25 years of Eurostar

Passengers at London’s St Pancras International Station last week were greeted by a woodland scene (below) as Eurostar marked its 25th anniversary by pledging to plant a tree for every Eurostar train service from 1 January and running its first plastics-free train.

Previewed in BTN this month by Eurostar CEO Mike Cooper, the anniversary sees the company celebrating by continuing to champion the environmental benefits of high-speed rail and encouraging the switch to sustainable modes of transport.

The plastic-free train between London and Paris featured new wooden cutlery, recyclable cans of water, glass wine bottles, alternative paper-based coffee cups and environmentally-friendly packaging for food served to customers.

Cooper said last week: “Over the past 25 years, we have led the way in cross-Channel high-speed rail, revolutionising the links between the UK and mainland Europe.

“We have always had a strong sense of responsibility for the environment but as the demand for sustainable travel becomes increasingly critical, we believe we can raise the bar with our general approach and our tree-planting programme.”

With the long-standing Tread Lightly environmental programme, established in 2007, Eurostar says it has reduced its carbon footprint by more than 40%.

www.eurostar.com/uk-en/25years

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