Eurorail London To Paris Cost

High-speed rail will spur growth in hub cities

HSR has been operating long ago in our Asian counterparts especially in Japan, China, Taiwan and South Korea. For comparison, China's HSR network by the year 2013 will be at 6,000 km, exceeding Japan's HSR network of 2,459 km. Last year, in the United States, the Obama administration invested US$8bil in federal stimulus money to create 13 high-speed rail corridors and billions of dollars of new business and tens of thousands of jobs are expected to flow to four hub cities Los Angeles, Chicago, Orlando and Albany, NY where plans for major high-speed rail networks are located.

It was reported at the Conference of Mayors that the benefits of travelling between 110 mph and 220 mph will mean better connectivity, shorter travel times and new development around train stations. The changes will create 150,000 new jobs and some US$19bil in new businesses by 2035. The rail network is also expected to spur tourism, give businesses a wider pool of workers to choose from and help grow technology clusters in cities.

Similar to experiences in other countries, in Malaysia, HSR will also generate substantial economic benefit to both countries, particularly Kuala Lumpur City Centre and the Iskandar region. The availability of HSR will shorten the distance between Malaysia and Singapore in terms of travelling time, hence attracting a larger pool of market catchment to stay in Malaysia and work in Singapore or vice versa. Straddling around 400 km, the proposed HSR will reduce travelling time to Singapore to 90 minutes compared to existing trains which take about seven hours. The significant reduction in travelling time will attract foreign companies to operate in Kuala Lumpur or Iskandar.

While the occupation cost (gross rental rate) for prime office space in KL City Centre range between RM6 per sq ft (psf) and RM8 psf, the cost in Singapore range between RM25 psf and RM30 psf. Meanwhile, the current rental rate in Johor Baru, where most of the buildings are more than ten years old, range from RM1.40 psf to RM3 psf. The low rental market in Johor Baru is hardly surprising as it is mainly domestic-demand driven. With ambitious Iskandar initiatives coupled with various investment friendly policies, the HSR will further augur the Johor Baru office market, hence attracting more MNCs to operate in Johor Baru. Upon completion of the HSR, gross rental rate for new Grade A office towers in Iskandar is expected to hover between RM4.50 psf and RM4.80 psf, 50% to 60% higher than the highest rate achieved in Johor Baru city centre.

U.S. Senior Citizen - Prices for London to Paris Trains

Eurostar is a name that has changed the way people travel via train from London to Paris. Since its inception, number of passengers traveling by train has gradually increased providing a strong competition to other travel options such as flights and ferries. However it is early to say that the Eurostar train has totally captured the London to Paris travel market, but with a 70% share in that market it has already made a special mark.

Speed is undeniably the major reason of its success. The trip takes just 2 hr and 15 minutes to reach Paris, the heart of France from London. The time taken by flying is almost the same, but if you take into account all the time taken in check-in and checkout at airports then you will discover that you can actually save around 1 hour by traveling by train instead of flying.

One other reason for its success is the discounted fares they offer. Eurostar tickets for London to Paris trains are only £69 (it was £59 till last month) for a return ticket. Other routes are London Brussels, London to Lille etc, where the prices are £69 and £55 respectively. If you compare this with normal flights rates than it is around £75 to £80.

There are also other special offers which can save you a huge amount on tickets prices. You can avail huge discount if you are traveling in a group, booking tickets 3 months in advance or if you are a senior citizen.

You get some amazing facilities on Eurostar premium class that you may not get on flights, and at a cheaper price. If you are a regular customer than you can further reduce your ticket prices through their royalty program.

Train from London to Paris prices start at £59 return on 2nd class. First class fares cost £149 return. Eurostar tickets work out cheaper even though the basic cost of an air ticket may be lower, since you need to add airport taxes and the cost of commuting between city and airport. Trains ply from St. Pancras International in Central London to Gare du Nord in Central Paris, at approximately one hour intervals, on all days of the year barring Christmas Day. Trains to Brussels are slightly less frequent. Some trains also stop at Ebsfleet International, Ashford International and Lille to pick up passengers. Lille is the primary interchange point for French TGV high-speed trains.

So you can see that cheap Eurostar prices play an important role in its popularity over other travel options. So why would someone choose flight over a train from London to Paris when they can get the same comfort level at lower prices?

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