London St. Pancras Highspeed and Eurostar have signed a letter of intent signalling their joint ambition to significantly expand capacity at St. Pancras International. This major project aims to future-proof one of Europe’s busiest international rail hubs and support the growing demand for sustainable cross-border travel.
The announcement follows an independent study, commissioned in late 2024, which explored how the station could evolve to accommodate future passenger volumes and enhance the overall customer experience. Leading architecture practice Hawkins\Brown has been appointed to undertake a detailed design and feasibility study. This will enable both organisations to assess how the station can be reimagined to handle more passengers and operate with greater efficiency.
The letter of intent between London St. Pancras Highspeed and Eurostar outlines a collaborative approach across three distinct phases:
- Phase One: Focuses on short-term improvements within the current station footprint. This includes optimising security and border crossing processes to deliver an uplift of 2,700 passengers per hour within the next three to four years.
- Phase Two: Aims to enhance the international area and its connection to the main concourse, improving passenger flow and customer experience. This phase is expected to be completed by 2028.
- Phase Three: In the 2030s, a further exploration of long-term opportunities to drive growth and significantly enhance capacity will take place. This will specifically examine the potential relocation of the arrivals flow upstairs.
Hawkins\Brown, renowned for its work on Stratford International and other major transport and heritage projects, has been contracted to design and deliver a reimagined ground floor layout for the international zone. The goal is to more than double the station’s current capacity. Operational capacity in 2024 was 1,800 travellers per hour, which has already increased to 2,000 per hour, with projections reaching nearly 5,000 per hour following Phase Two.
These ambitious plans will be achieved through smart design, remodelling, and redefining existing spaces and processes, all while carefully respecting the historic heritage of St Pancras without the need for major structural changes.
The expansion comes as demand for sustainable travel to Europe continues to surge. Research commissioned by London St. Pancras Highspeed earlier this year indicated that demand is set to triple by 2040, increasing from 11 million to 35 million passengers per year. Eurostar recently announced plans to expand its destinations from London to include Geneva and Frankfurt, as travellers increasingly opt for high-speed rail for longer journeys.
Richard Thorp, Chief Operating Officer at London St. Pancras Highspeed, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Eurostar to expand capacity at St. Pancras International. With growing passenger demand for international train travel, it is important that St. Pancras International station is future-proofed and optimised to accommodate this. With a shared ambition and collaborative approach, we can ensure our iconic station is ready to support this demand, and we’re looking forward to getting started on a new era of connectivity between London and Europe.”
Simon Lejeune, Chief Safety and Stations Officer at Eurostar, said: “We’re proud to be working with London St. Pancras Highspeed and Hawkins\Brown to reimagine our space for the future and offer an even better customer experience. Eurostar is the green gateway to Europe, already welcoming up to 45,000 customers a day at St Pancras with demand growing. As we plan to expand our fleet from the early 2030s and increase services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and now Germany and Switzerland, this project will play a vital role in enabling that growth and continuing our seamless and unique customer experience.”
Andrew Davies, Partner & Transport & Infrastructure lead at Hawkins\Brown, said: “We are very excited to be leading a hand-picked multi-disciplinary team to unlock this constrained site and enable millions of people to enjoy affordable, high-speed, and sustainable journeys to and from Europe. Our challenge is to create a welcoming new landmark for London, with minimal disruption to the travelling public in the process.”
The concept design and feasibility study are expected to be completed towards the end of 2025, after which formal design and construction plans will be developed. Phase Two is predicted to be completed by the end of 2028.
