Plans are underway to introduce direct train services from London to Germany, Switzerland, and France, as part of efforts to increase passenger numbers at St Pancras station.

London St Pancras Highspeed, which owns the station and manages the track to the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone, has proposed expanding international rail capacity from 1,800 passengers per hour to nearly 5,000. As part of this strategy, the company aims to attract new train operators to offer a broader range of European routes.

Currently, Eurostar holds a monopoly on cross-Channel train services, operating routes to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. However, London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink, the owner of Eurotunnel, have signed an agreement to enhance rail connectivity between the UK and Europe.

A spokesperson for London St Pancras Highspeed highlighted the potential of direct train travel, stating, "Many European cities could be reached in under six hours, making rail travel a strong competitor to short-haul flights."

Yann Leriche, CEO of Getlink, emphasized the importance of expanding low-carbon travel options and expressed enthusiasm for new routes to destinations such as Cologne, Frankfurt, Geneva, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Zurich. However, no timeline has been confirmed for these services.

In recent years, Eurostar has scaled back its operations, discontinuing its London-to-Disneyland Paris route in June 2023 and ending services to the south of France. Meanwhile, rival operators, including Virgin Group and Evolyn, are exploring new cross-Channel services.

Virgin Group acknowledged the complexity of launching a new international rail service but described the route as having "huge potential for competition" at St Pancras and through the Channel Tunnel. A company spokesperson added that increased competition would ultimately benefit passengers.

Robert Sinclair, CEO of London St Pancras Highspeed, noted that demand for international train travel is growing. He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to working with Getlink to encourage both new and existing operators to expand capacity and introduce new destinations, helping to create a more connected European rail network. Photo by © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.