Editing Eurostar (section)

=== Eurostar expansion ===

Eurostar and Thalys merged in 2023, with the intention to double combined passenger numbers from 14.8 million to 30 million.<ref name="SNCF Thalys Rebrand"/> 
 
In an interview with Eurostar's former Chief Executive [[Nicolas Petrovic]] in the ''Financial Times'' in May 2012, an intention for cross-Channel Eurostar to serve ten new destinations was expressed, including Amsterdam, [[Frankfurt]], [[Cologne]], [[Lyon]], [[Marseille]] and [[Geneva]], along with a likely second hub to be created in Brussels.<ref name="odell-expansion">{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5349aa20-9ad4-11e1-94d7-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210201240/https://www.ft.com/content/5349aa20-9ad4-11e1-94d7-00144feabdc0#axzz1vMoegVJt |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |first=Mark |last=Odell |work=Financial Times |location=London |date=13 May 2012 |format=paywall |title=Eurostar eyes expansion across Europe |access-date=20 May 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 June 2012 |title=Eurostar to add new destinations |url=http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eurostar-new-destinations-Lyon-Marseille-view-article.html |website=connexionfrance.com |access-date=13 June 2012 |archive-date=5 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205111635/http://www.connexionfrance.com/Eurostar-new-destinations-Lyon-Marseille-view-article.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> London-Amsterdam services launched in 2018.

In March 2016, in an interview with Bloomberg, Eurostar's Chief Executive expressed interest in operating a direct train service between London and Bordeaux, but not before 2019. Journey time was said to be around 4.5{{nbsp}}hours using the new [[LGV Sud Europe Atlantique]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/mar/16/eurostar-mulls-direct-trains-london-bordeaux-wine|title=Wine line: Eurostar mulls direct trains to Bordeaux from London|first=Gwyn|last=Topham|date=16 March 2016|website=The Guardian|access-date=6 April 2017|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108134617/http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/mar/16/eurostar-mulls-direct-trains-london-bordeaux-wine|url-status=live}}</ref>