 (HS1) line from London St Pancras International to the Channel was constructed, the suburban station at Stratford was fitted out to handle passengers heading for France and beyond. But it has only ever been used for domestic Southeastern trains using the high-speed track to stations in Kent, with the international facilities lying idle. Mr Quine said: 'Stratford might not be so central as St Pancras, but I think door to door from central London, it's going to be as quick, if not quicker.' Stratford is served by the Elizabeth Line from central London, Heathrow airport and Reading. Two Underground lines – the Central and Jubilee – provide other connections. The London Overground and Greater Anglia operate many trains to and from Stratford. An Uber from central London to the east London station currently costs around £24. Gemini Trains says it will also serve Ebbsfleet in north Kent en route to the Continent. Ebbsfleet, along with Ashford International, was mothballed after a combination of Covid and Brexit led to Eurostar abandoning the Kent stations. Mr Quine said that services from Stratford to Paris Nord and Brussels Midi could begin by 2030. Gemini Trains is one of several contenders aiming to compete with Eurostar, which has had the cross-Channel passenger market to itself since the tunnel opened in 1994. The start-up plans to purchase 10 new trains for the service and promises 'competitive fares on comfortable high-quality and frequent train services between the UK and continental Europe'. The Independent calculates that this relatively small fleet might operate 10 round-trips per day to Paris and a further five to Brussels and back. Mr Quine said it would have two classes; Eurostar has three. Under the marketing agreement, Uber would co-brand the Gemini Trains service and sell tickets through its app. It already sells Eurostar tickets along with domestic rail, and co-brands the Thames Clipper ferry service through London. Andrew Brem, general manager of Uber UK said: 'This collaboration with Gemini Trains is our latest step in how we're helping people get where they want to go. We're excited about the opportunity to bring our brand to the iconic Channel Tunnel journey.' Mr Quine said: 'Innovation and value are at the very heart of what we do so it's really exciting to be teaming up with Uber, an instantly recognisable global brand which has revolutionised the travel industry. Now passengers will be able to enjoy the same value and comfort on brand new 'cutting edge' trains at the touch of a button.' Rob Burgess, founder of the frequent-flyer website Head for Points, said: 'This is arguably a logical step for Uber. It has had success selling Eurostar tickets via its app, because of the 5 per cent cashback it offers, and the Uber Boat branding on the River Thames boat shuttles appears to be successful. 'It seems a win for both sides. Eurostar's brand is strong, the Gemini brand is not. Uber will be a great help here. 'However, there is a long, long way to go before Gemini can get the necessary permissions and get its hands on rolling stock. Uber can pick up some free publicity now without having to worry about delivering anything in the short or even medium term." As well as Gemini Trains, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Italy's state railway operator FS Italiane Group are hoping to start services from London to Paris. The High Speed 1 line and the Channel Tunnel are both running at about half their capacity. London St Pancras Highspeed, which runs both the terminal station and HS1, says there is the potential for passenger numbers to triple from 11 million to 35 million by 2040. The infrastructure operator's chief executive, Robert Sinclair, told The Independent 's daily travel podcast: 'With competition comes more choice, more destinations, lower fares and lower emissions, so we can see the market really opening up.' His organisation plans to turn much of the St Pancras international arrivals complex into a departure area. Eurostar's general secretary, Gareth Williams, said: 'We support competition and growth through international rail.' But the incumbent has raised concerns about a lack of train depot capacity at Temple Mills, near Stratford.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Is the US finally on track to build a high-speed rail network?
The US is a country of 340 million people, 71 interstate highways, more than 5,000 public airports, and currently no high-speed railways. Yet with two high-speed rail (HSR) projects now under construction, and others planned, is the US finally on track to start catching up with the fast trains seen in China, Japan and Europe? Rick Harnish, of US campaign group High Speed Rail Alliance, says it is at least good to see the first two schemes being built. "The first is the San Francisco to Los Angeles route," he explains. "That's an incredibly challenging route to build because of the mountains in California. "Then there's Las Vegas to Los Angeles, a relatively easy project to build, as it is flat land." In addition, there are plans for a HSR line from Portland in Oregon to Seattle in Washington State, and onto Vancouver in Canada. And another between Dallas and Houston. Yet Mr Harnish warns that planning efforts for the former are "moving slowly", while the Texas line is now more doubtful after President Trump's government cancelled a $63.9m (£48m) grant. By marked contrast, the total length of China's HSR network will reportedly exceed 50,000 km (31,000 miles) this year. Meanwhile, the European Union has 8,556 km of HSR lines, led by Spain's 3,190 km. In the UK, the only current HSR line is High Speed 1, the 68 miles link between the Channel Tunnel and London St Pancreas. But High Speed 2 continues to be constructed from London Euston to Birmingham, despite well-publicised funding issues. While there is no universally agreed definition on what constitutes HSR, global railways trade group International Union of Railways says that trains generally need to be moving at more than 250 km/h (155 mph). So why does US lag behind Europe and especially China? "We're a very car-addicted nation," says American rail industry journalist and author Will Doig. "There's lots of people who just don't think we need it, or don't really want it coming through their area. "And the US government has really shown a willingness to shut down investment in a lot of projects, especially rail." Further complicating the situation in the US is that the boss of the