The Evening Standard in London claimed that in a deal worth up to £20 million that the company would provide thousands of free rail tickets to Olympic athletes and officials travelling to the capital from the European mainland.

 

In return Eurostar would be given exclusive marketing rights by London 2012 and be given the rights to use the official branding, including the Olympic rings, on its trains.

 

Other rail companies are in talks to become a Tier Two Olympic sponsor, but Eurostar is thought to be favourite because of its international services, the Evening Standard reported.

 

The French-owned company is hoping that a surge of European visitors wanting to visit the Olympics in London will help reverse a 10 per cent fall in passenger numbers that they recorded for the first quarter of this year.

 

An extended Olympic service is being developed to offer spectators from the European mainland a day return - currently starting at £59 from Paris and Brussels - which would avoid the cost of overnight accommodation in London, the Evening Standard reported.

 

During the Games the Eurostar service will travel direct from the continent to St Pancras without stopping en route at the new Stratford International station on the doorstep of the 2012 venues.

 

Instead continental arrivals for the Olympics on Eurostar will have to take the “Javelin” shuttle service back to Stratford.