British Rail Class 373 Eurostar: History, Development, Routes and Refurbishment

The British Rail Class 373 is the original generation of Eurostar high-speed electric train, introduced for passenger services between Britain, France and Belgium through the Channel Tunnel. International services began on 14 November 1994, initially connecting London Waterloo with Paris and Brussels.

Developed from French TGV technology, the Class 373 combined high-speed capability with equipment for several electrical and signalling systems. Its design also accommodated Britain's smaller loading gauge and the operating requirements of the Channel Tunnel. In France, the trains are known as TGV TMST, an abbreviation of TransManche Super Train. Refurbished examples subsequently received the Eurostar e300 designation.

The fleet's history includes international services, domestic operation with GNER and SNCF, two major interior refurbishment programmes, record-breaking test runs and progressive replacement by newer trains.

Origins and Development

The Class 373 project emerged from preparations for the Channel Tunnel and the proposed introduction of direct passenger trains between London and continental Europe. British Rail, France's SNCF and Belgium's SNCB/NMBS required rolling stock capable of crossing their national networks without changing locomotives.

Existing TGV designs provided a starting point, but a standard French high-speed train could not simply operate unchanged in Britain. The new trains required narrower bodies, British signalling equipment and third-rail collection gear for the electrified routes between London and the tunnel entrance in Kent.

Channel Tunnel operation introduced further requirements concerning fire protection, equipment redundancy and evacuation. These influenced the arrangement of the train into two separately powered halves, which could be divided in an emergency.

Construction involved GEC Alsthom and associated manufacturing facilities in Britain, France and Belgium. Metro-Cammell's Washwood Heath works in Birmingham participated alongside continental plants, including Belfort, La Rochelle and Bruges.

The first pre-series train appeared in 1992. Testing covered high-speed operation, electrical changeovers, signalling compatibility and operation on Britain's third-rail railway. Production continued through the mid-1990s, supplying both the principal international fleet and shorter trains intended for services beyond London.

Fleet Size and Formations

A total of 38 complete Class 373 trains were built. These comprised 31 full-length sets for the principal London, Paris and Brussels services and seven shorter Regional Eurostar sets.

The full-length trains, often called Three Capitals sets, have two power cars and 18 passenger vehicles. At approximately 394 metres long, they were considerably longer than most British passenger trains. Their original accommodation provided around 750 seats, although seating arrangements changed during their working lives.

Regional Eurostar trains have two power cars and 14 passenger vehicles. The shorter formation was intended to suit routes and stations outside London while retaining the same basic high-speed technology.

Each train consists of two numbered half-sets. Consequently, references to two set numbers generally describe one complete train rather than two separate units. Half-sets could also be exchanged during maintenance, producing formations whose numbers were not their original pairings.

Externally displayed numbers identify the original fleet groups: 30xx for British full-length sets, 31xx for Belgian sets, 32xx for French sets and 33xx for Regional Eurostar stock.

Technical Design and Performance

The Class 373 has a normal maximum operating speed of 300 km/h, equivalent to 186 mph. This applies on suitable high-speed infrastructure, not throughout every journey. Lower limits apply on conventional lines, station approaches and within the Channel Tunnel.

Traction equipment includes 12 asynchronous electric motors. Powered axles are located in both end power cars and in the outer bogie of the passenger vehicle immediately behind each power car. Under 25 kV overhead electrification, the train develops approximately 12.2 MW; available power is lower when using direct-current supplies.

Most intermediate passenger vehicles use articulation, with neighbouring coaches sharing Jacobs bogies. This differs from a conventional carriage formation in which every coach has two independent bogies. The arrangement forms a closely connected train while reducing the number of bogies required.

The two halves have their own traction equipment and can be separated if circumstances require. This was an important feature of the original tunnel safety concept, rather than a provision for routinely dividing passenger services. Technical diagrams and electrical ratings are documented in the TMST engineering reference hosted by EPFL.

