Eurostar is gearing for the Christmas holiday period with more than 420,000 passengers expected to travel between December 19 and January 5.

Services will run throughout the Christmas and New Year period, except for Christmas Day. A Sunday timetable will operate on Boxing Day.

Simon Montague, Eurostar’s Director of Communications, said: “Despite the downturn we are seeing very high levels of demand. Christmas is when people relax and they want the comfort and convenience of high-speed rail.”

Eurostar is operating an amended timetable while repairs are made to the fire damaged Channel Tunnel.

It expects to return to a full timetable in the spring.