Amid summer heatwaves that have seen train cancellations across Europe, Eurostar has issued news of an upgrade to its train fleet to enable them to carry on going in temperatures up to 55°C.
The trans European train company is expecting a delivery of 30 new double-decker trains from Alstom in 2031, and has an option on 20 more. The €2-billion purchase initially hit the headlines because double-deckers do not usually run in the UK, where they will be the first of their kind on the network, as well as operating across existing Eurostar routes to Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, and adding Switzerland to the equation when Geneva comes online via Amsterdam and Brussels.
But double decks aside, another feature of the trains went quietly under the radar. Announcing the deal last year, the firm said the “Celestia” model could cope with temperatures reaching 45°C, and now it has upped its climate-proofing game further to ensure the incoming Celestias can bear 10°C more—that’s as high as temperatures in some of Earth’s hottest spots, like the Kebili desert oasis in Tunisia, the Ghadames oasis in Libya, and the Danakil Depression, Ethiopia, which is one of the most inhospitable places on the planet.
The approach may seem like overkill but with the mercury hitting a record-breaking 44°C in parts of France already during summer 2026, wiping four trains from the schedule in one day on 25 June, and with climate experts agreeing that such warmer conditions are here to stay, the additional margin should mean Eurostar can keep running for decades. Chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave explained to the Financial Times that although she never expected to have to make such an order, “This year, the heatwave has been earlier, longer, hotter than ever,” she said, comparing the conditions to Saudi Arabia.
While operating the existing fleet, daily procedures to test the air-conditioning and allow enough capacity for repairs and maintenance have been introduced after 24 June saw hundreds of passengers on one Eurostar train stuck in “hellish” sweltering conditions for hours. Eurostar now also carries bottled water on board on hot days.
@traveltk Heatwave train cancellations left us sitting on the floor of the Eurostar bar car from Paris to Amsterdam… but somehow it became one of the funniest parts of the trip. Huge thanks to the awesome group of British lads who turned a travel delay into a memory we'll never forget.🍻🚄❤️ #parisheatwave #eurostar #paris #amsterdam #eurosummer ♬ Saxophones getting louder – Slowed – AntonioVivald
A Eurostar spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “A decision has been taken to equip our new fleet of up to 50 Celestia trains with air conditioning capable of operating in temperatures up to 55 degrees. These trains will enter service in 2031 and run into the 2060s so it’s essential to be prepared for the future.”
As well as the powerful air conditioning, the 200-metre-long trains will boost seat capacity by 20%, up to a maximum load of 540 passengers, helping the firm achieve its target of 30 million passengers per year.
