Sales revenues declined at Eurostar in the last three months even though passenger numbers increased by 2% as tourists hopped on the train to enjoy the Rugby World Cup.

The train operator had a record breaking July, carrying more than a million people – the largest number it has ever carried in a single month.

It said the increase in passengers in the third quarter of the year reflected the popularity of new direct services all year round south of France.

It was also buoyed by fans travelling to the Rugby World Cup in September and the staging of Fashion Week in both London and Paris.

However, the strength of sterling and the fluctuations in the exchange rate continued to have an impact on sales revenues, which reduced by 5% to £200 million compared to £211 million in the same period last year.

Over the last quarter, the average exchange rate for pounds to euros increased by 10.6% compared with the third quarter of 2014.

At constant exchange rates, sales revenues were flat.

More than 115,000 tickets have been bought for its new south of France service stopping in Lyon, Avignon and Marseille, which launched in May.

The train company, which stops at Ebbsfleet and Ashford International, also had an uplift in business travellers by 7% over the last three months compared with the same period last year.

The operator’s new fleet of trains, with 20% more seats, is in the final stage of testing and scheduled to enter service by the end of the year.

Eurostar chief executive Nicolas Petrovic said: “After a busy summer and a record breaking month of July with over a million passengers, we are gearing for the arrival of our new state of the art fleet of trains.

“As we approach our 21st birthday, our business is really coming of age. With new trains, more seats, transformed interiors and a range of onboard entertainment, our passengers can look forward to an exciting future.”