BUSINESS travellers gave Eurostar a lift and airlines a battering by letting the train rather than the aircraft take the strain.

The number of business passengers rose by 14 per cent as the high-speed rail operator unveiled total sales of £464million - up seven per cent on 2004.

The increase in "Business Premier" traffic, with 14 per cent more business tickets sold than in the previous year, suggests that Eurostar has become the carrier of choice for business travellers.

The popularity of the train has prompted some airlines to axe business-class products on short-haul European routes.

Richard Brown, Eurostar chief executive, said the operator’s focus on business travellers was paying off.

He said: "We’re delivering the full premier service they need in order to be prepared for the business day ahead. As some airlines cut out their business-class cabins, they’re also cutting out their customers.

"As demand for Eurostar grows, we’ll continue to add more services, such as the new 10th daily weekday train to and from Brussels. Our mission is clear - to bring long-haul standards to short-haul travel."

And football and film are set to give Eurostar another boost.

Bosses believe The Da Vinci Code movie version of the blockbuster novel will attract more passengers to the UK after its release in May. It will feature several scenes shot on location in England, Scotland and Paris.

And they hope that many of the thousands of England fans travelling to the football World Cup in Germany in June and July will take the train.

In 2005, Eurostar carried 7.5million passengers (up 2.4 per cent) and enjoyed record market share on its routes between London, Ashford International, Paris and Brussels.

Eurostar has captured 71 per cent of the London-Paris market and 64 per cent of London-Brussels.

Since its launch in 1994, Eurostar has carried more than 68 million people.

The operator also reported improved puncuality, up to 86.3 per cent.

To meet growing demand, a 10th daily weekday service is being introduced between London and Brussels. While the outbound service will not stop at Ashford International, the return service will.

Meanwhile, Eurostar is preparing plans for its move to St Pancras International in 2007 when its services will switch from Waterloo.

Journey times will then fall to 2h 15m between London and Paris, 1h 51m London-Brussels, and 1h 20m London-Lille. Journey times from Ashford will not be affected.