Eurostar has submitted its response to the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) consultation on capacity at the Temple Mills International depot, urging the regulator to help coordinate a long-term plan for international rail growth. The company is calling for a strategy that incorporates the ambitions of all operators and encourages private investment in depot facilities beyond Temple Mills.
An Ipex report commissioned by the ORR last month found that while some additional capacity could be created at Temple Mills, it would be limited and insufficient to meet the future needs of all potential operators, including Eurostar. The company’s own expansion plans, which were not considered in the report, include intensifying the use of its existing fleet and purchasing up to 50 new trains. Eurostar is already preparing for this by investing in upgrades at Temple Mills and working with London St Pancras Highspeed to expand St Pancras International station.
Combined ambitions from Eurostar and other operators would see around 100 trains requiring depot space, representing investment worth billions of pounds. Eurostar’s response emphasises that depot infrastructure must be expanded to accommodate this growth. It suggests exploring additional options in Kent and East London and encourages other operators to invest in new facilities, as Eurostar has done over the past three decades.
“We support competition and growth through international rail,” said Gareth Williams, Eurostar’s General Secretary. “But without serious investment in infrastructure to create more room, we risk not fulfilling the massive potential of sustainable European travel. What’s needed now is a big picture vision and investment by any operator who wishes in new depot facilities at Temple Mills and beyond.”
Eurostar’s response highlights two key points:
1. Eurostar’s growth plans have not yet been considered.
Eurostar is investing billions in new trains, stations and facilities, aiming to grow to 30 million passengers. This expansion depends on critical upgrades to Temple Mills, the UK’s only maintenance and storage facility for Eurostar trains. However, the ORR’s current process has yet to account for these growth plans.
2. A long-term infrastructure plan is urgently required.
Eurostar argues that a national strategy is needed to support international rail, including exploring sites such as Southeastern and Hitachi’s Ashford Train Maintenance Centre, freight facilities at Dollands Moor, Singlewell depot, Ripple Lane, the HS1 chord, Fawkham Junction, and other potential locations in East London.
Gareth Williams added: “Eurostar stands ready to collaborate with the Government and the regulator on a framework that will unlock private investment, grow sustainable travel, and deliver world-class rail services for more passengers.”
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