LONDON -- Channel Tunnel Eurostar trains made their first journeys with fare-paying passengers Monday, accompanied by brass band fanfares and sighs of relief from the operators.


The state-of-the-art trains, linking Paris and Brussels to London under the Channel, ran on time after a series of embarrassing failures during high-profile trips for the media and VIPs.


The first of the sleek grey and yellow bullet trains slid out of the Gare du Nord station in Paris a minute ahead of schedule at 8:06 A.M., followed by a train from Brussels at 8:28 A.M. The third of the morning's departures was from London, which left just before its scheduled 8:28 A.M. departure time.


The Paris train arrived slightly before its 10:13 A.M. scheduled time while the Brussels Eurostar was around two minutes behind its 10:43 A.M. time. Both trains were greeted by a brass band playing a special Eurostar anthem.


"It's like a Jules Verne story coming to life," said Jean-Roch Martin as he stepped off the Paris train.


The Paris-London single fare is 645 francs ($122), with a cheap, pre-booked ticket of 395 francs ($75) -- prices comparable with return airfares which start around 700 francs ($130).


The prompt departures and arrivals will be a relief to the privately-owned tunnel operator, Eurotunnel SA/Plc, which has struggled for years with huge cost overruns and delays. It has been forced into several refinancings, the latest only in May.