As Europe's summers grow hotter and heatwaves become more routine, high-speed rail is being forced to adapt. Eurostar has announced it will upgrade its next-generation Celestia trains to operate in temperatures up to 55°C, a significant increase from the original specification of 45°C. The decision follows a series of intense heatwaves this summer that disrupted services across the continent.
“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,” a Eurostar spokesperson told the Daily Mail. “These trains will enter service in 2031 and run into the 2060s so it's essential to be prepared for the future.”
The double-decker trains, built by the Alstom Group, will be the first of their kind to travel through the Channel Tunnel and onto the UK's rail network. Each train will be 200 metres long and carry 540 passengers, a 20% increase in seat capacity compared to the current fleet. Eurostar has ordered 30 trains initially, with an option for 20 more, as it aims to grow annual passenger numbers to 30 million.
Heatwaves Expose Vulnerabilities
This summer's extreme weather has already caused significant disruption. On 25 June, four trains between London St Pancras and Paris Gare du Nord were cancelled due to heat-related issues. France has been particularly affected: the town of Pissos in the southwest recorded 44.3°C in June, the highest temperature ever measured in the country.
The upgrade reflects a broader trend across Europe, where transport infrastructure is being stress-tested by rising temperatures. Southern and Central-Eastern Europe bear the brunt of extreme heatwaves, and rail operators are investing in resilience measures to avoid service meltdowns.
Beyond air conditioning, the Celestia trains will retain their original design features. They are expected to serve the five countries Eurostar currently connects — the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany — as well as new destinations including Geneva and Frankfurt. The operator is betting that today's record temperatures will become the new normal, and that its fleet must be ready for a hotter future.
The move also aligns with broader European efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure. Record ocean heat threatens Europe with sea level rise and extreme weather, underscoring the urgency of adaptation measures across sectors.
Eurostar's decision is a practical acknowledgment that extreme heat is no longer an anomaly but a recurring challenge. By upgrading the Celestia trains now, the operator aims to avoid the kind of service cancellations that plagued it this summer, ensuring that passengers can rely on high-speed rail even as the mercury climbs.
