AZURE 2015-03-04

trending
back on
track
Travelling in style, a faster fleet of
Chunnel trains, rolling out this year,
has all the bells and whistles
BY IVOR TOSSELL
SERVICE
Pininfarina’s sleek
buffet car will offer
gourmet food
NETWORKING
Passengers will
have free WiFi
50 metres below
the seabed
SPEED
The e320 will shave
15 minutes off
the London-Paris
commute
approximately 150 million passengers
have sped through the channel Tunnel
since its historic opening more than
20 years ago. in celebration, eurostar is
adding 17 new trains to its fleet – a
$1.8-billion project. By the end of this
year, the journey between London, paris
and Brussels will be faster, sleeker and
much more wired. For the external livery
and interiors, the rail service turned to
pininfarina, the italian company best
known for outfitting Ferraris, but with a
long history of transit design. The new
trains, named e320 for their 320–kilometre-per-hour
top speed, are primed to
offer a luxurious experience, including a
gourmet menu developed by a michelinstarred
chef.
Fabio Filippini, design director for
pininfarina, explains that “the vision we
have is a very pure, clean environment
with fluid shapes that create a sense of
flow.” ergonomic chairs will feel more
spacious and will be fitted with personal
lighting, uSB outlets and free WiFi
access. in the buffet car, the bar, walls
and ceiling are defined by sinuous
curves. another stylish upgrade will be
speed: although not the fastest in
europe (italy’s agV .italo trains travel
at least 40 kilometres per hour faster),
the e320 will shave 15 minutes from
the London-paris commute. Frequent
travellers will also appreciate the new
model’s electronic signaling, which
means more compatibility with rail lines
throughout europe, allowing commuters
to expand their trips to additional stops
in Belgium, France and the netherlands.
along with an extended range, the e320
can also carry up to 900 passengers.
34 mar ⁄ apr 2015 azuremagazine.com