Travelling by rail to mainland Europe has become a step easier following a project to link Eurostar’s online ticket system with seven UK train operators. It now means that travellers from 68 towns and cities across the UK can now book tickets direct to Continental Europe on eurostar.com.
The project was undertaken by Fujitsu Services, a leading European IT services provider with headquarters in London.
Travellers from cities such as Leicester, Cambridge, York and Birmingham can now go to eurostar.com and book one ticket for the entire journey to Paris, Disneyland Resort Paris, Lille, Brussels or 75 other connecting destinations in France.
Previously travellers to the Continent had to book domestic and international rail travel separately.
Jamel Chandoul at Eurostar said: “With this new ticketing system many travellers can now book their entire journey from their local mainline station to Continental Europe through one joined-up service – making their Eurostar experience even better.”
Steve Andre at Fujitsu Services said: “This is a significant contract for Fujitsu and will make a fundamental difference to the way in which Eurostar is able to operate..”
The UK operators whose ticketing systems are now linked to Eurostar are: Chiltern Railways, East Midlands Trains, First Capital Connect, Hull Trains, London Midland, National Express East Coast and Virgin Trains.
More towns and cities in the UK will offer through-fares to the Continent when Fujitsu links eurostar.com to other UK train operators’ online ticketing systems later in the year.