Due to the reduction in the number of passengers due to the coronavirus, without the help of a rescue plan, Eurostar may go bankrupt in the next few months.
Since the pandemic began in the UK in March 2020, the number of passengers using the service has fallen by 95%. As travel restrictions have changed, the use of services connecting the UK to France, Brussels and Amsterdam has decreased.
Christophe Fanichet, senior director of the French national railway company SNCF, said on Friday that the London-based company is in a “very critical” state after the collapse of travel between the UK and continental Europe.
After British companies called on the British government to bail out London-based Eurostar, the company reiterated its need for support on Monday. Mr. Van Nichet added that the problem with Eurostar is that the British government sees it as France and France sees it as Britain, which means it is difficult to get bailout cash.
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Eurostar said in a statement: “We are encouraged by the loans provided by the (UK) government to airlines, and we are again asking for this support to be extended to international high-speed rails that have been severely affected by the pandemic.”
