TGV TMST

British Rail Class 373 / Eurostar e300

Company type	Electric multiple unit train
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1993
Founder	Anglo-French consortium GEC-Alsthom and Brugeoise et Nivelles
Headquarters	United Kingdom / France / Belgium
Area served	United Kingdom, France, Belgium
Products	High-speed international rail services trains
Owner	SNCF (55%), London and Continental Railways (40%), SNCB (5%)
Parent	Eurostar

The British Rail Class 373, referred to in France as the TGV TMST and marketed by Eurostar under the name Eurostar e300, is an electric multiple unit designed in France and constructed through an Anglo-French collaboration. It operates Eurostar's high-speed international rail services connecting the United Kingdom with France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel. As a member of the TGV series, it has a narrower profile to accommodate the UK's more restrictive loading gauge, was initially capable of running on the UK's third rail system, and incorporates significant fireproofing measures for tunnel safety. This train ranks among the longest and fastest passenger services in the UK, achieving speeds up to .

Initially named the TransManche Super Train (TMST) or Cross-channel Super Train before its debut in 1993, it is designated Class 373 under the British TOPS system and identified as series 373000 TGV in France. Its production was carried out by the Anglo-French consortium GEC-Alsthom at plants located in La Rochelle, Belfort (France), and Washwood Heath (UK), together with Brugeoise et Nivelles (currently part of Bombardier Transportation) in Bruges, Belgium.

After Eurostar introduced Siemens-manufactured sets in 2015, the refurbished Class 373/TGV-TMST trains were rebranded as e300 to clearly distinguish them from the newer Velaro units.

Types

Two variants of the Class 373 were produced:

• Thirty-one Three Capitals sets, each comprising two power cars and eighteen passenger coaches, measuring in length and accommodating 750 passengers (206 first class, 544 standard). Their design meets Channel Tunnel safety regulations by ensuring proximity to cross passages for emergency stops.
• Seven North of London sets, also known as "Regional" Eurostars, consist of two power cars and fourteen coaches, totaling in length and seating 558 passengers (114 first class, 444 standard). These were designed to serve routes linking continental Europe with northern London via the West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line. However, these plans were discontinued due to lengthy travel times, competition from low-cost airlines, challenges related to British Rail electrification infrastructure, and routing complications within Greater London.

Construction

The fleet was ordered by SNCF (16 sets), NMBS/SNCB (4 sets), and British Rail (18 sets including seven North of London variants). Following British Rail’s privatisation, its units were transferred to London and Continental Railways, which established Eurostar (UK) Limited. Present ownership is divided among SNCF (55%), LCR (40%), and SNCB (5%).

The prototype Class 373 set, numbered 373001/373002 ("PS1"), was assembled at the Belfort facility in 1992 featuring two power cars and seven coaches; it was delivered for testing in January 1993. Initial trial runs took place between Strasbourg and Mulhouse, followed by UK third-rail DC testing in June 1993. The complete pre-production train PS2 was finalized by May 1993.

To validate compatibility with the required 750 V DC third rail system on Southern Region lines, an eight-car locomotive-hauled train was employed during early 1994 testing. This consisted of a locomotive, a modified driving brake van converted from a , plus six carriages sourced from Class 438 (4TC) units.

An extra power car bearing number 3999 was constructed as a spare unit. It was subsequently renumbered and utilized during refurbishment processes at Le Landy before undergoing overhaul and receiving the number 3204 in 2016.

Mid-life refurbishment

The 22 Eurostar trainsets still in operation underwent refurbishment during 2004 and 2005, featuring new interior designs by Philippe Starck. This update replaced the initial grey-yellow and grey-red color schemes with grey-brown tones in standard class and grey-burnt orange hues in first class.

Starting in 2008, Eurostar initiated plans for a comprehensive mid-life refurbishment, excluding the Class 373 units utilized by SNCF within France. The Italian design company Pininfarina was commissioned to revamp the interiors, with the first upgraded train originally targeted for completion in 2012. This initiative also encompassed engine overhauls and a refreshed exterior paint scheme. The project aimed to finish by 2014 to ensure fleet viability beyond 2020; however, delays postponed the debut of the first refurbished train until July 2015.

Maintenance

During its operations from London, Eurostar's maintenance activities were carried out at North Pole Depot located in West London near the Great Western Main Line. Since November 2007, upkeep of the Class 373 fleet has been performed at Temple Mills Depot in East London. In France, maintenance responsibilities are divided between Le Landy depot in Paris and Brussels Forest/Vorst depot.

Eurostar

Eurostar originally operated services from Waterloo International before transferring operations to St Pancras International in November 2007.

In October 2010, Eurostar placed an order for ten trains from Siemens to augment its Class 373 fleet on routes connecting London with Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. By 2016, the plan was to keep eight Class 373 units active following full deployment of the Class 374 (e320) trains; the remaining units were either stored or dismantled.

As of 2020, eight of these trains had undergone refurbishment while three unrefurbished units remained in service.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, e300 trains continue to operate alongside e320 models on London-Paris and London-Brussels routes and are exclusively assigned to the winter ski service to Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

Great North Eastern Railway

In May 2000, two Regional Eurostar trainsets were leased to GNER for operation of The White Rose service between and . From May 2002, this service extended to , with a third set added under lease. Trainsets numbered 3301–3306 were painted in GNER livery; others retained their original Eurostar branding.

The lease concluded in December 2005, after which the units returned to Eurostar and were subsequently deployed for high-speed TGV services operated by SNCF in northern France.

During GNER’s tenure, doors on the first and last carriages were locked at certain stations due to platform length limitations. Electrical capacity constraints on the Hertford Loop Line restricted operation to a single set at any one time. Service coverage was limited to King's Cross-York-Leeds because bridge clearance issues near prevented access beyond Leeds, coupled with insufficient electrical infrastructure beyond that point. At shorter platforms, manually operated selective door opening was utilized.

