Eurostar pins growth hope on St Pancras switch
Eurostar today said it expected its passenger numbers to double in the next seven years thanks to a new transport hub at London’s St Pancras station.
The cross-channel train operator believes the number of people using the service will rise to 14 million each year within five years of the switch to the £60m (€89.3m) interchange at St Pancras.
The new station in the north of the capital will open to international services in 2007, making it easier for passengers travelling from the north of the UK to catch Eurostar trains.
Paul Charles, director of communications at Eurostar, said the 14 million target was “achievable”, although still well off targets set before the service started running.
“Forecasts made in the late 80s and early 90s were ridiculous,” he said.
“They assumed people would travel from Manchester to Barcelona by train.”
Under the original predictions, Eurostar would already have broken through the 14 million barrier.
Mr Charles also said the group was still looking at plans to start running direct Eurostar services to Amsterdam and Cologne, although not before 2008.
Eurostar passenger numbers have increased sharply since the opening in 2003 of the first stage of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, which cut London-Paris journey times by up to 20 minutes.
The second phase of the link, between north Kent and London St Pancras, will open in 2007 and is expected to cut travel times by a further 20 minutes.
