On Thursday 11 September, challenger train companies Evolyn, Gemini, Trenitalia, and Virgin joined a meeting convened by Calvin Bailey MBE MP in Parliament, alongside existing train operator Eurostar and infrastructure operators London St Pancras Highspeed and Eurotunnel. All five train operators are looking to invest in the UK to enable them to provide expanded cross-Channel rail services.
The time has come to expand rail services through the Channel Tunnel. Passenger numbers have the potential to more than double over the next fifteen years, bringing over £1bn of extra tourist spend a year to the UK. This will dramatically increase the £427m of annual economic benefit that London St Pancras Highspeed already delivers, despite running at only 50% capacity to date.
Rail expansion supports the key national objective of increased economic growth through closer European relationships, including commitments made in the UK-Germany treaty signed in July 2025 and the UK-Switzerland agreement signed in May 2025. Reports show a clear potential for a 25-50% shift from air to high-speed rail on travel to cities like Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, meeting demand for greener transport options.
Wendy Spinks, Chief Commercial Officer at London St Pancras Highspeed said: “It is incredibly positive to see the momentum behind expanding cross-Channel rail services. We have a real opportunity to boost the UK economy. Growing high-speed rail links to Europe will benefit passengers, cut emissions and create jobs in the area. We have ambitious plans as do all of the train operators and with timely decisions to allow investment, we can turn this potential opportunity into reality”.
Investment to increase and fully utilise capacity at the Temple Mills rail depot in Leyton is essential to delivering on this agenda. The meeting was convened to underline the need for urgent action to secure international investment in the UK through an open discussion of the immediate and longer-term steps needed. The operators made clear that clarity about maintenance depot capacity at Temple Mills is the most immediate and significant barrier to investment in the expansion of rail services. All operators expressed their willingness to work together on this to maximise the benefit to the economy and consumers.
Calvin Bailey MBE, Member of Parliament for Leyton and Wanstead said: “This is such an exciting agenda that could bring billions to the UK. What we’ve heard proves that investors are queueing up to access this growth opportunity. All they need is the certainty that Temple Mills can provide the necessary depot capacity, and I will continue to work with the government to facilitate this.”
The Government was represented by Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Transport Liam Conlon MP, and Benn Hall, Head of International Rail at the Department for Transport. In the coming weeks, the independent Office of Rail and Road will deliver a final determination on access for train operating companies to Temple Mills depot.
This could allow investment commitments for new trains by the end of this year. In parallel, the Department for Transport is assessing options for further expansion of depot capacity to enable international rail services to grow further over the medium term. Several of these options are in the immediate vicinity of Temple Mills, delivering efficient servicing for trains and growth in the number of good, skilled jobs in the area.
Image credit: House of Commons
