Eurostar 2011 passenger numbers up 2 per cent, boosted by travellers from outside EU

LONDON – High-speed rail operator Eurostar says passenger numbers on its services through the Channel Tunnel rose by 2 per cent last year to 9.7 million, boosted by a sharp increase in travellers from outside the European Union.

Eurostar said Thursday that revenue increased by 6 per cent to 803 million pounds, yielding a net profit of 20.8 million pounds ($32.8 million).

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The carrier, which operates trains from London to Brussels and Paris, said the number of passengers from outside the 27-country EU rose by 20 per cent, and accounted for 9 per cent of the total.

Eurostar is owned by three nationalized businesses: French rail system SNCF has a 55 per cent stake, while Belgium’s SNCB owns 5 per cent and Britain’s London and Continental Railways the remaining 40 per cent.