London St Pancras Highspeed (LSPH) – the company formerly known as HS1 that runs St Pancras – and Getlink, the Paris-based Channel tunnel operator, said they would work together to shorten journey times, improve timetable coordination, align on growth strategies and introduce more trains each hour for international services in each direction.
In January the rail regulator for Great Britain, the Office of Rail and Road, forced HS1 to cut the prices it charges rail companies for using its track between St Pancras and the tunnel to try to encourage new entrants.
London’s St Pancras railway station and the Channel tunnel operator have agreed to work together to open up more trains from Britain to France, and routes to Germany and Switzerland.
St Pancras station is looking at ways to nearly triple the number of passengers passing through at peak times from 1,800 to 5,000, in an effort to open up more services to France, and routes to Germany and Switzerland.
His company and Getlink would “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”, he said.
