Eurostar services start running exclusively from London St Pancras on the 14th November 2007. From this date all passengers from Europe simply need to cross a platform to get on a connecting East Midlands Trains train to Sheffield, rather than travel across London.
Trains running from St Pancras International will travel on the country's first high-speed rail line at 186mph, meaning that from Sheffield city centre you could reach the heart of Paris in five and a half hours and and the centre of Brussels in 5 hours 20 minutes.
With no transfers or connections and fully reserved seating, the convenience and comfort of the service will appeal to families and business travellers alike. It will also satisfy the green-at-heart, as taking the train creates just 10% of the carbon emissions that flying does.
There's no hanging around the terminal for hours either; standard check-in is just 30 minutes while Business Premier travellers have a 10-minute check-in. The rest of Europe is easily accessible via train from Paris and Brussels, with high-speed connections already available to Amsterdam, Strasbourg and Cologne.
If you are waiting for a connection in St Pancras, the newly refurbished building will offer the longest champagne bar in Europe, a range of eating houses and shopping facilities, housed in an iconic piece of architecture. A range of luxury apartments will complete the redevelopment of one of London's most beautiful buildings.