## A Slow-Loving, Fast-Traveling Confession
Let’s be honest: there are few things in life that make a travel writer’s heart beat faster than a good train story. At Euronews Travel, we’re equal-opportunity railway romantics. We love the sleek, silent speed of high-speed rail as much as we love the nostalgic clatter of a vintage carriage. We love overnight sleepers that turn a journey into a dream, and we love bright, modern commuter trains that get us where we need to go without a fuss. Honestly, if you hand us a ticket, we will happily ride just about anything on rails. But if you really want to make us weak at the knees, there is one kind of train that stands above the rest: the double decker. And I say this as someone who grew up in the United Kingdom, a country where double-decker trains are almost as rare as a sunny bank holiday. The very idea of stepping onto a train with two full floors still feels like a magical novelty, even after all these years of travelling across Europe. So when Eurostar announced late last year that it would start running double-decker trains across its network from 2031, I can’t pretend I didn’t do a little happy dance. For those of us who love trains with a capital L, and especially for those of us who never lost the childhood thrill of climbing that second set of stairs, it was genuinely huge news. But as it turns out, the story was about to get even better.
## The Heavenly Arrival of the Celestia Trains
Just when we thought the double-decker news couldn’t get any more exciting, Eurostar revealed something that made us love the new trains even before they’ve been built: the new fleet is called “Celestia,” and it’s going to have double-decker bars on board. Yes, you read that correctly. Not just a little trolley service. Not a cramped counter tucked in a corner. A proper, two-storey bar, open to everyone on the train, and designed to be the star attraction of the whole journey. The name Celestia comes from the word “heavenly,” and Eurostar’s spokesperson explained that the idea behind the double-decker bar is to create a travel experience beyond the ordinary. Honestly, they had us at “heavenly.” We were already convinced before the press release even finished. But let’s rewind a little and talk about the trains themselves. Eurostar has ordered 30 Celestia trains in total, with the first one scheduled to welcome passengers from May 2031. When the service launches, six trains will be in operation across all of Eurostar’s current destinations, as well as two exciting additions: Geneva and Frankfurt. That means more routes, more capacity, and more opportunities to experience the joy of riding upstairs on a train. The new fleet isn’t just about looking pretty either. Following record-breaking heatwaves across Europe this summer, Eurostar confirmed that the Celestia trains will be equipped with air conditioning capable of operating in temperatures up to a blistering 55°C. As the company put it, these trains will enter service in 2031 and keep running into the 2060s, so it’s essential to be prepared for a changing climate and a changing world.
## Double-Decker Bars: The Heart of the Journey
Now let’s talk about the real star of the show: the double-decker bar. Imagine this: you’re speeding through the French countryside at nearly 300 kilometres an hour, the sun is setting over fields that blur into a watercolour of gold and green, and you decide you fancy a drink. But you don’t have to squeeze down a narrow aisle to a tiny counter and awkwardly shuffle back to your seat. Instead, you walk to the bar carriage, and there, in front of you, is a magnificent two-storey space that feels more like a stylish lounge than a train carriage. Downstairs, maybe there are high tables and stools where you can stand and chat with fellow travellers, or perch with a coffee and watch the world race by. Upstairs, there might be soft seating, bigger windows, and a completely different perspective on the rolling landscape. It’s a place designed not just for grabbing a quick bite, but for lingering, socialising, and actually enjoying the journey itself. In an era when so much of travel has become about getting from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible, Eurostar seems to be making a bold and beautiful statement: the journey matters, too. A bar that takes up two entire floors is more than just a place to buy a sandwich; it’s a signal that train travel can be social, can be fun, and can be an experience worth savouring for its own sake. And because it’s open to everyone on board, not just first-class passengers, it feels like a small democratisation of travel luxury. Whether you’re travelling on a budget or splashing out on a premium fare, you can climb those stairs and feel like you’re part of something special.
