The number of international passengers using high speed rail connections via the Channel Tunnel could triple under new plans.
London St Pancras Highspeed, which runs the station and the high-speed line to Folkestone, and Eurotunnel aim to accelerate the growth of cross-Channel high-speed rail.
New destinations in Germany, Switzerland and France have been highlighted as part of the ambition to grow international rail connectivity between the UK and continental Europe.
A new strategic partnership between the two includes exploring opportunities to shorten journey times, improve timetable coordination and incentivise more trains and new routes.
They will also work together to introduce more trains each hour for international services in each direction as part of a shared commitment to expand rail connectivity on both sides of the English Channel.
“Through this strategic growth partnership, both parties will cooperate more closely to lay the foundations for increased cross-Channel rail traffic, with the aim of creating new routes and destinations along the line,” a joint statement said.
The strengthened collaboration came as a study by London St Pancras Highspeed highlighted the potential to increase international passenger capacity in the terminus to nearly 5,000 a hour from 1,800 “in a bid to unlock the untapped potential of the iconic London station and high-speed line”.
Eurostar maintains a monopoly in operating high seed passenger services from London via the Channel Tunnel to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
Yann Leriche, chief executive of Eurotunnel owner Getlink, said: “As an open access infrastructure, Eurotunnel is the pioneer in enabling growth of high-speed rail between the UK and Continental Europe.
“We are keen to drive forward attractive opportunities for low-carbon mobility with a range of new destinations in Germany, Switzerland and France. This partnership with London St Pancras Highspeed is an essential catalyst for accelerating this growth momentum.”
London St Pancras Highspeed chief executive Robert Sinclair said: “Joining forces with Eurotunnel is another exciting step on our journey to realise a future where high-speed rail is the preferred option for travelling to Europe.
“As we see demand for international rail travel grow, London St Pancras Highspeed and Eurotunnel have an important role to play as key infrastructure managers to actively work together to encourage new and existing train operators to expand capacity and launch new destinations unlocking the potential of a fully connected Europe.”