Editing Eurostar (section)

=== Impact of COVID-19 ===
By January 2021, Eurostar ridership went down to less than 1% of pre-pandemic levels.<ref name="travelleisure2">{{cite news |last=Rizzo |first=Cailey |date=19 January 2021 |title=Eurostar Rail Service Facing Financial Woes Due to COVID-19 |magazine=Travel + Leisure |publisher=Dotdash Meredith |location=London |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/bus-train/eurostar-railway-requests-government-funding-pandemic-ridership |access-date=19 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126094617/https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/bus-train/eurostar-railway-requests-government-funding-pandemic-ridership |url-status=live }}</ref> The combined financial troubles and lack of ridership caused by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Europe|COVID-19 pandemic]] led to Eurostar seeking governmental assistance from [[HM Treasury|Britain's Treasury]] and [[Department for Transport]], even though Britain sold its 40% Eurostar holding in 2015.<ref name="travelleisure2" /><ref name="rficollapse2">{{cite news |date=19 January 2021 |title=Eurostar finances near collapse as Covid cuts cross-channel train traffic |publisher=[[Radio France Internationale]] |agency=[[Agence France-Presse]] |location=Paris |url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/business/20210119-eurostar-finances-near-collapse-as-covid-cuts-cross-channel-train-traffic-economy |access-date=19 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126073817/https://www.rfi.fr/en/business/20210119-eurostar-finances-near-collapse-as-covid-cuts-cross-channel-train-traffic-economy |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="bloomberglobby2">{{cite news |last=Jasper |first=Christopher |date=17 January 2021 |title=Eurostar Survival Concern Grows as U.K. Firms Lobby for Rescue |agency=[[Bloomberg News]] |location=London |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-17/eurostar-survival-concern-grows-as-u-k-firms-lobby-for-rescue |access-date=19 January 2021 }}</ref> Eurostar's appeal included granting the company access to [[Bank of England]]-backed loans and a temporary reduction in track access charges for use of the UK's high-speed rail line.<ref name="travelleisure2" /> Despite being majority-owned by the French state railway, [[SNCF]], Eurostar was thought to have already exhausted options for governmental assistance from Paris,<ref name="guardianwarns2">{{cite news |last=Wood |first=Zoe |date=17 January 2021 |title=Eurostar warns of 'risk to survival' without government help |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/17/eurostar-warns-of-risk-to-survival-without-government-help-covid-pandemic |access-date=19 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126044708/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/17/eurostar-warns-of-risk-to-survival-without-government-help-covid-pandemic |url-status=live }}</ref> but both the French transport minister and the UK Department for Transport confirmed they were working on further plans to maintain the service.<ref>{{cite news |date=21 January 2021 |title=France says Eurostar will get French and UK aid to ensure its future |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/21/eurostar-to-get-support-from-french-and-uk-governments-to-ensure-future |accessdate=21 November 2022 |archive-date=21 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121190944/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/21/eurostar-to-get-support-from-french-and-uk-governments-to-ensure-future |url-status=live }}</ref>

By the end of 2022, Eurostar had debts of €964m, following French bailouts and commercial loans.<ref name=":FT20232">{{Cite news |last=Wright |first=Robert |date=5 July 2023 |title=Eurostar in recovery: is there light at the end of the tunnel? |newspaper=[[Financial Times]] |publisher=[[Nikkei, Inc.]] |location=London |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a34d2fbd-15b8-428c-9070-b953e05cb0fd |access-date=20 September 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002161414/https://www.ft.com/content/a34d2fbd-15b8-428c-9070-b953e05cb0fd |url-status=live }}</ref> Ridership levels returned to around 8 million in 2022, however this figure was still 3 million below 2019 levels.<ref name=":FT20232" /> Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Eurostar has not served the Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International stations in the UK, or Calais Frethun in France, and has withdrawn its Disneyland Paris and Avignon services, as part of plans to focus on the most profitable routes.<ref name=":BBC 20232">{{Cite web |date=5 September 2023 |title=Eurostar: Petition for return of Kent services backed by 30,000 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxw4p4pwldxo |access-date=20 September 2023 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB |archive-date=9 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909113134/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxw4p4pwldxo |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":FT20232" />