St Pancras Eyes Direct Train Connections Between the UK and Germany

Getty Images New direct train routes from London to Germany, Switzerland, and France could soon become reality as part of efforts aimed at boosting passenger numbers at St Pancras station. London St Pancras Highspeed, the entity responsible for managing both the station and the track leading to Folkestone via the Channel Tunnel, has proposed increasing its capacity for international train travel from 1,800 passengers per hour to an impressive nearly 5,000.

The company is now keen on attracting various train operators to offer a diverse array of services across Europe. Currently, Eurostar holds a monopoly over the trains passing through the Channel Tunnel with routes extending to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. In response, London St Pancras Highspeed has partnered with Getlink in an agreement designed to facilitate increased rail connectivity between the UK and other European countries.

“Many European cities could be reached directly by train within under six hours,” a spokesperson from London St Pancras Highspeed highlighted, emphasizing that this makes high-speed rail travel highly competitive against short-haul air journeys. Yann Leriche, Getlink’s chief executive officer who also oversees Eurotunnel, expressed enthusiasm for fostering low-carbon mobility options to new European destinations like Bordeaux, Cologne, Frankfurt, Geneva, Marseille, and Zurich.

While no specific timeline has been established yet for the implementation of these services, it is notable that Virgin Group and Evolyn are developing plans for competing routes. Although they acknowledge the monumental challenge of establishing a new cross-Channel operator with Virgin specifically stating “it would be a huge undertaking,” both companies believe there is significant potential in St Pancras station and through the tunnel.

Competition among various operators, it was argued by Virgin Group, could ultimately benefit all customers. Robert Sinclair, chief executive of London St Pancras Highspeed, underscored growing demand for international train travel and vowed to work alongside Getlink to encourage both new and existing train operators to increase capacity and launch services to these exciting new destinations.

With this collaboration between London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink, there is a clear ambition to unlock the potential of fully connected Europe through enhanced rail connectivity. The aim appears not only to offer more travel options but also reduce reliance on air travel, aligning with global efforts towards sustainability in transportation.
St Pancras railway station
Channel Tunnel
Eurostar