SNCF

SNCF leased three of Eurostar’s "Three Capitals" trainsets for domestic TGV routes within France, primarily between Paris and Lille. These units retained their Eurostar livery but featured SNCF branding; some displayed greyish white or silver front ends. In 2007, SNCF expanded this fleet by leasing surplus "North of London" Class 373 sets from Eurostar. The leasing agreement was scheduled through 2011 with an option for a two-year extension.

By October 2014, all three "Three Capitals" sets had been withdrawn from service and placed in storage, replaced by TGV Duplex trains. Some were dismantled for spare parts while others remain stored at Ambérieu, France.

IZY

In November 2018, IZY launched a Class 373 trainset (numbers 373213 and 373224) for its budget-friendly Paris-Brussels route, taking over from an SNCF TGV Réseau unit.

Fleet information

Power cars are identified with numbers beginning with "3" (3xxx), signifying a Mark 3 TGV. The final digit indicates the country of ownership:

• 3730xx: United Kingdom
• 3731xx: Belgium
• 3732xx: France
• 3733xx: Eurostar sets designated as "Regional" and "North of London"
• 373999: Reserve powercar

Each half-trainset is assigned its own number.

Class	Number built	Unit number range	Cars per half-set	Description	Operators	Unit numbers	Services operated
Class 373/0	22	373001–373022	10	British Rail sets	Eurostar
Class 373/1	8	373101-373108	10	NMBS sets	Eurostar	373101-373108
Class 373/2	32	373201-373232	10	SNCF sets
					IZY service	373213/373224	Paris-Brussels route
					SNCF service		Retired October 2014.
Class 373/3	14	373301–373314	8	'North of London' British Rail sets	Eurostar	373301-373314	Previously operated by SNCF.
'Reserve powercars'	'1'	'373999'		'Eurostar'	'373999'	'Refurbished spare unit.'

Travel classes

Eurostar's Class 373 trains provide three distinct travel classes:

• Standard class features two seats on each side of the aisle, predominantly airline-style seating with some tables.
• Standard Premier offers wider seating arranged two seats on one side and one on the other, mostly accompanied by tables. Tickets include a light meal and beverages.
• Business Premier shares the same seating layout as Standard Premier but includes a full hot meal, drinks, lounge access, expedited security clearance, priority boarding, and additional services.

Since Standard Premier and Business Premier utilize identical seating configurations, carriage assignments between these classes adjust according to demand.

For holders of Interrail and Eurail passes, Standard corresponds to second class, Standard Premier to first class, and Business Premier is considered a premium class requiring full-fare tickets.

Train layout

Each Three Capitals trainset comprises two power cars plus eighteen passenger coaches. The North of London and Regional Eurostar configurations consist of two power cars with fourteen coaches.

Fleet list

Power car number	Operator	Status	Notes
373001/373002	Eurostar	Scrapped	Disposed of in March 2018 at European Metal Recycling, Kingsbury
373003/373004	Eurostar	Scrapped	Dismantled December 2016 at European Metal Recycling, Kingsbury
373007/373008	Eurostar	Active	Refurbished and operational
373009/373010	Eurostar	Scrapped	Removed January 2018 at European Metal Recycling, Kingsbury
373015/373016	Eurostar	Active	Refurbished and operational
373017/373018	Eurostar	Scrapped	Disposed March 2018 at SNCF yard in Valenciennes
373101	Eurostar	Preserved	Retired in 2017; preserved at National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure, Doncaster
373102	Eurostar	Preserved	Retired in 2017; housed at National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure, Birmingham
373105	Eurostar	Stored
373106	Eurostar	Preserved	Displayed at Train World, Schaerbeek near Brussels
373205/373206	Eurostar	Active	Refurbished and operational
373207/373208	Eurostar	Stored
373209/373210	Eurostar	Active	Refurbished and operational
373211/373212	Eurostar	Active	Refurbished and operational
373215/373216	Eurostar	Active
373217/373218	Eurostar	Active
373219/373220	Eurostar	Active	Refurbished and operational
373221/373222	Eurostar	Active	Refurbished and operational
373223/373214	Eurostar	Active
373225/373226	SNCF	Scrapped	Dismantled at SNCF Yard, Culoz
373229/373230	Eurostar	Active	Refurbished and operational
373231/373232	Eurostar	Scrapped	Removed September 2017 at European Metal Recycling, Kingsbury
373301/373302	Eurostar	Stored
373303	Eurostar	Stored
373304	Eurostar	Preserved	Kept at One:One Collection, Margate (power car plus single coach)
373305/373306	Eurostar	Stored
373307	Eurostar	Stored
373308	Eurostar	Preserved	Retired in 2015; exhibited at National Railway Museum, York
373309/373310	Eurostar	Stored
373311/373312	Eurostar	Stored
273313/273314	Eurostar	Stored; planned for display at Temple Mills site
373999	Eurostar	Active spare power car

Previously named units (all retired)

Set	Name
373001/373002	Tread Lightly / Voyage Vert
373003/373004	Tri-City-Athlon 2010
373007/973008	Waterloo Sunset
973009/973010	Remembering Fromelles
973013/973014	London 2012
973207/973208	Michel Hollard

Set	Name

Model railways

In 1995, Hornby Railways introduced its initial Eurostar model in HO gauge, featuring an expandable configuration from four to six cars. The following year, in October 1996, Hornby launched a OO gauge Eurostar train set, which could also be extended from four to six cars. Subsequently, in 1997, the company released its first OO Gauge Class 373 train model.

See also

• List of high-speed trains