British travellers may soon be able to reach top European destinations in under six hours via high-speed trains departing from London St Pancras.
Plans for a cross-channel expansion, driven by London St Pancras High Speed (which recently rebranded from HS1), aims to offer direct rail routes to major cities in Germany, Switzerland, and France.
The company, which owns the station and the high-speed track to Folkestone, Kent, has proposed plans for a redesigned terminal which hopes to attract new railway operators to compete with Eurostar and other existing rail operators.
London St Pancras Highspeed has also partnered with French firm Getlink, which operates the Channel Tunnel, in the hopes of growing ‘international rail connectivity between the UK and Europe’.
Due to high passenger demand in these regions, Getlink said they hope new direct services could serve five major European cities.
In a statement, Getlink said: ‘Market research from Eurotunnel demonstrated that customer demand for new destinations is clear and real: Germany (Köln, Frankfurt), Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich), South of France (Marseille, Bordeaux) demand.’
Despite reports that Milan was also a proposed, Getlink added: ‘Italy it is not a destination that we have spoken about.’
The routes are yet to be confirmed, and decisions on destinations will be made by train operators. As for when the London St Pancras terminal will be expanded is also to be determined.
London St Pancras Highspeed and Eurotunnel say they are committed to advocating ‘rail first’ public policies and will actively work with governments to emphasise the environmental advantages of rail journeys under six hours.
They aim to boost international passenger capacity at the London transport hub from 1,800 to 5,000 per hour by redesigning the departure area.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink, signals a formal commitment to collaborate on improving rail services.
It includes plans to shorten journey times, improve timetable coordination, and run more trains each hour for international services in both directions.
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A spokesperson for London St. Pancras Highspeed told Metro: ‘Many European cities could be reached directly by train in under 6 hours, which we believe is competitive with short-haul air travel.
‘We know the public wants this choice thanks to the convenience of travelling by train and we will work with Eurotunnel to make new routes to Europe a reality for operators and passengers.’
The proposed expansion could break Eurostar’s monopoly over the tunnel. The company holds the sole passenger license through the Channel Tunnel with direct trains from London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Evolyn, a new company set up by National Express investors, are also reportedly interested in running competing cross-channel routes.
Yann Leriche, CEO of Getlink, said in a press release: ‘As an open access infrastructure, Eurotunnel is the pioneer in enabling the growth of high-speed rail between the UK and Continental Europe.
‘We are keen to drive forward attractive opportunities for low-carbon mobility with a range of new destinations in Germany, Switzerland and France. This partnership with London St. Pancras Highspeed is an essential catalyst for accelerating this growth momentum.’
Robert Sinclair, CEO of London St. Pancras Highspeed, added: ‘Joining forces with Eurotunnel is another exciting step on our journey to realise a future where high-speed rail is the preferred option for travelling to Europe.
‘As we see demand for international rail travel grow, London St. Pancras Highspeed and Eurotunnel have an important role to play as key infrastructure managers to actively work together to encourage new and existing train operators to expand capacity and launch new destinations unlocking the potential of a fully connected Europe.’
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