ALL ABOARD A DOUBLE-DECKER TRAIN
Eurostar’s new two-tier Celestia trains will take to the tunnels in 2031
WORDS
AILSA HARVEY
Eurostar spent €2 billion (£1.74 billion / $232 billion) on the Celestia project
Since 1994, people have been able to cross the English Channel – the sea that separates the UK from mainland Europe – by journeying underneath it through the Channel Tunnel.
Instead of sailing across the Channel by boat or soaring over the sea by plane, this 31.4-mile rail tunnel enables passengers to zoom along the seabed inside a high-speed train. And from January 2031, Eurostar’s Channel Tunnel-traversing trains will be upgraded to become the first double-decker trains to use the tunnel. These 200-metrelong trains go by the name Celestia, derived from the Latin word caelestis, meaning heavenly. One of the primary goals in creating Celestia carriages is to provide a relaxing and smooth journey between landmasses, with more space and comfort as a priority.