Eurostar off to a high-speed start with healthy sales figures

Increased demand from leisure travellers resulted in Eurostar enjoying a good start to 2012 (AFP/Getty Images)

Increased demand from leisure travellers resulted in Channel Tunnel high-speed train company Eurostar enjoying a good start to 2012.

The company, which operates services between London and Paris and Brussels, carried 2.24 million passengers in the first three months of this year.

This was 4% more than for the period January-March 2011, with tourists particularly taking advantage of competitive fares to Amsterdam travelling via Brussels.

Sales revenue in the first three months of the year reached £211 million - a 7% rise on the same period last year.

Eurostar is one of the sponsors of the London Olympics and is also looking forward to carrying extra passengers travelling to the UK for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations this summer.

Eurostar chief executive Nicolas Petrovic said today: "The year got off to a strong start, with sales revenues and passenger numbers on the up.

"Our core destinations continue to be a big draw for passengers but we have also seen particularly good take-up of our Amsterdam fares as passengers are increasingly keen to try out new leisure destinations by high-speed rail."

He went on: "We are gearing up for an exciting summer as the nation counts down to the London 2012 celebrations. Bookings for the June bank holiday weekend are looking strong, with thousands of visitors coming to London to enjoy the unique pageantry of the Queen's Jubilee."

PA