Eurostar ramps up plans to double capacity at London St Pancras
Eurostar has outlined proposals to double capacity at London St Pancras as it looks to tap growing demand for international rail travel.
The cross-channel operator has penned a preliminary deal with London St Pancras Highspeed, formerly HS1, aimed at future proofing the popular hub against overcrowding.
A three-part plan includes improving the international area of the station and its connection to the main concourse by 2028, while tightening up security and border control to increase passenger numbers by 2,700 per hour over the next four years.
It comes amid a surge in demand for cross-border rail travel in Europe, with research earlier this year forecasting a tripling of passengers to 35m by 2040.
In June, Eurostar unveiled plans to launch direct services from London to Germany and Switzerland for the first time.
Such an increase in demand has led to a host of companies announcing ambitions to break the high-speed rail group’s monopoly on cross-channel routes for the first time in 30 years.
Challengers include Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Gemini, a company chaired by the Labour peer and railway veteran Lord Berkeley.
Eurostar to expand services
St Pancras’ operational capacity was 1,800 travellers per hour in 2024 but is projected to reach nearly 5,000 after 2028.
“With growing passenger demand for international train travel, it is important that St Pancras International station is future-proofed and optimised to accommodate this,” Richard Thorp, chief operating officer at London St Pancras Highspeed, said.
“With a shared ambition and collaborative approach, we can ensure our iconic station is ready to support this demand, and we’re looking forward to getting started on a new era of connectivity between London and Europe.”
Simon Lejeune, chief safety and stations officer at Eurostar, said: “Eurostar is the green gateway to Europe, already welcoming up to 45,000 customers a day at St Pancras with demand growing.
“As we plan to expand our fleet from the early 2030s and increase services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and now Germany and Switzerland, this project will play a vital role in enabling that growth and continuing our seamless and unique customer experience.”
Hawkins\Brown, an architecture practice, has been appointed to deliver a design and feasibility study for the expansion.