EuroStar fares are high because trains have to pay very high track access charges in the Channel Tunnel and CTRL , to cover construction costs. In France and Germany, construction costs of High Speed lines have been paid by the tax payer. It does not mean anything about the efficiency of operators

Denis, Paris, France

186mph? ... oh you mean 300km/h Now that's more like it!

Peter GODDARD, Epsom, England, EU

If you've ever travelled by train in Germany, you'll know the Germans are very efficient? They know how to run a railway with sensible & cheap fares. As a rail agent I'm glad Eurostar will be backed by such an efficient rail company. Perhaps one day instead of flying Eurostar we'll travel it again!

Philip Barnard, London, England

It's ridiculous that after 14 years of trains to the continent, we still have no direct connections to germany or the netherlands. If it needs DB to push for this, and make it work, then all well and good. Just relax the tunnel "safety" requirements, and the over-strict constraints on train-stabling

Tom, Cambridge, UK

I'm English, live in Germany and just love the way that Germans operate their rail system.
It gets me from A-Z when it says it will and even if it's 2 minutes late the Germans around me roll their eyes and tut while I giggle at how lucky they are that there actually is a train at all.

Matt, Munich, Germany

Eurostar will never become profitable whilst it attempts to charge passengers more than the airlines. It is cheaper to take the car over on a day trip than to buy a single seat on the train. And why virtually close Ashford International?

Ian SISLEY, Arras, F

next is buckingham palace
fantastic

saud, riyadh, saudi arabia

If the carrot is connection to more European destinations, I am all for it.

Jagadish, Bromley, England

Nobody could run our railways any less competently than the assortment of bus companies that are currently in charge. It is such a shame that there is no British company strong enough or experienced enough. Another consequence of the rail privatisation fiasco

Richard, Bexhill, UK

Enough of selling off UK assets for foreign profit. Shut the link down and demolish it

Dave, Chorley,

Good.

Thomas C, Paris, France

Hooray! Best news I have heard for weeks! Please, please GB Government, sell this wastrel company to the Germans tomorrow. Maybe my Travel Company, Trainseurope Limited will actually start to make a decent profit because we will get more sensible fares across Europe with German control.

David Gunning, March, England

If Britain's railways were as fast, punctual and inexpensive as Germany's, it would be a major improvement. Perhaps Deutsche Bahn can be persuaded to buy the First Group or someone as well.

Andrew, London, UK

The Germans are far more efficient and pragmatic than the UK want to or will ever be. Let them do the job and let's get some proper public transport for a change. We all know it will never happen with the English in charge...

HKuiper, London, UK

Let Germany buy all our railways. Maybe then they will run on time.

Chris, London, UK

Britiain is rapidly losing its income generating industries to other coumtries however when the EU finaly becomes the USE it will matter no more than a company run by Irish Scottish Welsh Welsh or English owners just as in the USA.

Michael W, TELFORD, UK

Let a country which knows how to run railways (Germany, France) do the job. They have proved, over the years, to be much better at it than the antiquated , stick in the mud English.

Harry F, Leicester, United Kingdom

Years of under-investment has rendered the UK Rail industry incompetent, - we dont know how to look after the family silver anymore, it would be better off in someone elses hands.

Jeremy, Chippenham, UK

Hey - it's not "the Germans" who want to take over Eurostar, it's that German Rail terrier-CEO Mehdorn who want's to be the world's biggest logistics chief - or possibly the world's biggest anything. And to this end he saves on wages and customer service, and tries to raise ticket prices regularly.

Sibylle, Essen, Germany

Let them in.
Germans do good railway.
Eurostar : overpriced, complicated and disappointing from the outset.
Non German national, unbiased assessment.

Nick West, Berlin, Germany

Do not sell off the 'Family Silver', is my view.

EuroStar will eventually become profitable. We have already seen other European companies taking over our Energy supppliers and the bottom line is that we will end up subsidising their home markets if we sell up. Enough is Enough.

Mike_L, Manchester, UK