Eurostar introduced first e300 with ETCS OBU into service
updated on 11th Sep 2026 17:51 posted on 17th Aug 2026 12:38
On 6 July 2026, Eurostar received authorisation from the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) to bring the first e300 train retrofitted with the on-board ETCS into service. The first commercial journey took place on Friday 17 July 2026 between London and Brussels. The authorisation marks a major milestone in the modernisation of Eurostar’s historic fleet, bringing it in line with the highest European standards for safety and interoperability.
The programme to modernise eight e300 trains will complete the installation of the ETCS OBUs across Eurostar’s entire fleet. It will support the continuity and performance of operations in the medium term by extending the service life of the trains and improving interoperability, as demand for international rail travel continues to grow and railway systems across Europe become increasingly harmonised. As ERTMS continues to be rolled out across Europe, it now covers a large proportion of the network operated by Eurostar.
The authorisation follows a rigorous process centred on the conversion of a prototype train, which successfully completed static and dynamic testing in partnership with MASTERIS, SNCB and SNCF Voyageurs Matériel. With this milestone, the programme enters its final phase before the gradual introduction into commercial service of the modernised e300 fleet. The programme will now accelerate, with an optimised approach that maintains commercial capacity by taking only one trainset out of service at a time.
Retrofitting ERTMS onto the e300 fleet has been a significant technical undertaking. The project has drawn on the combined expertise of Eurostar’s engineering teams and industrial partners to adapt safety-critical technology to existing rolling stock, within a constrained environment and for trains operating at speeds of more than 300 km/h. Following this approval, Eurostar is now moving into the series production phase. Industrial work is being carried out at SNCB workshops in Namur, where the first modifications are already under way, marking the project’s transition into large-scale deployment.
Zelda Crambert, Director of Rolling Stock at Eurostar, said: “Securing this authorisation reflects our ongoing commitment to safety, European interoperability and the performance of our fleet. By equipping 100 % of its fleet with ERTMS signalling, Eurostar is fulfilling its pioneering role as a backbone of European rail. We would like to thank all of our partners for their contribution to this complex and strategically important project.”
The e300 modernisation programme forms part of Eurostar’s wider industrial roadmap and will support the fleet’s transition to the new Celestia trains, which are scheduled to enter service from 2031.
The first e300 unit is 3209/3210, which runs between London and Paris (no ETCS on this line yet), and between London and Brussels (using ETCS OBU on approximately 18 km of trackside ETCS infrastructure in Belgium, between Brussels and Lembeek). At present, Infrabel provides both TBL1+ and ETCS on the infrastructure. The current plan is to move to ETCS-only operation by mid-December 2027.
The batch retrofitting has started with unit 3219/3220 being modified this year. Other sets will be modified next year. The following trainsets are concerned: 3007/3008, 3015/3016, 3205/3206, 3209/3210, 3211/3212, 3219/3220, 3221/3222, 3229/3230. The ETCS retrofits are being undertaken at SNCB's works in Namur.
The Class 373 TGV Eurostars will be fitted with the ETCS OBUs supplied by Compagnie des Signaux (CSEE, the company founded in 1902, since 2019 acting as Hitachi Rail STS, in 2024 regaining its independence by joining MERMEC). The contract was awarded by Eurostar in November 2022. CSEE‘s on-board signalling solution is based on company‘s DIVA safety platform, which acts as an EVC (European Vital Computer). For trains running on the French high-speed network, a dual-standard ERTMS/TVM version means that there is no need for a system dedicated to TVM.
The e300 fleet is expected to remain in service until the mid-2030s, when it will gradually be replaced by the new Celestia fleet, based on Alstom's Avelia Horizon platform. The Velaro e320s are all equipped with ETCS from production at Siemens, the on-board ETCS is also from CSEE.
We asked Eurostar, how many million EUR this retrofit for eight 373s will cost?
Eurostar stated: „We are afraid we do not have any information that can be shared publicly regarding the value of this investment.“
