Eurostar
has
warned
that
Brexit
formalities
are
threatening
its
business,


although
it
is
holding
out
hopes
that
a
new
digital
immigration
system
will
simplify
the
procedure
in
due
course.

Chief
executive
Gwendoline
Cazenave
said
more
rigorous
border
controls,
combined
with
a
shortage
of
security
staff
and
the
effects
of
the
pandemic,
meant
that
passenger
numbers
had
fallen
by
30
per
cent.

Speaking
at
an
event
in
Brussels
to
launch
the
new
combined
business
which
has
been
formed
by
the
merger
of
Eurostar
and
Thalys,
she
said:
‘The
thing
is
now
we
are
not
able
to
run
the
same
transport
offer
we
had
before
in
2019,
because
of
bottlenecks
in
stations.
We
have
a
main
issue
in
Eurostar
terminals
because
of
the
new
boarding
conditions
between
the
UK
and
EU,
because
of
the
impact
of
Covid,
because
of
staff
in
the
stations.’

She
also
unwilling
to
say
if
the
international
trains
will
ever
call
at
Ebbsfleet
and
Ashford
again,
pointing
out
that
the
big
cities
like
London,
Amsterdam,
Paris
and
Brussels
are
Eurostar’s
main
traffic
objectives.
She
explained:
‘These
are
the
main
cities,
these
are
the
main
markets
we
are
working
for,
which
is
our
main
role,
I
would
say.’

The
Brussels
event
also
saw
the
unveiling
of
Eurostar’s
new
brand,
which
will
be
carried
by
Eurostar
and
Thalys
trains.

Eurostar
said
it
had
chosen
‘an
iconic
star
as
its
symbol
and
new
logo
inspired
by
l’Etoile
du
Nord,
the
original
train
service
linking
Paris,
Brussels
and
Amsterdam
and
as
a
tribute
to
the
first
Eurostar
logo’.