Who owns eurostar uk

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He will be hoping to avoid a repetition of the Royal Mail debacle, when the government came under heavy fire for selling a large stake for a fraction of its later value, handing huge profits to institutions involved in the sale. Pension companies, investment funds and infrastructure funds are seen as the likeliest bidders, with the UK government hopeful that the sale will be completed in the first quarter of Unions voiced strong opposition to the idea of the Eurostar sell-off when it was first floated in the autumn statement.

This idea, however, was dropped in , reportedly due to "changes" in the "economic environment". DB refused to comment on whether Brexit was a factor in the decision. Added to this was also the issue of getting hold of trains that are suitable for running through the tunnel.

As an alternative, Worth said: "You go back to the public service ethos. Low-cost rail for the masses. Where has that spirit gone in British politics? Whether this can be solved via competition or something more public service orientated, offer needs to be debated.

But Eurostar cannot be left to fail — it is far too important for that! The French government promised last week that it would not abandon Eurostar, and confirmed talks had been underway with UK officials for some time. Word on the UK side, however, has been a little more quiet. Mark Smith, a former rail worker who now runs train website The Man in Seat 61 , suggested the UK should consider offering all the support it can in exchange for six trains in Eurostar's fleet.

Meanwhile, transport specialist Yves Crozet, a professor at the University of Lyon, said an Anglo-French solution probably wouldn't be as easy to reach as Smith's idea suggested. This, he told a British transport select committee, would be because he expected to see some "arm-wrestling" between the two first.