A major revamp of the Eurostar departure area at London St Pancras is set to be a game-changer for rail travellers heading to Europe.
Among the planned changes, a new queuing system will be introduced to speed up the security and boarding processes — meaning passengers could turn up for their trains just 15 minutes before it’s due to leave.
Currently, the small departure zone within the major train station doesn’t exactly offer the best experience for travellers.
Adrian Quine, the chief exec of Gemini Trains, a start-up rail operator — and Eurostar competitor — summed it best, describing it as an ‘underbelly’, adding: ‘It’s dingy, it’s crowded.’
But now, the station owner plans to spend up to £100,000,000 on transforming the area.
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In particular, London St Pancras Highspeed — the company that operates the station and the line that connects to the Channel Tunnel — want to change the queuing process, so passengers don’t feel like they’re in a ‘holding pen’.
Robert Sinclair, chief executive of London St Pancras Highspeed said: ‘At the moment, Eurostar asks customers to turn up 60 minutes before departure, sometimes an hour and a half. We both agree that the opportunity is to reduce that down to 15 minutes. We want it to be a “turn up and go” service.’
According to Sinclair, who spoke to the Financial Times, this would be achieved by turning the current queue lines sideways, so that people queued out into the empty Eurostar arrivals hall.
This would allow more passengers to pass through security checks at one time, cutting down queue times.
They could also board their trains earlier, meaning the small departure area at London St Pancras — which rarely has enough seats for all those waiting — wouldn’t be as packed.
Sinclair compared the experience to that of those catching flights at London City Airport.
He said: ‘We have taken a leaf out of London City where you can turn up and go through very quickly.
‘A bad outcome at London City is 10 minutes. If we offer that same level of consistency, then people over time will begin to rely on it.’
Sinclair said he hopes to finish the transformation within four years — the same time that Virgin aims to offer cross-Channel services to passengers.
Contenders that could rival Eurostar
The past year has seen several companies make an attempt to challenge Eurostar’s decades long monopoly on rail services to Europe, but Richard Branson’s Virgin has been the first to announce concrete plans, offering routes from 2030.
The company had been waiting on the Government’s Office of Rail and Road to confirm whether or not they would allowed to use the Temple Mills International rail depot to maintain their fleet of 12 trains.
The Temple Mills site has been in in high demand, with several of Eurostar’s competitors vying for space at the depot. Richard Branson has previously said space here was a ‘major hurdle’ in being able to offer a service.
But now, the regulatory green signal puts Virgin on course to introduce cross-Channel services from London St Pancras to Europe within the next five years.
Speaking on the decision at the time, Sir Richard Branson, said: ‘The ORR’s decision is the right one for consumers – it’s time to end this 30-year monopoly and bring some Virgin magic to the cross-Channel route.
‘Virgin is no stranger to delivering award-winning rail services, and just as we have successfully challenged incumbents in air, cruise and rail, we’re ready to do it again. We’re going to shake-up the cross-Channel route for good and give consumers the choice they deserve.’
'You have to pray for a miracle if you want to nab a seat'
Metro’s Lifestyle Editor, Kristina Beanland, regularly uses the Eurostar to visit friends in Paris. Speaking of her experience at London St Pancras, she shares: ‘You never know quite what you’re going to get when you turn up at the station.
‘For travellers heading around the UK, St Pancras is the best station in London. It’s essentially a shopping mall, with everything you need to prep before going on a journey.
‘But boarding a train to Europe is a different story. The security queues seem to snake around the train station for miles, and confusing signs along the queue lines show various different departure times. I’m always terrified I’m going to miss my train.
‘Then, once you get through to departures, the area is tiny. There’s just a Pret and one other shop to grab some snacks — and you have to pray for a miracle if you want to nab a seat.
‘Most of my time in the Eurostar departure lounge is spent lurking by people that look like they’re about to get up, and willing the clock to go faster.’
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