Electrical and Signalling Systems

As built, the Class 373 could collect electricity from 25 kV AC overhead wires, 3 kV DC overhead wires and Britain's nominal 750 V DC third rail. Selected French-owned sets also carried equipment for 1.5 kV DC overhead operation.

The different systems reflected the infrastructure encountered on international journeys. High-speed lines and the Channel Tunnel used overhead electrification, while the original British approach routes depended on third rail.

Retractable collector shoes enabled the trains to use the British system. Available traction power was substantially lower on third rail, and the trains operated within conventional-line speed limits.

Multiple signalling systems were equally necessary. TVM cab signalling supported operation on high-speed lines and through the tunnel, while national equipment permitted access to conventional British, French and Belgian routes.

When the complete High Speed 1 route opened in 2007, Eurostar's regular British operation transferred to overhead electrification throughout. Third-rail equipment subsequently became redundant and was removed. The Class 373 therefore changed from a train designed around mixed British infrastructure to one operating principally over high-speed routes.

Early Eurostar Services

Regular Eurostar passenger services began on 14 November 1994. London Waterloo International was the British terminal, with continental trains serving Paris Gare du Nord and Brussels-Midi.

In Britain, the trains initially used conventional railway lines through south London and Kent. In France, LGV Nord provided high-speed running towards Paris and the Belgian border. The combination of high-speed continental infrastructure and slower British approaches shaped the early timetable.

Stations served during the fleet's international career included Ashford International, Calais-Fréthun and Lille Europe. These stops provided regional access as well as connections with other rail services.

Class 373 trains also worked beyond the original capital-city routes. Their operating history includes services to Disneyland Paris at Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy, summer trains to Avignon and winter ski services towards Bourg-Saint-Maurice in the French Alps.

Later direct services reached Lyon, Avignon and Marseille. These destinations belong to the class's historical route coverage and should not be treated as confirmation that an equivalent direct service remains available today.

High Speed 1 and St Pancras

The opening of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, subsequently known as High Speed 1, changed Class 373 operation in Britain in two stages.

The first section entered passenger use in September 2003. It allowed Eurostar trains to run at high speed through part of Kent, while retaining conventional railway approaches to Waterloo.

The second section completed the high-speed route into London. On 14 November 2007, Eurostar transferred its London terminal from Waterloo International to St Pancras International.

This removed the need for regular passenger trains to use the former third-rail approaches. It also shortened journeys and brought British operating conditions closer to those on continental high-speed lines.

Ebbsfleet International joined the route's station network, while maintenance arrangements shifted from North Pole depot in west London to Temple Mills in east London. Although the trains themselves remained Class 373s, their British routes, electrical operation and depot requirements changed substantially.

Regional Eurostar and GNER

The seven Regional Eurostar sets were intended for direct international services from British cities beyond London. Proposed routes would have connected regional centres with Paris and Brussels without requiring passengers to change at a London terminal.

These services never entered regular commercial operation. Their prospects were affected by journey times, operating costs, infrastructure requirements and competition from expanding low-cost airlines.

Some shorter trains instead found domestic work with Great North Eastern Railway. GNER introduced leased Class 373s on London King's Cross–York services in 2000 under the White Rose name. Operation subsequently extended to Leeds, with three complete trains used.

The sets received GNER's dark blue livery and operated alongside InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 trains. On the East Coast Main Line, their permitted speed was 125 mph rather than their continental high-speed maximum.

Their length and electrical demand required attention, illustrating the practical limitations of adapting international high-speed stock to an existing domestic railway. GNER's leases ended in December 2005.

SNCF and IZY Operation

SNCF used Class 373 stock on domestic French services as well as international Eurostar workings. Full-length trains appeared on services including Paris–Lille, and shorter Regional Eurostar sets later worked in northern France.

These deployments made use of trains that were not required for their originally intended duties. They also demonstrate why a Class 373 sighting did not necessarily represent a cross-Channel service.

Another operator was IZY, the lower-cost Paris–Brussels service associated with Thalys. A Class 373 formation entered IZY operation in 2018, carrying distinctive green and white branding.

