St Pancras station is looking to expand in order to put on the additional train services needed to meet Eurostar’s goal of doubling international departures.
Rail operator HS1 has confirmed it is in the process of finding a consultant to explore growth options for the hub to allow it to grow from 1,800 passengers per hour to 2,700.
The chosen consultant will likely look to modify the terminus engineer William Henry Barlow designed in the 19th century, although it is understood that nothing will be knocked down.
HS1, or High Speed 1, is the line which runs out of the north London hub into Kent - from where the Eurostar disappears under the channel.
Richard Thorp, engineering director of HS1 Ltd, said demand for sustainable international travel has led to the need to make preparations for an expected boom in demand.
“Increased competition on HS1 is one part of our plans for growth, given there is capacity for more services on the line, but key to all of this is ensuring that St Pancras is fit for the future,” he said.
“Since the station re-opened in 2007, the way we process international passengers has changed and will continue to change as new EU border rules come into force later this year.
“As we look to manage these changes and also grow sustainably, we are developing plans to ensure we can manage increasing numbers of passengers within this 150-year-old Grade 1 listed building in an efficient and effective way, and we are determined to deliver the experience passengers expect from this iconic London station.”
Eurostar announced last month that its trains to Amsterdam will continue this summer while latest figures showed that passenger numbers to Paris were nearly at pre pandemic levels.
There are also plans for other train companies to run routes from St Pancras to Frankfurt, Cologne and Zurich.
Mr Thorp added: “To meet these needs, we are looking to work with a multidisciplinary team that brings practical and deliverable solutions to a scheme that will provide the capacity for our future growth.
“Despite the storied history of our station, we expect them to readily embrace modern approaches, technological solutions and demonstrate that their ideas are efficient, realistic and will work in practice.”
