One of Britain’s busiest railway stations has dropped off an index of Europe’s top 50 rail hubs with Covid, Eurostar and border issues to blame.
St Pancras International in central London saw passenger numbers fall from 36 million, as listed in 2022’s European Railway Station Index, to just over 18 million in the latest ranking. Dr Emil Panzaru, who co-authored the index, told Express.co.uk St Pancras fell out of the top 50 due to the drop.
He said: “We could not add it to the list this year due to the decline in passenger volume… This was a major drop with the Covid pandemic, Eurostar woes and problems with entry and exit systems contributing.”
The latest index uses figures published by the Government’s Office of Road and Rail and covers the period April 2021 to March 2022. It is backed by US based advocacy group, Consumer Choice Center.
In general, the 2023 study notes UK railway stations are seeing passenger numbers rebound, reaching 95 percent of the level seen before the pandemic. But it adds getting back up to speed has brought challenges, such as “severe” train delays and longer waiting times.
While St Pancras fell out of the 2023 ranking, London Bridge, Liverpool Street and Waterloo are all in this year’s top 50, the index shows.
However, the top five stations for passenger convenience in Europe are: Zurich Central Station, Vienna Central Station, Berlin Central Station, Bern and Utrecht Central in the Netherlands, according to the index. The worst under the same category are all in Germany.
They are: Berlin Ostkreuz, Berlin-Gesundbrunnen, Berlin Zoologischer Garten, Munchen-Pasing and Bremen Central. Dr Panzaru explained this was due in large part to a surge in passenger numbers caused by subsidised train tickets.
That move to encourage people onto trains was successful, but Germany’s railway infrastructure was unable to cope with the huge rise in passenger numbers, according to Dr Panzaru.
Former British Rail manager Mark Smith, who runs the train travel website The Man in Seat 61, told Express.co.uk domestic rail travel in Britain is almost back to where it was pre-pandemic, though the passenger mix has changed, with more people letting the train take the strain for leisure purposes.
He added the latest figures show Eurostar numbers are almost back to where they were in 2019, but the mix of passengers has changed, with fewer business people and more leisure travellers, mirroring the domestic situation.
Eurostar’s chief executive said last year the high speed line’s peak capacity fell 30 percent due to post-Brexit checks on passengers, with at least 15 seconds added to each passenger’s border crossing time. Britain’s exit from the European Union and understaffing were also blamed for hundreds of empty seats on Eurostar services earlier this year. Eurostar also announced recently that its service to Amsterdam would be suspended for six months.
Mr Smith said Eurostar bosses are now pursuing a maximum capacity strategy rather than going for volume and growth, which he claimed will mean higher prices for customers. He said a disused hall at St Pancras could be used as a departure area for another operator.
His comments came as Eurostar may soon find itself facing competition from new Dutch player Heuro, which wants to offer consumers an alternative between Amsterdam, Paris and London.
Mr Smith said of St Pancras: “It’s a text book example of how you take a 19th century station, restore it to its former glory and put 21st century facilities inside it.
“It was intended to be a destination not only for travel but also for shopping and restaurants, and it is. I think it’s a terrific portal for arriving and leaving the UK and continent.”
But he warned Britain’s domestic railway is “drifting” because Whitehall is not suited to running a £10billion business. He said: “It’s a mess. We need to get a British Rail, or whatever you want to call it, created to take some sort of charge and take it away from Government.”
Dr Panzaru said Britain’s railway network would benefit from greater connectivity as well as coherence between private train companies and the parts of the system under Government control.
St Pancras International has been approached for comment.
