Is Eurostar a British or French company?

Eurostar was originally operated as a collaboration of three separate French, British and Belgian corporate entities. On 1 September 2010, Eurostar was incorporated as a single corporate entity, Eurostar International Limited (EIL), replacing the joint operation between EUKL, SNCF and SNCB/NMBS.



Eurostar is a multinational entity, but as of 2026, it is majority-owned by the French. Specifically, Eurostar Group is a holding company based in Brussels, Belgium, which resulted from the merger of Eurostar and the Franco-Belgian operator Thalys in 2022. The primary shareholder is SNCF Voyageurs (the French national railway), which owns 55.75% of the company. The remaining shares are held by CDPQ (a Canadian pension fund) at 19.31%, SNCB (the Belgian national railway) at 18.5%, and Federated Hermes Infrastructure at 6.44%. The UK government sold its final 40% stake in the company back in 2015, meaning there is no longer any direct British state ownership of Eurostar. However, the company remains "British" in spirit for many, as its international headquarters for its Channel Tunnel operations is located at St Pancras International in London, even though the corporate parent is firmly under French and Belgian control.

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Eurostar and Eurotunnel are completely different companies but they share use of the Channel Tunnel. Eurotunnel is operated by Getlink, the company that owns and operates the Channel Tunnel, connecting the UK with France, while Eurostar is a customer of Getlink and runs its passenger trains through the Chunnel.

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Eurostar trains are for foot passengers only, so are ideal if you don't need or want a vehicle for your trip. Eurotunnel Le Shuttle carries freight and all forms of vehicle, including cars, motorbikes, campervans, caravans, coaches and lorries.

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Thalys is now Eurostar. And that means one single rail network connecting France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK.

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But then, why has the Eurostar train company decided to stop the famous service, coveted by many British people? The company points out financial issues caused by the covid-19 pandemic and new logistics related to Brexit.

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It depends which trains and what times you are looking at - Eurostar is very expensive in times of high demand because the cheap tickets get snapped up but can be relatively affordable if you choose less popular times.

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Eurostar passengers require a valid passport or identity card. You will pass through UK, French, Dutch or Belgian customs depending on the journey you are undertaking.

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For a few worrying months, with lockdowns in places and travel quarantines required for most, the high-speed train service was operating a single service a day to Paris and Brussels from London, provided mainly for key workers. In 2019, the last “normal” year of travel, Eurostar recorded a healthy £62.4m profit.

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Eurostar is the high-speed passenger train linking London with Paris, Lille & Brussels via the Channel Tunnel at up to 300km/h (186 mph). It's been running since 1994. Eurostar is 55% owned by SNCF French Railways, 5% by SNCB Belgian Railways & 40% originally by the UK government, but now sold to overseas investors.

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Although the government thought higher profits could increase the price tag, it decided to sell to avoid uncertainty and risks. However, the timing was “primarily driven by the desire to sell prior to the 2015 general election”, said the NAO.

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The pairing of European capital cities London and Paris is popular for travelers. Suggest clients take the high-speed train Eurostar as a convenient, sustainable, quick way to get the most out of their time exploring both cities.

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This is soon the end of a beautiful adventure. Eurostar train company announced they were to stop direct trains between London and Disneyland Paris starting from the summer 2023.

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Unless you book well in advance, the cost of traveling to Paris on the Eurostar is more expensive than flying.

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Fewer people take Eurostar than before. Bankruptcy is possible. “... part of the problem was that the company was seen in the UK as a French business that was not supported by the British, and in France as a UK-based business not aided by the French.”

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How long is the Eurostar London to Amsterdam train journey? Typically, the train journey from London to Amsterdam takes 3hrs 52mins. When you view the available tickets, you will be able to see the length of the train journey for each departure time.

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From 07 June 2023 and until the end of the year, our direct trains between London and Disneyland® Paris will not run. We'll be reviewing our plans for 2024 during the course of 2023.

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