One of UK's busiest stations set to double in capacity with major expansion plans
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- Announcement today puts wheels in motion on major expansion at London hub
- READ MORE: Eurostar unveils plans for direct trains from UK to heart of Europe
The number of passengers using the Eurostar out of London St Pancras to reach the continent looks set to double, after an ambitious new deal between two major partners was announced today.
Eurostar and London St. Pancras Highspeed, formerly HS1, signed a 'letter of intent' which could see one of Europe's busiest international stations - St Pancras International - vastly increasing the amount of passengers it can take.
Architects have already been asked to take on the task of 'reimagining' the historic London hub so that it can 'future-proof' as the demand for cross-border travel continues to grow.
Eurostar plans to increase its current fleet in the next decade, offering services to five countries, including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.
The announcement sees a three-stage plan put in place, with the focus being on the redesigning of the international arrivals and departures area of the station by 2028.
There will be investment in border control and security too, with hourly passenger numbers set to increase from around 2,500 now to 5,000 by the time the second stage of the three-part plan concludes in four years' time.
The station currently welcomes some 45,000 Eurostar passengers every day, with research commissioned by London St Pancras Highspeed earlier this year concluding that demand looks set to triple by 2040, increasing from 11 million to 35 million passengers per year.
London St Pancras Highspeed owns and operates the UK’s only international high-speed rail link and the stations along the route including St Pancras International, Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.
Eurostar currently has a fleet of 51 high-speed trains, serving 28 destinations across Europe. British tourists can currently reach Paris, Lille, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam on direct routes from London.
New destinations Geneva and Frankfurt, coming in the early 2030s, are expected to be popular with business travellers as both cities are international finance centres.
Andrew Davies, Partner & Transport & Infrastructure lead at architects Hawkins\Brown said the plans were trying to meet the need for 'affordable, high-speed, and sustainable journeys to and from Europe.'
Richard Thorp, Chief Operating Officer at London St Pancras Highspeed said of the announcement: 'With growing passenger demand for international train travel, it is important that St Pancras International station is future-proofed and optimised to accommodate this.
'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.'
Last month, Eurostar announced plans to launch its direct train services from London to Switzerland and Germany.
The train journey between London and Frankfurt is likely to take around five hours while the trip between London and Geneva is expected to take five hours and 20 minutes.
Eurostar has said it expects to see strong demand from passengers travelling on both routes . The new routes will depend on a fleet of 50 new trains, expected to cost around £1.7bn (€2bn).
The operator has yet to reveal which stops each route might include and whether passengers could get off along the way.
CEO Gwendoline Cazenave says: 'We're seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we provide .
'Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has bold ambitions for the future.
'Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality - notably direct trains between London and Germany and between London and Switzerland for the first time.
'A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here.'
The new trains would also allow Eurostar to boost the frequency of existing routes.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander says: 'I am pleased to welcome this exciting investment into Eurostar services, which is a huge step in promoting green travel across Europe and boosting our international rail connections.'
In May, the UK signed a 'memorandum of understanding' with Switzerland where both countries committed to working together to launch a new direct train route between the two.
In light of the new Eurostar announcement, Alexander adds: 'Last month, I signed a landmark agreement to deliver a direct rail link between London and Switzerland, paving the way for direct commercial services.
'Today’s announcement by Eurostar shows that the government’s plan for change is rapidly strengthening the links between major cities in counties across Europe, creating more opportunities to travel, work, and socialise.'
Eurostar carried 19.5 million passengers in 2024, a rise of 5 per cent on traveller numbers in 2023.
