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Eurostar marked its 20th anniversary today by unveiling the first of its new fleet of 200mph trains that will slash journey times from London to Paris.

The e320 train will go into service at the end of next year and is capable of carrying 900 passengers.

At a launch event at St Pancras station, the company showed off its first complete e320 – so-called because it is capable of speeds of up to 320kph (200mph).

Eurostar also announced at the launch that it is ordering a further seven of the high speed trains on top of the 10 originally ordered.

The trains are being built by German firm Siemens as part of a £550million deal with Eurostar.

The launch comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the start of Eurostar services in November 1994.

From May 2015 a new year-round direct Eurostar service to Provence, stopping at Lyon, Avignon and Marseille, will be in operation.

This will be followed at the end of 2016 by the launch of a direct route to Amsterdam with stops in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport along the way.

Eurostar chief executive Nicolas Petrovic said: "Having had 10 consecutive years of growth, we are seeing a record demand for our services and the addition of new trains to our fleet will be key to our growth ambitions.

"With just one year to go until our new e320 train comes into service, our passengers will soon see a complete transformation of our service. The combination of bold design, chic interiors and wifi connectivity will raise the bar, providing an unprecedented level of style and comfort for our customers."