## Staying Cool in a Warming World
Beyond the glamour of the double-decker bar, there’s something deeply practical and forward-thinking about the new Celestia trains. The air conditioning system capable of operating in temperatures up to 55°C might sound like a minor technical detail, but in the context of recent European summers, it’s actually a huge deal. We’ve all seen the headlines about heatwaves buckling railway tracks, forcing speed restrictions, and turning train carriages into mobile greenhouses. For anyone who has ever sat on a delayed train in July with the air conditioning fighting a losing battle against the sun, the promise of a cooling system that can handle extreme heat is more than just a comfort; it’s a necessity. Eurostar’s spokesperson made a point that deserves repeating: these trains will enter service in 2031 and run into the 2060s. That’s a lifespan of more than thirty years, which means the trains we’ll be riding in the middle of this century are being designed and built right now, against a backdrop of climate change and increasingly unpredictable weather. Thinking ahead isn’t just sensible; it’s essential. By investing in trains that can cope with extreme temperatures, Eurostar is acknowledging that the future of travel will look different from the past. It’s a quiet but powerful commitment to resilience, to passenger comfort, and to making sure that as the world heats up, our journeys don’t have to become unbearable. It also makes a compelling argument for rail over air travel in a warming world: trains are already one of the most sustainable ways to travel, and if they can also keep us cool when the mercury rises, they become even more attractive.
## A Bigger Vision for European Rail Travel
The announcement of the Celestia trains isn’t just about one company modernising its fleet. It’s about the larger story of European rail travel, and the role that trains are increasingly playing in how we think about moving across borders. For decades, short-haul flights dominated the continent, but that’s changing. People are becoming more conscious of their carbon footprints, more frustrated with airport security queues, and more enamoured with the idea of travelling from city centre to city centre without the hassle of getting to the airport hours in advance. Eurostar has long been a champion of that vision, connecting London with Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and beyond through the Channel Tunnel. With the addition of Geneva and Frankfurt, the network is expanding even further, opening up new possibilities for seamless rail travel across Europe. And by making the trains double-decker, Eurostar is effectively increasing capacity without building new tracks or destroying new landscapes. It’s an intelligent solution to the challenge of growing demand: you can’t always add more trains, but you can add more floors. That’s not just clever engineering; it’s a thoughtful approach to sustainable growth. The double-decker bar, too, feels like a statement about the kind of travel experience Europe wants to offer. Instead of cramming more seats into every available space, Eurostar is choosing to create communal areas where people can gather, relax, and connect. In a world that often feels increasingly isolated, there’s something lovely about the idea of sharing a drink and a conversation with a stranger as the landscape rolls by your window.
## Raising a Glass to the Future
So where does that leave us? It leaves us waiting, with a mixture of impatience and excitement, for a train that won’t even exist for another five years. But that’s okay. Some things are worth waiting for. And in the meantime, there’s so much to look forward to: the first six Celestia trains criss-crossing the continent in 2031, the smell of fresh coffee drifting up from the lower deck of a two-storey bar, the thrill of climbing a spiral staircase on a train that’s speeding towards the Alps or the Rhine. For those of us who grew up without double-decker trains, the novelty will never quite wear off. Every journey will still feel like a small adventure, a chance to choose a window seat on the upper level and watch the world from a little higher up. And when I finally find myself on board one of these trains, standing at the double-decker bar with a drink in my hand, I’ll think back to this moment, to the announcement that made me so unreasonably happy. I’ll think about how a simple idea, a train with two floors and a bar to match, can capture the imagination and make a journey feel like more than just transport. Eurostar says the name Celestia means “heavenly,” and maybe that’s a big promise. But when you combine double-decker trains, double-decker bars, a growing network of destinations, and the sheer romantic appeal of rail travel, it feels like a promise worth believing. So here’s to the future, to long journeys and cold drinks, to slow afternoons and fast tracks, and to the simple joy of climbing upstairs on a train. We’ll see you in 2031. Save us a seat by the window.
