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There are a lot of train stations in London. That naturally means a lot of foot traffic, a lot of delays, and at times, a less than pleasant travel experience. Although St Pancras isn’t one of the worst for cancellations, nor is it known for being as hellish as Euston, it’s still not as efficient as it could be, says a new study .
The research, conducted by Active Thinking on behalf of St Pancras station operator HS1, has found that its capacity could be nearly doubled, from 1,800 to 2,400 passengers per hour, within the next four years. They reckon that this could be done by improving border security, and redesigning the layout to give more room to the departure lounge, where there is often nowhere to sit while you wait for your train.
If more passengers could be processed by border agents, people wouldn’t need to arrive until later, in turn reducing pressure on the waiting area beyond. All of this could also allow for the biggest change of all: new international rail providers entering the scene.
At present, the only company which operates international trains from St Pancras is Eurostar, but others want to get involved. Virgin and Evolyn have both shown serious interest in becoming competitors for the cross-channel provider, and it might not be too long before they get the chance.
According to HS1, which owns the railway: ‘We are on the cusp of the biggest shake-up to high speed rail travel in a generation and increasing capacity at St Pancras International is one important step along the way.
‘These findings show there is space to cater for more services, presenting an exciting opportunity to enhance the passenger experience.’
HS1 will now create a plan of action in response to the findings, which will balance its recommendations alongside ensuring they honour the heritage of the station, which is a Grade I listed building. Then, in less than half a decade, it could be even easier to get to France without all the struggles going through an airport.
Time Out and Eurostar’s future
Big changes could be coming to Eurostar (and international rail travel out of London) in the next few years. A new competitor Evolyn could launch in the coming months, while both Deutsche Bahn and Richard Branson are reportedly interested in setting up their own rail connections with mainland Europe. Eurotunnel, which is in charge of the actual Channel Tunnel, wants to double the number of high-speed train journeys by 2034.
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