The Technology Context – B101

EuroStar Train

The Sustainable Development issue with the Eurostar

The Eurostar is the name of the high-speed rail link between London (UK) and Paris (France) / Brussels (Belgium). It is a passenger rail link that opened in 1994 and is an alternative to taking a ferry or flying to France. Has it provided us with a good example of how a public transport system should be run, should lessons learnt from the Eurostar link be replicated in other places?.


Picture of a Eurostar train at the new St. Pancras Terminal [1]

The Eurostar Trains are an important transport link between the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Its has enabled thousands of people to travel far without having to get on a plane or a boat. The short journey times between France and England are great for the economy of both countries; it enables buisnesses to be able to commute further with little congestion found on the roads or airports. Since opening in November 1994 it has increasingly become a popular transport choice and has had over 68 million passengers [2] up to 2005/6. It is still used today and has been a sucessfull development, with many people using it increasingly it can only be good for the City of London and the United Kingdom economy as well.

I personally find these questions interesting, because i am interested in how well public transport has an effect on the enviroment. Is it really a better alternative than the car for example and is it being used enough to justify all the cost that is required to build it. As i am interested in networking i find this a real world example on how things work and if i can apply it to the design of networks in the future. Also will the development of Rail technology as evidenced by the Eurostar train make me want to use rail travel in the future as a main method of transport?

This brings up the first point, what is the basic technology behind the train?
The trains used on the Eurostar link are electric trains, much like the trains in use today in France and other countries. The reason for building the new station in London St. Pancras is to allow the train to go faster, like they can on the France side of the Channel Tunnel. This is good as it can allow the trains to run faster, reducing journey time and improving capacity. As the rail technology improves the trains can become more efficient in using their power. Electric trains do not emit greenhouse gasses whatever the speed they are going, this is good for the enviroment and is a true form of 'clean travel' compared to cars and planes. It is good to have cleaner travel for the future, less effect on climate change and more people using cleaner alternatives.

Is the technology used in the Eurostar train useful for other trains around the world? The train technology is currently in use in France and the United Kingdom, other countries develop their own technology, and as the network improves parts or all of the the trains can be used for improvements, Other countries such as Japan use much more advanced trains, they tend to rely on public transport more which furthers the need for technological advancement. For example, parts of technology in the japanese bullet trains will be used in the next generation of electric trains in Britain [5]. The trains are fit for purpose, they do their job and have been successful to be still in use 14 years later.

Has the Eurostar made a difference to the way we travel to the Continent? I believe so; looking over press reports from 2004 onwards by the Eurostar Group it shows the largest market share of companies operating routes from England to France/Belgum. Press Reports: 2004, 2005. It will be interesting to find out how much a difference the Eurostar made to other forms of transport from London to France, which is something I will look further into.
I would say it does show a difference in the way we travel to these destinations, but for people to be more inclined to use this method of travel it has to be convienent to the user and affordable. Travelling to France on the Eurostar is one of the easiest methods compared to flying if you are going on a trip or holiday. Will it overcome air travel? I believe so as the technology improves and travel time is shortened. Before 1994 the only way to travel to mainland Europe was by Plane or Boat and I think it has made a difference.

Is the Eurostar train good for the future and has it been a sustainable development?
For the short term at least it is good for the future. The trains are very similar to when they launched in 1994, The technology has not changed too much, the rail network has undergone new upgrades on the line which in turn have enabled the train to travel faster. Eventually there will be a limit to when the upgrades wont be worth it and the trains will have to be replaced. They seem to have been built for long term use which is great for the enviroment as they dont need to be replaced every few years. When the trains eventually reach end of service, they would possibly be melted down and recycled for use in new trains or materials with as little waste as possible. If this is the case then it is a great example of sustainable development.
It has provided a cleaner alternative to planes to Mainland Europe and is being used more and more.
Now that all the big companies are reading deeper into enviromental issues we should find that this will benefit the enviroment and develop even greener technologies; which is only good for us and the enviroment. What will be interesting to find out is what is Eurostar's stance on climate change and what will they be doing about it.

Plan of Action

References

[1] http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1356262938&size=s
[2] http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2006/16_01_06_Record_year_for_Eurostar.jsp
[3] http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/company_information/eurostar_history.jsp
[4] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6960549.stm