A brand new fleet of double-decker trains were recently announced by Eurostar, dramatically changing travel options for Brits.
The company shared it would be acquiring up to 50 two-storey trains for use across its entire network, which includes between London St Pancras and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam via the Channel Tunnel.
Set to begin services in May 2031, the trains will be fully electric and the first major fleet of double-deckers on the UK’s railways.
They’ll be named Eurostar Celestia, derived from the Latin word caelestis, meaning ‘heavenly’.
However, the concept of double-decker vehicles, and trains, is not completely alien to Britain.
Red double-decker buses are iconic sights in London that tourists enjoy spotting and hopping on board for a tour around the city.
Many commuters also rely on them for their daily journey into work and fill both levels during rush hour.
But double-decker trains have never quite managed to land in the same way in the UK.
A brand new fleet of double-decker trains were recently announced by Eurostar, majorly changing travel options for Brits. Pictured: A computer generated image issued of the new Eurostar Celestia train
With narrow tunnels, bridges and steep hills, the landscape doesn’t quite lend itself to two-level trains. Though it has been tried in the past.
Two SR Class 4DDs were built in 1949 and were electric double-decker trains trialled to reduce congestion along the Charing Cross–Dartford line, The Telegraph reports.
The unique train was designed by Oliver Bulleid and could carry 1,104 passengers, hundreds more than the single deck trains which typically held 800.
Inside, there was a split-level design that had low and high seating areas meaning the train wouldn’t be too high and have trouble navigating Britain’s tight tunnels and bridges.
However, they proved to be quite uncomfortable for passengers after the excitement died down, according to Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts Society.
There was only 5’7″ headroom on the upper deck and had little ventilation which made them very hot to ride on during the summer.
One Dartford passenger recalled how hard it was to get off the train because of the structure.
They said: ‘You’d often miss your connection because people took so long getting off. The stairs were narrow, and if someone had a briefcase, you were stuck behind them all the way down.’
However, the concept of double-decker vehicles, and trains, is not completely alien to Britain. Pictured: Trains in Moscow, Russia
‘It was the talk of the town when the first double-decker came through. Everyone wanted to sit upstairs,’ one commuter said in the 1950s.
‘But after a week the novelty wore off—you could barely stand up, and in the summer it was like an oven.’
The trains were also made with parts that differed to the standard trains and were difficult to repair properly.
Both trains were eventually axed in 1971, marking the end of double-decker trains in the UK, until Eurostar’s latest venture.
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The reason why the UK has never had any luck with double-decker trains
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