London’s St Pancras station could soon get even bigger

St Pancras Station’s train services could be expanding to new countries (with a bunch of new rail operators). But as exciting as this sounds, the station will have to undergo some vital renovations and expand before this can happen. 

Rail operator HS1 is currently looking for a consultant who will explore growth options for St Pancras Station. This is to keep up with future additional train services planned for the station, as well as the Eurostar's expansion from 1,800 passengers an hour to 2,700 passengers an hour by 2025.

The chosen consultant will mainly look at the magnificent terminus that was designed by engineer William Henry Barlow in the nineteenth century. Don’t worry – nothing historic will be knocked down. The consultant chosen will explore options for optimising the space using the existing infrastructure.

We won’t know too much about the plans as teams competing for the position will have to sign an NDA to receive the bidding documents, which are being kept under wraps.

In a statement, HS1 said it was ‘keen to make plans and facilitate growth’ for train companies outside the UK that were hoping to bring connections to St Pancras. In other words, the station’s international travel options could improve in the future. 

‘Pre pandemic, HS1 had carried out various architectural studies looking at how international growth could be accommodated through a project known as SPICE (St Pancras International Capacity Enhancement), however many of the assumptions of SPICE have changed and the proposals need to be reassessed considering the latest information, technological advancements and growth assumptions,’ the statement said. 

The Grade I-listed station last got an £800 million makeover in 2007, so it’s about time it had some TLC. 

More travel news on Time Out

Did you see that you’ll be able to ride vintage red London buses for free this weekend? And in case you missed it: a massive new cycle highway has just opened in south London. Plus, here’s a first look inside the Silvertown Tunnel, London’s controversial new Thames crossing.