New post-Brexit border controls could result in Eurostar being forced to limit passenger numbers travelling from London St Pancras every day, it has been reported.
New biometric controls being brought in as part of the new Entry/ Exit System, which applies to citizens from outside the EU or Schengen area, are expected to create chaos at the border, resulting in lengthy queues and disruption.
HS1, the owner and operator of the line and stations between London and the Channel tunnel, has raised concerns that planning for new Entry/Exit System (EES) checks at the London rail station are “severely inadequate”.
It said only 24 EES kiosks had been allocated by the French government, despite modelling suggesting that nearly 50 would be needed at peak times.
In evidence to the European scrutiny select committee, it wrote: “We are told that the proposed kiosks are ‘optional’ as the process can be delivered at the border, but without about 49 additional kiosks located before the current international zone [at St Pancras] there would be unacceptable passenger delays of many hours and potential capping of services.”
It predicted that with just 24 kiosks, Eurostar would be unable to process all passengers, particularly at the morning peak, and this could “lead to services having to be capped in terms of passenger numbers”.
Eurostar runs about 14 trains to Paris from St Pancras a day, with each train carrying up to 900 passengers.
HS1 has said space restrictions at the Grade I-listed St Pancras building would make the EES difficult to implement and that a lack of space would mean the queueing process would be “convoluted and staggered”.
The warnings echo those from Ashford Borough Council which governs the port of Dover and have told tourists heading to Europe to prepare for queues of 14 hours or more under the new system.
They said delays at the port will likely see queues along the A20 and M20, which could block access to staff and tourist traffic at Eurotunnel in Folkestone.
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