The Need for Speed: Eurostar The Star of the Show

Eurostar is adding more trains thanks to increased ridership and focusing on ease of connections. And while it’s still summer, agents are already able to book ski routes. And speaking of colder climates, the Swedes are celebrating their own rail milestones. Hey, why shouldn’t Scandinavia shine, too? They DO have the Northern Lights. All this in this week’s Fast Track.

An Eiffel Lot of People: In the month of August, Eurostar added 20 extra trains to meet the extra demand for seats to Paris. An additional 15,000 seats were priced at $106 for a return ticket. Eurostar admitted the rise in demand was partly due to the Iceland volcano, but it also reflected strong growth in both business and leisure bookings.

Shuss It: Travel agents can now book Eurostar’s 2010-2011 winter ski services from St Pancras and Ashford to the French Alps. The high-speed train takes skiers on weekly direct service to Moûtiers, Aime-La-Plagne and Bourg St Maurice from December 19.The stops are within a bus ride of Courcheval, La Plagne, Tignes, Meribel and Les Arcs.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel: The first bore of the much-delayed twin-bore Hallandsås tunnel has restarted after the project was halted in 1997 due to environmental concerns. This tunnel is a key element in upgrading Sweden’s West Coast Line linking Gothenburg with Malmö. The tunnel will allow the number of trains to be increased from four to 24 per hour.