government-owned passenger train service Amtrak, Stephen Gardner, resigned last month. It was widely reported that he stood down after pressure from the White House. Amtrak currently does not operate any HSR trains. Later this year it is due to enter 28 new 160mph NextGen Acela trains into service on its Northeast Corridor route between Boston and Washington DC. However, only around 50 miles of the 457-mile line can presently allow trains to travel at more than 150mph. Amtrak is not involved in the high-speed lines being built in California and Nevada. The LA to San Francisco project, called California High-Speed Rail, is being led by the state of California, and due to be completed by 2033. The line from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Brightline West, is a privately-run project. It is expected to open in 2028. Globally, there are 23 nations with HSR, according to Mr Harnish. His non-profit organisation has the sole mission of bringing it to the US. Allowing HSR trains to run safely is far from straightforward, he adds. "You can't have any crossings with highways, it needs to be very straight and a sealed corridor." In China the country is still building more and more HSR lines, with the total distance expected to reach around 60,000km by 2030. Chinese cities that get HSR links see their economies increase by 14.2%, according to data from Denmark-based think tank 21st Europe. Chinese firms are also helping to build HSR systems in other Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Will Doig, who wrote a book called High-Speed Empire, Chinese Expansion, and the Future of Southeast Asia, says that China is not just interested in helping its neighbours improve their rail networks. "It is a way of China spreading its influence across a region that it felt was geopolitically strategic," he says. "In some of these cases, countries have taken out loans from China so that China can then build the railways." He warns that this may put them "in a position where they're beholden to China". Europe's growing HSR network is testament to the continent's history of investing in its public infrastructure, says Kaave Pour from 21st Europe. His think tank is now calling for further expansion of HSR, so that it connects most capitals and main cities in the EU, and those in the UK. Mr Pour says that if the US wants to develop HSR it needs to start with a cultural shift, a move towards more public transport, and asking itself "what type of future does it want?". Mr Harnish from the High Speed Rail Alliance says that in order for HSR to work in the US, "the federal government is an essential component". Yet as already flagged, the White House has pulled the plug on giving the planned high-speed line between Houston and Dallas a federal grant. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the project as a "waste of taxpayers' money". Scott Sherin is an executive at French train manufacturer Alstom. His firm is suppling Amtrak's new high-speed trains, but he questions whether the US has the political will "to spend the public purse on rail versus other modes of transportation". He also notes that any future HSR lines would struggle to get into city centres such as Dallas and Houston, because there are too many buildings. "The issue is that the cities are so densely built [in their centres]". Will Doig says that going forward he would love to see China helping to build more HSR in the US, but that he is not holding his breath. "It's politically very difficult," he says. "Which is too bad because without the animosity between the US and China, you could see how a partnership between them could really create great things for America, that America is not so good at building itself."
The Independent
07-03-2025
- The Independent
How to get to Paris from London: Flight and ferry options as Eurostar trains cancelled by WWII bomb
Eurostar says all its 32 trains between London and Paris are cancelled on Friday, leaving an estimated 25,000 passengers out of position. Tens of thousands of passengers are stranded at either end of the Eurostar link following the discovery of a wartime bomb at St-Denis, a few miles north of Gare du Nord in the French capital. The closure has happened on the busiest day of the week for Eurostar – and the key day for leisure travellers heading for a weekend away in Paris. These are the options as at 1.15pm on Friday. Car and ferry or Eurotunnel Lots of room is available on DFDS, Irish Ferries and P&O Ferries sailings from Dover to Calais (and DFDS to Dunkirk) over the weekend. The same applies for shuttles from Folkestone to Calais. Train The Independent has made multiple attempts to see what seats are available on trains running from London to Lille, from where other surface options – including trains to Marne la Vallée/Disneyland Paris, east of the capital. But neither the Eurostar app nor the website allows bookings to be made. The app tells customers: 'Sorry, something went wrong. Go to the homepage.' The website simply features an endlessly revolving Eurostar logo. So at present it is impossible to recommend any solutions involving Eurostar. Train and ferry The best solution is DFDS from Newhaven to Dieppe, because onward trains via Rouen to Paris serve St-Lazare station in the French capital, which is unaffected by the closure. P&O Ferries normally carries foot passengers on only a few sailings each day from Dover to Calais. But because of the Eurostar shutdown, it is making more evening sailings available. You can reach Dover from London easily on the High Speed 1 line from St Pancras to Dover Priory. The ferry fare is £37.25. Foot passenger check-in closes 90 minutes before departure. From Dunkirk or Calais on the other side of the Channel, the best plan is to head for Lille and try to get a train to Marne la Vallée/Disneyland Paris. It may be that some Lille-Paris services are restored by Friday evening – or, failing that, a coach may be available. All direct services are fully booked from London to Paris, though FlixBus is showing a weird connection via Antwerp taking over 17 hours. Air Many passengers have chosen to fly from a different UK city – including Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds – to Paris. All such flights for Friday are fully booked. The same applies to other French cities – though there are seats on easyJet from London Gatwick to Strasbourg on Friday evening, with an early train from the Alsatian city to Paris Est arriving before 9am on Saturday.
