Eurostar Pushes British Authorities to Expand Saint Pancras Terminal

Eurostar held a July 8 reception at a major London hotel where it served mini-burgers, champagne and canapés to lobby British authorities to enlarge the Saint Pancras terminal. Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar chief executive, said the company needs a comprehensive political vision from the British side. She added that the concessionaire, regulator and government are currently working in silos.

The move comes as Virgin secured access in October 2025 to the Temple Mills maintenance depot, ending Eurostar's monopoly on the Paris-London line. Virgin could begin service between the two cities around 2030, though no official launch date has been set. Eurostar is preparing its response by ordering up to 30 new trains at a cost of €2 billion, with an option for 20 more.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2031. The operator currently carries 20 million passengers a year and aims to reach 30 million within the next decade. Half a dozen other rail companies, including Italy's Trenitalia, have also examined entering the market.