The high-speed passenger train service, linking Britain to mainland Europe, said sales rose to £178.4m carrying 2.17 million passengers in the first three months of 2008. This is on top of record passenger numbers during 2007.

Eurostar recently moved from Waterloo to St Pancras station and the transfer came at the same time as the completion of the London to Folkestone high speed link which has produced faster journey times between London and Paris and London and Brussels.

The firm was also helped by the early Easter, the leap year and the Six Nations rugby union contest and low-cost through fares from 68 towns and cities across  Britain, including Brighton, introduced last November.