Eurostar saw operating profits rise 4% to £54m during 2013 in a year when it carried more than 10m passengers for the first time.

Revenues were up 7% to £857m, with growth seen in corporate (up 6.2%) and leisure (7.5%).

Passenger numbers grew 2% to 10.1m, bringing the total number of people to have travelled on the cross-Channel service to 140m since it launched in 1994.

It is the 10th consecutive year of growth in passengers for the high-speed service, connecting London St Pancras with Paris and Brussels and beyond via Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.

Eurostar chief executive Nicolas Petrovic said: “2013 has proved to be a record breaking year for Eurostar and we are pleased with the sustainable growth in both traveller numbers and sales revenues reported today.

“In comparison with this time last year when the overriding sentiment was still very cautious there are more encouraging trends and in some sectors there is clearly a greater appetite to invest and look for business...“ - Eurostar CEO Nicolas Petrovic

“After a period of economic uncertainty we are now starting to see more confidence in the business market.

“In comparison with this time last year when the overriding sentiment was still very cautious there are more encouraging trends and in some sectors there is clearly a greater appetite to invest and look for business.“

Since 2010, the operator has been a single, unified corporate entity owned by shareholders SNCF of France, SNCB of Belgium and London and Continental Railways (LCR), owned by the Department for Transport.

In December, the government announced it plans to sell LCR’s 40% stake in the operator.

Mr Petrovic added: “2014 will be a transformational year for Eurostar as our on-going programme of service initiatives and enhancements unlocks further potential in the business both at home here in Europe and further afield in our international markets.

“Eurostar is coming of age and we have a wide ranging programme of activity scheduled throughout the year to celebrate our 20th birthday in November.”