OPENING the Channel Tunnel Rail Link will halt the decline in passengers using Eurostar, its boss has predicted. Richard Brown, new chief executive of the high-speed operator, said the link would "allow Eurostar to realise its full potential".

Mr Brown was speaking after the publication of figures showing that passenger numbers travelling between London/Ashford, Lille, Paris and Brussels fell by five per cent to 6,602,817 in the year ending December 31.

He claimed the decline was in line with falls in other parts of the travel market between Britain and the Continent, and insisted the service had kept market share.

The operator was also investing £35 million in improving the service, refurbishing the trains, building new lounges in London, Paris and Brussels, and dedicated business desks. Business check-in times were also being cut to 15 minutes and business fares would be "more competitive".

"The Link comes at a perfect time to reverse that decline," Mr Brown said. "We've got a lovely advantage compared to our airline competitors in that we've got the new route coming in and improved service to reverse the decline and go back into growth."

He said his personal objective was to raise passenger numbers by 10 per cent after the opening of CTRL1. "But we will need to make sure that we build on it and market the service very effectively."

But John Spellar, the Government's Transport Minister, urged Eurostar to do more to promote the service, saying that not enough people knew that passengers could pick up the Eurostar at Ashford.