Eurostar says that some 130 UK towns and cities are now linked into mainland Europe by offering through rail fares.

Announcing the news in tandem with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), the cross-channel rail company said that a further 65 British stations were now in the scheme in addition to the 68 that were unveiled in the first tranche of European pricing.

“This is a further important step in integrating Britain’s rail network with that of continental Europe,” said ATOC commercial director David Mapp. “The new through fares offer value for money and should help make rail the choice for journeys to Paris, Brussels and beyond.”

Examples of the new ticketing include Oxford-Brussels/Paris return from £69 ($136) and journey times of 4h35min /4h30min and Bristol-Brussels/Paris return from £79 and journey times of 5h05min/5h20min.

“With Eurostar’s move to St Pancras International and with through fares as good as or better than those offered by regional airlines, millions more UK residents have much greater choice in the way they travel to the continent,” said Eurostar director of communication Simon Montague.

“The increasing number of UK travellers choosing to travel to mainland Europe by rail shows that a clear shift is occurring, with more and more people regarding the train as a better option.”

Through fares are also available to more than 75 French destinations, any station in Belgium, Dutch cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Schiphol and The Hague, as well as Aachen and Cologne in Germany. Tickets can be bought up to 84 days in advance.