The class's operator history therefore includes Eurostar, GNER, SNCF and IZY-branded services. These roles should be distinguished from the original ownership arrangements between the British, French and Belgian railway organisations, which concerned how the fleet was acquired and allocated.

Interiors, Liveries and Refurbishment

The original passenger accommodation reflected early-1990s international travel requirements, with air-conditioned saloons, luggage storage, toilets and catering facilities. Standard-class seating generally used a two-plus-two arrangement, while premium accommodation offered a less dense layout.

An initial interior refurbishment programme in 2004–05 introduced a design associated with Philippe Starck. This refreshed accommodation after approximately a decade of service without changing the fundamental train architecture.

A more extensive mid-life programme followed. Announced in 2008, it involved Pininfarina-designed interiors and a broader overhaul. The first completed refurbished train was unveiled in July 2015, later than originally anticipated.

The resulting e300 trains received new seating, revised finishes, passenger information screens, Wi-Fi and power sockets. A silver and blue exterior scheme replaced the earlier predominantly white appearance on refurbished sets.

The programme retained the Class 373's power cars and articulated formation. The e300 name therefore describes an updated version of the original Eurostar train, not a separate class of newly manufactured rolling stock. The refurbished accommodation is described in ShowMeTheJourney's e300 guide.

Accidents and Operational Incidents

On 5 June 2000, a Paris–London Eurostar derailed near Arras on LGV Nord while travelling at approximately 290 km/h. Fourteen people were treated for minor injuries or shock, with no fatalities or serious injuries reported.

The train remained upright. Its articulated construction was identified as contributing to its stability during the derailment. Investigation linked the incident to a failure involving the transmission equipment.

A separate major disruption occurred during the night of 18–19 December 2009, when five Eurostar trains failed inside the Channel Tunnel during severe winter weather.

Fine snow had entered sensitive areas of the power cars. On entering the warmer tunnel environment, melting snow and condensation contributed to electrical failures. Passengers experienced lengthy delays, while rescue operations exposed weaknesses in contingency arrangements.

The independent review published in February 2010 recommended changes to snow protection, maintenance, rescue procedures, communications and passenger care. It addressed both technical reliability and the management of stranded trains. Its findings are available in the Eurostar Independent Review.

The Channel Tunnel fires of 1996 and 2008 disrupted Eurostar services but involved freight shuttle trains, not Class 373 passenger trains.

Records and Preservation

On 30 July 2003, Regional Eurostar half-sets 3313 and 3314 reached 334.7 km/h, approximately 208 mph, during a run on the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link. This established a British rail speed record.

The recorded speed exceeded the class's normal passenger-service maximum and was achieved under special operating arrangements. It should not be confused with routine timetable performance.

Several power cars have been retained after withdrawal. Regional Eurostar power car 3308 joined the National Railway Museum collection in York in 2015. Another Regional Eurostar power car, 3304, was retained with a passenger vehicle for the One:One Collection at Margate.

Belgian power car 3106 has also been preserved. These individual vehicles represent different fleet groups, although static preservation does not constitute an operational complete Eurostar train.

Withdrawal and Future

The introduction of Siemens-built Class 374 e320 trains from 2015 reduced Eurostar's dependence on the Class 373. Newer trains offered greater passenger capacity and equipment suitable for a wider international network.

Withdrawals and scrapping followed, while refurbished e300s continued in passenger service. London–Paris and London–Brussels remained their principal international duties; regular London–Amsterdam services used the newer e320 fleet.

A further replacement programme was announced in October 2025. Eurostar confirmed an order for 30 Alstom Avelia Horizon double-deck trains, with options for another 20. Marketed as Eurostar Celestia, the first examples are planned to enter commercial service in May 2031. Eurostar's fleet announcement

The new fleet is intended to operate alongside the existing e320s and replace older equipment. Its planned introduction establishes a longer-term replacement direction, but does not itself provide a confirmed final Class 373 withdrawal date.