Eurostar Record-Breaking Summer: 1.9 Million Served at the Olympics and Paralympics

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

As the sports-filled summer draws to a close, a grand reception greeted Paralympic athletes at St Pancras station. The athletes, returning from the Paralympic Games, made their arrival via Eurostar, which proudly serves as the official transportation partner for Paralympics GB.

This event marks a celebratory finale to a remarkable season for Eurostar, during which the company transported 1.9 million passengers to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, reflecting a 5% increase from the previous summer.

Prominent athletes like Hannah Cockcroft, Maisie Summers-Newton, Tully Kearney, and Matt Bush were among those who traveled on Eurostar to London this afternoon. Throughout the Olympic and Paralympic events, Eurostar played a crucial role in carrying 129 British medals—including 31 bronze, 44 silver, and 54 gold—secured by athletes. Collectively, nations linked by Eurostar garnered 318 medals, with contributions from Belgian, Dutch, British, French, and German competitors in Paris.

Eurostar’s summer has been symbolic of an extraordinary period, as it served as the official transport associate for the Olympic and Paralympic teams from Belgium, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Key statistics from Eurostar’s summer include:

• A total of 1.9 million passengers used Eurostar to support their favorite athletes, marking a 5% increase compared to last year.
• Eurostar facilitated the travel of 7 teams and approximately 2,000 athletes and staff members across more than 900 trains, including six specifically dedicated for their journey back.

Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar CEO, is delighted with this summer’s results: “During this amazing summer of sport, Eurostar has met our objective to welcome nearly two million customers on board during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.  [We have seen high demand with a particularly strong increase in passenger numbers from Brussels].  

“Eurostar was able to once again make the difference for its customers with its unique experience across five countries, offering the greenest travel option for athletes and fans alike. The Paralympics were also an opportunity to improve our services, as we ensure we build a legacy to make travel more accessible for everyone who wants to enjoy more of Europe.” 

Today’s event is particularly momentous as it witnesses the return of over 500 Paralympians and personnel from the 2024 Paris Paralympics, carrying a collective haul of 318 medals.

Eurostar also introduced the ‘Golden Train,’ a symbol of sustainable travel for Paris 2024, which efficiently transported teams and enthusiasts across its network.

The Paris Paralympics has allowed Eurostar and its partners in the Belgian, Dutch, and British Paralympic teams to focus on improving support for disabled passengers and enhancing services for the future.

In collaboration with the Paralympic teams, Eurostar has committed to creating a sustainable legacy, including better handling of assistance requests and refining the complete journey for travelers with accessibility needs. Additionally, Eurostar has increased staff at stations and conducted specialized training to improve the reception process for disabled travelers.

Further enhancements made by Eurostar include optimizing its website for accessibility tools like screen readers, magnifiers, keyboard-only navigation, voice activation, and customizable display settings to better accommodate users’ needs.

Dave Clarke, CEO of ParalympicsGB, said: “Athletes are at the heart of everything we do and travelling with Eurostar with the incredible enthusiasm and professionalism of their employees is a great way for them to end their Paris 2024 Paralympic Games experience. 

“Our wider delegation has told me they have been made to feel really special from the moment they arrive at St Pancras right through to disembarking in the heart of Paris at Gare du Nord. 

“With environmental sustainability being a key consideration in our planning for all future Paralympic games having the option to travel by rail has meant we can make meaningful progress in reducing our carbon footprint for Paris 2024.”  

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