The Eurostar rail service through the Channel Tunnel had a record year in 2007, carrying 8.26 million passengers between Britain, France and Belgium, the company said Wednesday, according to dpa. The figure marked a 5.1-per cent increase over 2006, lifting Eurostar passenger numbers above 8 million for the first time since the link opened in 1994. Ticket sales brought in 599 million pounds (1.18 billion dollars) last year, a 15.5 per cent rise on the 2006 total. Eurostar said services had been given an extra boost by the opening of a high-speed track on the British side of the route in November, which also saw the London terminal being moved to the newly-restored St Pancras station. From the start of the St Pancras operation on November 14 until the end of 2007, Eurostar saw an 11-per-cent rise in passengers compared with the same period in 2006. The completion of the high speed track in Britain has cut journey times between London and Paris to two hours and 15 minutes, while Brussels can be reached in one hour and 51 minutes.
