Eurostar pledges 100% renewables powered train rides by 2030

European railway company Eurostar on Tuesday committed to powering its trains with 100% renewable energy by 2030.

The company, whose high-speed trains connect France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK, will work will partners in each of its markets and encourage regulatory support for the rapid deployment of new renewable energy projects, said Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave.

“This is a deliberately ambitious target”, Cazenave stated.

Eurostar trains have been running on 100% renewables, specifically wind power, in the Netherlands since 2017. Its renewables share has been 40% in the UK since 2023. In Belgium, Eurostar signed a memorandum of understanding with Belgian government-owned rail operator Infrabel in February 2024, agreeing to study the installation of novel solar projects to power trains, the company said.

Eurostar also joined the global corporate renewables initiative, RE100, becoming the first rail company to do so, Cazenave and Ollie Wilson, Head of RE100, said.

As much as 18.6 million passengers took Eurostar’s trains in 2023. The company wants to raise this figure to 30 million a year by 2030, and incorporate other green solutions in its train rides besides using renewables, such as sustainable food sourcing and circularity, to offer more people an eco-friendly way to travel.

According to Eurostar’s first sustainability report, released on Tuesday, Eurostar trains emit an average 5.5 grammes of CO2 per passenger per kilometre. This is on average 90% less CO2 compared to travelling by car and 95% less than going by plane.

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