THE first foreign train was due to arrive in London at about 02.00 today, in preparation for a formal reception ceremony which will be attended by the transport minister Theresa Villiers. The Deutsche Bahn ICE set travelled through the Channel Tunnel after several tests, including a full-scale evacuation on Sunday, but was expected to be hauled powerless to London by Eurotunnel locomotives.

Its arrival will be welcomed by some, including DB chief executive Rüdiger Grube, but the event will also be accompanied by high-level controversy.

The French government and train-builder Alstom have launched a vigorous campaign of opposition to the use of Siemens-built ICEs in the Channel Tunnel, and their anger has been heightened by the decision of the Eurostar board earlier this month to proceed with the acquisition of ten German-built Siemens Velaro-D sets for new routes from 2014.

Eurostar is planning to run beyond its present main termini in Paris and Brussels to Amsterdam, Geneva and Lyon, and destinations in other countries, including Germany, are not being ruled out.

The new Velaros will be needed to run on High Speed lines beyond Brussels and also to countries such as Germany and Switzerland, because there is no room on the present Eurostar fleet for further layers of equipment to cope with the additional types of signalling and traction current which will be encountered.

However, the French are now reported to be taking their complaint, in which they allege that Siemens trains will not meet Channel Tunnel safety rules, to the European Commission.

Even so, today's DB event at St Pancras will be a major milestone in the development of international train services to London. Expansion has been made possible by the introduction of international open access across Europe at the start of this year, and there is good reason to believe that more potential operators to London will make themselves known in due course.

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