High-speed rail services could eventually connect London St Pancras station to destinations in Germany and Switzerland following a new deal between the operator of the UK’s high-speed rail line and Eurotunnel, which runs the Channel Tunnel.

As part of the agreement, the two companies said they would work together to shorten journey times, improve timetable coordination and “align more closely” on growth strategies to expand rail connectivity across the English Channel.

This includes creating potential new routes on the high-speed HS1 rail line, which is owned and operated by London St Pancras Highspeed, and introducing more trains each hour for international services in each direction, the companies said.

Eurostar is currently the only high-speed operator using the HS1 line and previous plans to open up the line to more competition have so far failed to reach fruition. German train operator Deutsche Bahn announced plans to run trains to London in 2010 but these plans were later abandoned. While more recently, start-up operator Heuro has expressed an interest in operating services between Amsterdam and London and Richard Branson’s Virgin Group has also said it would like to compete with Eurostar.

UK stations along the HS1 line include St Pancras International, Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International – which connect the UK capital to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Although Eurostar is currently only using St Pancras station in the UK and has not been calling at the three other stations since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new agreement between London St Pancras Highspeed and Eurotunnel follows a recent proposal to increase capacity for international capacity on the line from 1,800 passengers per hour to almost 5,000.

London St Pancras Highspeed CEO Robert Sinclair said: “Joining forces with Eurotunnel is another exciting step on our journey to realise a future where high-speed rail is the preferred option for travelling to Europe.

“As we see demand for international rail travel grow, London St Pancras Highspeed and Eurotunnel have an important role to play as key infrastructure managers to 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.”

Yann Leriche, CEO of Paris-based Getlink, which owns Eurotunnel, added: “We are keen to drive forward attractive opportunities for low-carbon mobility with a range of new destinations in Germany, Switzerland and France. This partnership with London St Pancras Highspeed is an essential catalyst for accelerating this growth momentum.”