Eurostar wins new train dispute

EUROSTAR has been given the all-clear to order 10 new trains from Germany, after the high court in London threw out a legal bid to block the deal.

French TGV manufacturer Alstom had complained that the decision to award the contract to German manufacturer Siemens was invalid because the tendering process breached European contract law.

The firm also claimed that the new Velaro trains, which will enter service in 2014, breached Channel Tunnel safety rules.

The high court on Friday rejected Alstom's application for an injunction blocking the deal going through.

However the French firm said it would pursue its legal challenge to a full trial.

Deutsche Bahn proved to the Channel Tunnel safety authorities last month that the train can be efficiently evacuated in an emergency, during a trial run through the tunnel to London.

Eurostar said in a statement: "We are very pleased that the situation has been resolved and we can proceed to signing the contract for our new fleet of trains with Siemens.

"We have always been confident that we conducted a rigorous tender process and have chosen the best trains for our passengers.

"With our current fleet upgraded and our new fleet of trains in place we will be able to offer our customers a real alternative to taking the plane for short-haul European travel."

The 10 new Siemens Velaro trains, which are capable of reaching speeds of up to 320kph, will cut the journey time from Paris to London from 2:15 to two hours.

The new trains will carry 900 passengers, a 20 per cent capacity increase on the current stock. Eurostar will overhaul its existing fleet of 27 trains from next year.