London, Jumada I 13, 1436, March 04, 2015, SPA -- The British government has agreed to sell its 40-per-cent stake in the Eurostar International rail operator for 757 million pounds (1.16 billion dollars) to British and Canadian-based buyers, dpa reported. The governemnt said the price of 585 million pounds from a consortium of Canada's Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) and British asset management firm Hermes Infrastructure exceeded its expectations when the stake was offered for sale in October. Eurostar has agreed to pay an additional 172 million pounds to redeem the government's preferential share rights, the Treasury said. "The price that has been achieved is significantly ahead of expectations, reflecting the high quality nature of the asset," it said. The deal, which remains subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year. --SPA 17:37 LOCAL TIME 14:37 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w