Eurostar has unveiled plans to double capacity at London St Pancras in response to the growing demand for international rail travel.
The cross-channel operator has inked a preliminary agreement with London St Pancras Highspeed, formerly HS1, to future-proof the bustling hub against potential overcrowding, as reported by .
The three-pronged strategy includes enhancing the international area of the station and its connection to the main concourse by 2028, as well as bolstering security and border control measures to boost passenger numbers by 2,700 per hour over the next four years.
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This move comes amidst a boom in demand for cross-border rail travel in Europe, with studies earlier this year predicting a tripling of passengers to 35 million by 2040.
In June, Eurostar announced plans to introduce direct services from London to Germany and Switzerland for the first time.
This surge in demand has prompted several companies to declare their intentions to challenge the high-speed rail group's monopoly on cross-channel routes for the first time in three decades.
Among the challengers are Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Gemini, a company led by Labour peer and railway veteran Lord Berkeley.
Eurostar to expand services
St Pancras' operational capacity stood at 1,800 travellers per hour in 2024 but is projected to nearly triple to 5,000 after 2028.
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"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.