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Eurostar has unveiled an order for new trains worth more than ^700m.

The Channel Tunnel rail firm, which runs high-speed services from London to Paris and Brussels, is buying 10 trains from German firm Siemens and overhauling its existing fleet.

France had been pressing for the new trains to be built by French firm Alstom.

But Eurostar said the decision had been made in the best in interest of customers after a "rigorous" process.

The new Eurostar e320 trains would be able to carry more than 900 passengers and their luggage, and reach speeds of 320km per hour (200mph), the firm said.

The 28 existing Eurostar trains can carry up to 750 travellers at up to 300km/h.

Eurostar said the new fleet would be equipped with wi-fi and on-board services including real-time travel and destination information and interactive entertainment.

The firm's chief executive, Nicolas Petrovic, said the new trains and refurbished fleet would make Eurostar "the obvious choice for short-haul European travel".

Eurostar is set to lose its monopoly on passenger services through the Channel Tunnel, after the introduction of open access on international lines in Europe introduced in January this year.

German state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn is planning test trips of inter-city trains and is understood to want to run services from London to Cologne and Frankfurt.

It's going to have a bit of a job running at 320km/h on those bogies!!  :P ;) ;D

How long are they going to be to get 900 seats.

As ICE3 derivatives I hope Eurostar aren't going to give them a French TGV interior which in my opinion is as bad as FGWs high density HSTs.

More akin to a 737 than a train.

New Eurostar train deal goes to court

Eurostar is facing a High Court challenge over its decision to award a ^500m order for new high speed trains to a German company rather than a French one.

French firm Alstom is suing to stop Eurostar buying new trains from Germany's Siemens.

Alstom says the high speed trains made by Siemens do not meet safety regulations.

I expect they will go for a high density option ....... bums on seats = revenue therefore the more seats the more bums = money

Alstom loses Eurostar court case over German train deal

Alstom, the French engineering company, has failed in an attempt to prevent Eurostar from running German trains through the Channel Tunnel.

A UK court rejected Alstom's bid to stop Eurostar's 600m-euro (^521m) order for trains made by Siemens.

Eurostar, the sole operator of passenger trains through the tunnel, has been using Alstom rolling stock.

Eurostar's order for 10 Siemens trains has raised concerns of a protectionist row between France and Germany.

Alstom had sought an injunction stopping Eurostar from completing the deal for Siemens' high speed trains.

But at London High Court, Mr Justice Vos said Alstom would be unlikely to succeed at a trial in obtaining a court order setting aside Eurostar's decision to award the contract to Siemens.

He said he was refusing to grant an injunction, because it would pose a threat to Eurostar's progress in acquiring new trains and their business, as any trial of the issues could cause significant delays.

Sarah Hannaford QC, for Alstom, had told Mr Justice Vos that Eurostar had breached European contract law.

The complaint concerned the way the tender for the trains progressed, and whether Eurostar continued to negotiate with Siemens when Alstom had thought there was a deal to temporarily suspend all talks.

Ms Hannaford said: "Alstom's case is that there are serious breaches of the obligations of equal treatment, transparency and non-discrimination."

However, Mr Vos said that, although there had been breaches of the tendering process, they were unlikely to have made any difference to Eurostar's decision to choose Siemens trains.

He said that Siemens was already well ahead in the bidding process when Alstom had thought talks were being suspended.