One of the busiest stations in the UK devised in capacity with large expansion plans

The number of passengers that the Eurostar out London St Pancras to reach the continent seems to double, after an ambitious new deal between two large partners was announced today.

Eurostar and London St. Pancras Highspeed, formerly HS1, signed a ‘declaration of intent’ that could see one of Europe’s busiest international stations – St Pancras International – and greatly increase the number of passengers it can take.

Architects have already been asked to take on the task of ‘again introducing the historic hub in London’, so that it can be ‘future -proof’ as the demand for cross -border journeys continues to grow.

Eurostar plans to increase its current fleet in the following decade and offer services to five countries, including FranceBelgium, the The Netherlands” Germany and Switzerland.

The announcement sees a three-phase plan set up, with an emphasis on redesigning the international arrivals and departure area of ​​the station by 2028.

There will also be investments in border control and security, with passenger numbers per hour set from around 2,500 now to 5,000 by the time that the second phase of the three -part plan ends in four years.

The station currently welcomes around 45,000 Eurostar passengers every day, with research Commissioned by London St Pancras Highspeed Earlier this year, the demand seems to be triple by 2040, and is increasing from 11 million to 35 million passengers per year.

London St Pancras Highspeed owns and Manages the only international high-speed rail connection of the UK and the stations along the route, including St Pancras International, Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.

Eurostar currently Has a fleet of 51 high -speed trains that serve 28 destinations throughout Europe. British tourists can currently reach Paris, Lille, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam on direct routes from London.

St Pancras International will be again conceived in ambitious new plans announced by Eurostar and London St. Pancras Highspeed, formerly HS1, today

Today’s announcement starts with a three-phase plan, with an emphasis on redesigning the international arrivals and departure area of ​​the station by 2028

New destinations Geneva and Frankfurt, which arrive in the early 2030s, are expected to be popular with business travelers, because both cities are international financial centers.

Andrew Davies, Partner & Transport & Infrastructure Lead at Architects Hawkins \ Brown said that the plans tried to meet the need for ‘affordable, fast and sustainable journeys to and from Europe’.

Richard Thorp, Chief Operating Officer at London St Pancras Highspeed Said about the announcement: ‘With the growing demand for passengers for international train journeys, it is important that St Pancras International Station is future -proof and optimized to accommodate this.

“With a shared ambition and cooperation approach, we can ensure that our iconic station is ready to support this question, and we look forward to working on a new era of connectivity between London and Europe.”

Last month, Eurostar Announced plans to launch its direct train services from London to Switzerland and Germany.

The train journey between London and Frankfurt will probably take approximately five hours, while the journey between London and Geneva is expected to take five hours and 20 minutes.

Eurostar has said that it expects a strong question from passengers traveling on both routes. The new routes depend on a fleet of 50 new trains, which are expected to cost around £ 1.7 billion (€ 2 billion).

The famous neon artwork of Tracey Emin that is currently hanging above the hall at the station, with plans set on the future -proof against increased demand for cross -border trips

New routes: The journey between London and Geneva (photo) is expected to last five hours and 20 minutes at Eurostar, while Frankfurt takes about five hours

The operator still has to reveal which stops with each route can include and whether passengers can step on the road.

CEO Gwendoline Cazenave says: ‘We see a strong demand for train journeys through Europe, with customers who want to go further than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we offer.

‘Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has daring ambitions for the future.

‘Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality – in particular direct trains between London and Germany and between London and Switzerland for the first time.

“A new Golden Age of international sustainable journeys is here.”

The new trains would also enable Eurostar to stimulate the frequency of existing routes.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander says: “I am pleased to welcome this exciting investment in Eurostar services, which is a huge step in promoting green journeys through Europe and improving our international rail connections.”

In May the VK signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with Switzerland, where both countries are committed to working together to launch a new direct train route between the two.

In the light of the new announcement of Eurostar, Alexander adds: ‘Last month I signed a milestone agreement to deliver a direct rail connection between London and Switzerland, releasing the way for direct commercial services.

“Today’s announcement by Eurostar shows that the government’s plan plan quickly strengthen the connections between large cities in provinces throughout Europe for a change, so that more opportunities create to travel, work and socialize.”

Eurostar wore 19.5 million passengers in 2024, an increase of 5 percent on passenger numbers in 2023.