To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost was to the public purse of the high speed trains fleet recently leased to SNCF; how long the period of the lease is; and what return is expected for (a) the Exchequer and (b) Eurostar. (150758)

Eurostar UK Ltd. (EUKL) has recently leased its Regional Eurostar trains to SNCF to reduce the cost of stabling and maintaining trains for which it has no current use. The lease agreed with SNCF runs to 2013, however, the value of the deal is commercially sensitive and cannot be released in answer to this question. Income from the lease will accrue to EUKL, improving London and Continental Railways’ (EUKL’s parent company) overall financial position and reducing the Department for Transport’s exposure to supporting Eurostar’s costs. The Regional Eurostar trains were ordered by British Rail in 1991 at a cost of £180 million.