St Pancras plans for direct trains from UK to Germany

To increase passenger volume at London St Pancras station, new train lines are planned to run directly from London to Germany, Switzerland, and France. London St Pancras Highspeed, which owns the station and operates the tracks to the Folkestone Channel Tunnel, has proposed a plan to increase international train passenger capacity from 1,800 passengers per hour to nearly 5,000.

The company is currently looking to attract different train operators to provide more services to various destinations in Europe. Currently, Eurostar monopolizes train operations through the Channel Tunnel, with routes including Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink have signed an agreement aimed at strengthening rail connections between the UK and Europe, further opening the market.

A spokesperson for London St Pancras Highspeed said: "Many European cities can be reached directly by train in under six hours, which we believe is very competitive compared to short-haul air travel." Getlink's CEO, Yann Leriche, stated: "We are passionate about driving the appeal of low-carbon travel and providing opportunities to reach a range of new destinations in Germany, Switzerland, and France." Getlink believes that train services to Bordeaux, Cologne, Frankfurt, Geneva, Marseille, and Zurich are potentially viable in the future.

While no specific timetable has been announced, Eurostar canceled its London-to-Paris Disneyland service in June 2023 and no longer operates routes between London and the south of France. Virgin Group and Evolyn are developing service plans to compete with Eurostar, potentially transporting passengers to the newly proposed destinations. Virgin Group acknowledges that establishing a new cross-Channel operator will be a "huge undertaking," but states that the route is "ripe for change, with space and potential for new competition at St Pancras and in the tunnel."

Robert Sinclair, CEO of London St Pancras Highspeed, stated that demand for international train travel is growing. He said that his company will work with Getlink to "encourage new and existing train operators to expand capacity and open new destinations, thereby unlocking the potential of a fully connected Europe." Competition between different companies will benefit all customers, offering more choices and potentially lower fares.