Short answer: Eurostar has ordered 50 new Alstom "Celestia" double-decker trains for around €2.7 billion, with the first units entering service in May 2031. The new fleet adds roughly 30% capacity on existing routes and underpins two direct extensions: London–Frankfurt (about 5 h) and London–Geneva (about 5 h 20). On 11 May 2026 Eurostar, SBB and SNCF Voyageurs signed an MoU to develop the Swiss leg, and on 16 June 2026 the Swiss Federal Council approved the next planning step.
For anyone who has wrestled with a sold-out Eurostar over the summer, the headline is simple: more seats, more trains, more destinations. Celestia is also the first double-decker in Eurostar's history, a structural change that has ripple effects on boarding, luggage and border checks. Below is what is confirmed, what is still in negotiation, and what it means for travellers comparing train vs plane across Europe.
What the Celestia order actually is
The contract was signed in October 2024 between Eurostar and Alstom for 50 Avelia Horizon-based trainsets branded Celestia. The order is worth approximately €2.7 billion, with manufacturing spread across Alstom's French sites (La Rochelle, Belfort, Villeurbanne, Reichshoffen, Ornans, Le Creusot, Tarbes) and additional work in Belgium and Germany.
Three things make Celestia different from every previous Eurostar:
- It is the first bi-level (double-decker) set in the operator's history. Today's e320 and e300 are single-deck. The new configuration allows a 20% jump in seats per train, around 540 passengers per set.
- It is designed for 100% renewable electricity and is expected to cut energy consumption per passenger by roughly 30% compared with the current generation.
- It is sized for cross-Channel extension, not just denser Anglo-French traffic.
The first units are scheduled to be delivered in 2031, with service entry from May 2031 and ramp-up through the 2030s.
Direct London–Frankfurt and London–Geneva: the 2026 milestones
The new fleet is the precondition for Eurostar's long-rumoured push into Germany and Switzerland. The actual route planning has moved in two clear steps this year:
- 11 May 2026 — Eurostar, SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) and SNCF Voyageurs signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding to study and develop a direct London–Switzerland connection. Geneva is the anchor destination, with Zurich and Basel under consideration.
- 16 June 2026 — the Swiss Federal Council voted to advance planning for direct London services, with a formal decision on next steps expected by the end of 2027.
The published target travel times are:
| Route | Target time | | --- | --- | | London → Frankfurt (via Cologne) | about 5 h | | London → Geneva | about 5 h 20 | | London → Zurich (under study) | about 6 h | | London → Basel (under study) | about 5 h | | Amsterdam → Brussels → Geneva | TBD |
These are the first direct rail services between the UK mainland and Switzerland in commercial service. Today the only way from London to Geneva by rail is a connection in Paris, usually with a luggage swap at Gare du Nord — exactly the friction Celestia is designed to remove.
What is still unresolved: the Temple Mills bottleneck
There is one structural obstacle standing between Eurostar and the new routes: depot capacity at Temple Mills, in northeast London. It is the only UK facility able to maintain continental-gauge trains, and it is already running close to full. The Office of Rail and Road is reviewing competing claims for the available slots from:
- Eurostar (the incumbent, requesting capacity for the Celestia fleet);
- Virgin Trains (which won a regulatory green light in October 2025 to run London–Paris);
- Evolyn (a Spanish-backed open-access operator);
- Gemini Trains (a UK start-up planning a London–Cologne service by 2030).
The decision on how depot slots are allocated will, in practice, decide how many of the new entrants actually run. If Temple Mills is split four ways, the London end of the Channel Tunnel becomes genuinely competitive for the first time since 1994.
What this means for travellers comparing train vs plane
For the London–Paris and London–Brussels corridors, where Eurostar already runs, the practical effect of Celestia is more seats during peak periods, and — historically, when fleets grow on constrained routes — softer advance-purchase fares. The 540-seat capacity of each new set, combined with the 50-unit order, is the largest single capacity increase in the operator's history.
For London–Frankfurt and London–Geneva, the comparison versus a short-haul flight becomes direct. A five-hour train, city centre to city centre, with no security queues beyond a station ticket check, is competitive with budget airlines once airport access and boarding time are priced in. This is the same logic that has driven the rapid rise of direct TGV Inoui services from Brussels to Basel and the European Commission's 2040 high-speed rail plan.
The wider context is a decade of rail-friendly policy: the EU's 2040 high-speed rail master plan, the Deutschlandticket for €49 per month, and the night-train revival across Europe are all part of the same shift. Celestia is the long-distance, high-speed leg of that shift.
Frequently asked questions
When will the Eurostar Celestia trains enter service?
The first Alstom Celestia trainsets are scheduled to be delivered in 2031, with passenger service beginning from May 2031. Deliveries and route rollouts will continue through the 2030s.
How many passengers will each new Eurostar carry?
Each Celestia trainset is designed for around 540 passengers, roughly 20% more than the current e320 sets. Across the 50-unit order, Eurostar targets a total capacity increase of about 30%.
Will Celestia really go to Frankfurt and Geneva?
The London–Frankfurt (via Cologne) and London–Geneva services are planned and supported by signed MoUs and a Swiss Federal Council decision in 2026, but the routes are still subject to depot capacity at Temple Mills, bilateral agreements, and border formalities. Public target times are around 5 h for Frankfurt and 5 h 20 for Geneva.
How much did the new Eurostar fleet cost?
The contract between Eurostar and Alstom is worth approximately €2.7 billion for 50 trainsets, signed in October 2024.
Will the new trains be greener?
Yes. Celestia is designed to operate on 100% renewable electricity and is expected to cut energy consumption per passenger by about 30% compared with the existing e320 fleet.
Do I need to worry about Brexit border checks on the new routes?
Border and security arrangements for any new direct London–continental service are negotiated bilaterally. The current London–Paris/Brussels operations show the pattern: ticket, passport and Schengen checks are integrated at the station. The 2026 MoUs explicitly address border handling, but final procedures are still being finalised route by route.
In summary
- 50 new Alstom Celestia trains ordered for about €2.7 bn; first service entry May 2031.
- Celestia is Eurostar's first double-decker set, with ~540 seats per train and a target 30% capacity uplift.
- Direct London–Frankfurt (~5 h) and London–Geneva (~5 h 20) are the headline new routes, supported by a May 2026 MoU with SBB and SNCF, and a June 2026 Swiss Federal Council decision.
- The binding constraint is Temple Mills depot capacity in London, currently under regulatory review with multiple open-access competitors.
- For travellers, the practical effect is more seats, more direct city-centre to city-centre options, and a stronger train-vs-plane case on Western European long distances.
