EUROSTAR is gearing up for a Waterloo sunset tonight as it switches its high-speed international service across London.

After 13 years at Waterloo International, the service is switching to St Pancras, the elegant building refurbished at a cost of £800million.

The last train to Paris will leave at 6.09pm, while the last train to Brussels departs at 6.12pm. The final arrival from Brussels is due at 7.28pm and from Paris at 7.58pm.

The first train out of St Pancras International will leave at 11.01am tomorrow but it will not be stopping at Ebbsfleet International. Kent’s newest station just off the A2 between Gravesend and Dartford opens on Monday.

In the final hours before Eurostar’s 15-hour overnight move to St Pancras International, today’s celebrations, entitled 'Waterloo Sunset' in honour of the song by The Kinks, will see live music, and local dance and theatre groups performing on Waterloo International’s departures concourse.

Richard Brown, chief executive of Eurostar, said: "We are celebrating 13 momentous years since the birth of Eurostar, and I want to thank all those who have supported us, travelled with us and worked alongside us.

"We are hugely proud to have developed into the world’s leading international train operator, and pleased that the millions of travellers that we have brought through our terminal have also helped in the local regeneration of the Waterloo and South Bank areas."

The drivers of Eurostar’s first ever service from Waterloo International in 1994, Bob Priston, and of Eurostar’s fastest ever train, Alan Pears – who set the UK speed record of 208mph (334.7km/h) in July 2003 – will be joining frequent travellers, well-wishers and Eurostar staff to wave off the last trains.

Eurostar launched international rail services from Waterloo International on November 14, 1994. Since then it has carried more than 81 million passengers.

The service began with two trains a day between London and Paris, and London and Brussels. Today Eurostar operates up to 17 daily services to Paris and up to 10 daily services to Brussels.

Domestic high-sped services between Kent and St Pancras are due to start in December 2009.