Eurostar this morning ran the inaugural 05:52 ‘Green Business Express’ from Brussels-Midi to London St Pancras, arriving at 07:25 local time – the operator’s fastest timetable since pre-Brexit schedules. The new slot is aimed at Belgian executives seeking same-day meetings in the UK capital without an overnight stay, and responds to growing corporate demand for low-carbon alternatives to short-haul flights. To support the service, Belgian Federal Police and UK Border Force have opened an exclusive “Express Corridor” at Brussels-Midi with four juxtaposed passport booths and dedicated EES e-gates. Eurostar says the setup cuts pre-departure formalities to around 15 minutes for biometric passport holders. A flexible ‘Pro-Flex’ ticket allows no-fee changes up to one hour before departure and includes lounge access. Companies that join Eurostar’s “Climate Partner” scheme can obtain aggregated CO₂ reports and volume-based discounts. Deloitte Belgium estimates that replacing a return flight with the new train could save roughly 182 kg of CO₂ per traveller. However, capacity is limited to 550 seats and the operator warns that ongoing French rail-maintenance works may cause weekend diversions via Lille. Travel-risk consultants remind passengers that UK e-Passport gates remain closed to Belgian ID-card holders; a passport is still required post-Brexit. Frequent-traveller cards issued before October 2025 must also be re-registered under the UK’s Advance Passenger Information system.
Source: Eurostar Group media release
