London to Milan?
Apart from great cathedrals, what do the cities of Milan and Cologne have in common? They are both cities that will benefit from the planned expansion of London’s International Railway Station, St Pancras.
For years, high-speed rail travel from London to cities like Cologne, Zurich, and Milan has been an enticing but as yet unrealised possibility. Now, thanks to a major expansion plan at London St Pancras and a new strategic partnership with Eurotunnel, that vision is one step closer to becoming reality.
A Landmark Partnership for High-Speed Rail
London St Pancras Highspeed, the company responsible for both the station and the high-speed track to Folkestone has announced a collaboration with Getlink, the Paris-based owner of Eurotunnel. The two infrastructure operators have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at expanding international rail services between the UK and Europe.
The agreement sets out a framework to enhance timetable coordination, reduce journey times, and incentivise new train operators to enter the market. Currently, Eurostar is the sole operator of international passenger services from St Pancras, with direct trains to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, as well as seasonal services to ski resorts in the French Alps. However, with significant spare capacity in the Channel Tunnel and growing demand for sustainable travel, there is huge potential to expand routes across the continent.
What’s Changing?
The key to unlocking these new routes lies in a long-overdue redesign of St Pancras International. At present, the station’s departure area is constrained, leading to long queues, particularly at security and passport control. To accommodate future growth, London St Pancras Highspeed plans to increase capacity significantly—potentially tripling the number of passengers able to pass through the station.
1. Increased Passenger Capacity
The current setup allows for around 2,400 passengers per hour on international services. The planned redesign, alongside infrastructure improvements and enhanced border security processes, could initially increase this to around 5,000 passengers per hour. This would put St Pancras in line with some of Europe’s busiest international rail hubs.
2. Improved Border Checks
Post-Brexit border controls have been a major challenge for Eurostar services, with additional passport and security checks leading to longer processing times. Recent upgrades, including new e-gates at the French border, have helped alleviate delays. Further enhancements to streamline the departure process will be key to ensuring that additional services can operate efficiently.
3. More Train Operators & Routes
The expanded infrastructure is expected to attract new train operators beyond Eurostar, breaking the current monopoly. Getlink has indicated that future services could link London with Frankfurt, Cologne, Geneva, and Zurich, before extending further south to Milan. These services would provide direct, high-speed rail options to major business and tourist hubs that are currently only accessible from the UK via air travel.
When will this happen?
Any new operator will need to acquire high speed trains, seek permissions to operate in multiple jurisdictions and be confident of long-term viability. While the Memorandum of Understanding signals clear intent, launching new services will take time. Experts suggest that new international trains from St Pancras are unlikely to begin operating until after 2030.
Despite these challenges, the expansion plans represent a major step toward diversifying international train travel from the UK and bringing it in line with the rest of Europe, where multiple operators compete on high-speed routes.
Planned expansion could see operators like Deutsche Bahn and Trenitalia competing with current operator, Eurostar. This will benefit passengers aiming to cut their carbon footprint.
The Future
Robert Sinclair, CEO of London St Pancras Highspeed, described the partnership as “an exciting step on our journey to realise a future where high-speed rail is the preferred option for travelling to Europe.” Yann Leriche, CEO of Getlink, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that expanding train services would provide “attractive opportunities for low-carbon mobility.”
The Channel Tunnel, which opened in 1994, was originally expected to handle far more traffic than it does today. Early projections suggested that passenger numbers would be nearly double current levels by 2025. However, high access fees, Brexit-related border controls, and Eurostar’s dominance have all limited the expansion of services.
With the St Pancras expansion and the new partnership between London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink, there is finally a concerted effort to unlock the tunnel’s full potential. By making it easier for multiple operators to compete and innovate, passengers could soon benefit from cheaper fares, better timetables, and a greater range of destinations.
While it may take a few more years for these plans to materialize, the direction is clear: international rail travel from London is set to grow. If successful, these changes could transform St Pancras into a truly European transport hub, connecting the UK with the continent like never before.
For now, travellers can look forward to a future where hopping on a train from London to Milan, Cologne or Zurich is just as easy as flying—if not easier.
