Maintaining the operating efficiency of its fleet of high-speed trains is of paramount importance to leading UK/European rail service provider, Eurostar, and Loughborough-based Morris Material Handling is playing its part in helping it achieve this.

Indeed it is the Maintenance Services Division of the UK's leading lifting services provider that is responsible for the maintenance, servicing and repair of Eurostar's overhead cranes and 40 simultaneous lifting jacks located at its dedicated train maintenance depot situated in west London.

With the Eurostar facility serving to keep its fleet of 27 high-speed trains firmly on track, Morris Material Handling carries out a detailed inspection of the cranes and lifting jacks every three months. Key contract support emanates from one of the company's nationwide network of Service Centre, located in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

In addition to carrying out routine inspection and implementing a planned programme of maintenance, the Morris team also remains on hand to provide 24/7 cover to Eurostar should breakdowns occur making on-site repairs necessary.

Commenting on behalf of Eurostar (UK) Ltd, Contracts & Facilities Manager, Douglas Graham said: "Maintaining the equipment that helps us service our fleet of high speed trains is understandably very important to us, and this is where Morris Material Handling comes into the equation. We enjoy an effective and understandable working relationship with them as an organisation, plus the entire team who support the contract are very responsive, highly-trained and well versed in what they do."

Last year saw Eurostar - the high speed passenger train service linking the UK with France and Belgium - record its best ever results, with passenger numbers reaching 7.85 million and sales topping half a billion pounds. Established in 1994, Eurostar will launch services from its new London station, St Pancras International on 14 November. Each Eurostar train is 400 metres long, comprising of 18 passenger carriages and two power cars. On board each train there are 750 seats, which is the equivalent of two Boeing 747 planes.