Channel Tunnel news
News about the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France, including infrastructure, operations and proposed train services.
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NewsGemini announces cross-Channel passenger train ambitions
EUROPE: Gemini Trains becomes the latest company to set out plans to take on Eurostar on the cross-Channel route linking London with Paris and Brussels.
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NewsVirgin seeks partners to launch cross-Channel train service
EUROPE: Virgin Group is seeking partners to invest in its planned launch of international high speed train services through the Channel Tunnel. On March 9, the Financial Times reported that Virgin Group is seeking to raise £300m in equity and £400m in debt. A Virgin Group ...
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NewsSwiss Federal Railways targets London as it seeks more cross-border high speed trains
EUROPE: Swiss Federal Railways is looking at ordering up to 40 high speed trainsets for use on international services to Italy and France, and ’potentially for other destinations such as Barcelona and London’. To meet growing demand for international travel, SBB is planning to expand the ...
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NewsCo-operation aims to grow cross-Channel rail traffic
EUROPE: High speed line concessionaire London St Pancras Highspeed and Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel have announced a ‘landmark’ partnership which aims to grow high speed rail services between the UK and continental Europe. A memorandum of understanding has been signed outlining measures to co-operate to reduce ...
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Rail Business UKHS1 Ltd rebrands as London St Pancras Highspeed
UK: High speed line infrastructure concessionaire HS1 Ltd has rebranded as London St Pancras Highspeed. The manager of the high speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel said the change signified a shift in focus to ‘a more active, consumer-facing role in helping to drive ...
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NewsHigher capacity UK terminal opens at Amsterdam Centraal station
NETHERLANDS: A larger and more modern terminal for UK-bound Eurostar passengers has opened at Amsterdam Centraal station.
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NewsEurostar targets Chinese market with WeChat payment option
EUROPE: Eurostar has worked with EuroPass and payment company PayXpert to launch a ‘mini-program’ enabling people to buy tickets through the WeChat messaging app which is popular with Chinese travellers. This offers Chinese customers ‘a familiar and convenient’ way to buy tickets, said Tuesday-Ann Castle, Head ...
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Rail Business UKLondon St Pancras International expansion planning advances
UK: Almost 40 companies have so far expressed interest in a contract to further develop plans for the expansion of facilities for handling international passengers at London St Pancras station. An initial study which infrastructure concessionaire HS1 Ltd commissioned from customer experience design agency Active Thinking ...
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NewsEurostar drops biometric check-in as it prepares for EU Entry/Exit System
EUROPE: Eurostar is to cease offering the SmartCheck biometric check-in service at London St Pancras International station in February, but says it has boosted capacity in preparation for the introduction of the EU Entry-Exit System. Following an initial trial, SmartCheck using technology from iProov was opened ...
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Rail Business UKRegulator orders HS1 Ltd to lower access charges
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has directed high speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd to lower the access charges for passenger and freight trains on the route from London to the Channel Tunnel. ORR’s Final Determination of HS1 Ltd’s spending plans for April 1 2025 ...
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Rail Business UKStudy finds international passenger capacity at London St Pancras could be doubled
UK: A study has found that international passenger capacity at London St Pancras station could be more than doubled to improve the user experience and potentially facilitate new train services. Station operator HS1 Ltd commissioned the study from customer experience design agency Active Thinking, which has ...
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News‘Turning point’ reached for potential new Channel Tunnel train operators
EUROPE: The rail industry has finally reached a ‘turning point’ which will facilitate the launch of new international passenger train operators competing with Eurostar on routes to the UK.
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In depthStations: Keeping Eurostar passengers connected
Road transport provider CMAC has been working with Eurostar to provide taxi, bus and coach services, which enable the pan-European operator to manage disruption better and support pre- and post-shift travel for its traincrew.
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NewsEurostar confirms date for return of direct Amsterdam – London trains
EUROPE: Direct trains between Amsterdam Centraal and London will be reinstated from February 10 2025, with the opening of a higher capacity departure terminal for passengers on Eurostar’s cross-Channel service. Through services were suspended from June 15 because remodelling works meant there was no space for ...
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NewsEurostar to offer airline alliance sustainable rail connections
EUROPE: High speed train operator Eurostar has signed a memorandum of understanding to become the first non-airline partner of the SkyTeam aviation alliance. The partnership is expected to launch in the first half of 2025, with travellers able to combine long and medium-haul flights into SkyTeam’s ...
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Rail Business UKHS1 access charges to be reduced
UK: Lower charges for passenger trains on the high speed line from London to the Channel Tunnel and a halving of charges for freight are proposed in the Office of Rail & Road’s draft determination of the High Speed 1 concessionaire’s next five-year spending plan. ORR ...
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NewsChannel Tunnel shuttle Entry/Exit System preparations completed
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel concessionaire Getlink has completed a €80m three-year programme of changes to its car and lorry shuttle train terminals at Folkestone and Coquelles ahead of the introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System, which is now scheduled for November 2024. EES is an automated system ...
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Rail Business UKHS1 obtains asset management certification
UK: High speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd has obtained ISO 55001 certification for safe and long-term asset management on the 109 km line between London and the Channel Tunnel, including the four stations. On August 14 HS1 Ltd said ‘this is exciting news as HS1 looks ...
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NewsStudy looks at how to increase international capacity at London St Pancras
EUROPE: High speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd has appointed ‘experience design’ agency Active Thinking to undertake an in-depth study into expanding passenger capacity at London St Pancras International station to cope with increased demand for international travel and the potential arrival of competitors to Eurostar. Eurostar ...
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NewsWiremind software to help Eurostar optimise revenue
EUROPE: International high speed train operator Eurostar has signed a five-year contract to use Wiremind’s CAYZN software to modernise its revenue management processes, identify new revenue opportunities and increase load factors. It is expected to go live in Q1 2025. Eurostar Chief Commercial Officer François Le ...