Reply To: Evolyn competing with Eurostar

[RussellH]

davefl wrote:

Back in the 1990s there was a shed built with “eurostar et ici” emblazoned across the side built just outside Manchester Piccadilly and Alstom trains were tested and classified as fit for purpose until the whole idea of Man-Paris was scrapped for economic reasons.

Wonder if it’s those mothballed units.

Those were the Eurostar units built to the UK loading gauge for use north of London – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester etc. Basically TGVs, but narrower and much less headroom.

For a number of years some of those trains were used regularly between London + Leeds, while others were sent to mainland Europe, where they did not find favour with passengers because of the small size of the coaches.
I think that they were all scrapped several years ago.

Evolyn said that they want to buy Avelia trains https://www.alstom.com/solutions/rolling-stock/avelia-high-speed-trains-best-way-travel-fast