Designer sought for St Pancras International growth plans

[JaJaWa]

Designer sought for St Pancras International growth plans
4 MARCH 2024 ·BY MERLIN FULCHER

Rail infrastructure operator HS1 is seeking a consultant to explore capacity enlargement options for St Pancras International station in central London [Deadline: 11 April 2024]

The company – which has a 30-year concession to run the 109km rail line between St Pancras International in London and the Channel Tunnel – is recruiting a team to carry out a capacity enhancement study focussing on the landmark William Henry Barlow-designed terminus.

The project aims to boost capacity at the congested St Pancras International where in coming years new train operators are planning to run services alongside Eurostar which itself hopes to increase capacity from 1800 passengers an hour to 2700 passengers an hour by 2025.

The winning team will explore how to optimise passenger throughput using existing infrastructure, how to unlock future growth and how such transformations can be achieved. Participating teams must complete an NDA to receive the full bidding documents.

According to the brief: ‘International services are currently operated by a single operator, Eurostar who have an aspiration to grow passenger throughput capacity from 1800 passengers an hour to 2700 passengers an hour by 2025.

‘We must also safeguard for the potential of other new international operators entering the market and wishing to run services to and from St Pancras International. HS1 is agnostic about where international growth comes from but is keen to make plans and facilitate growth, wherever it may come from.

‘Pre pandemic, HS1 had carried out various architectural studies looking at how international growth could be accommodated through a project known as SPICE (St Pancras International Capacity Enhancement), however many of the assumptions of SPICE have changed and the proposals need to be reassessed considering the latest information, technological advancements and growth assumptions.’

St Pancras station is a major central London terminus station which hosts international rail services to France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Designed by William Henry Barlow in 1868 – the Grade I-listed station underwent a £800 million refurbishment and redevelopment by Arup and Chapman Taylor Architects in 2007.

The upgraded station complex – featuring a £150 million overhaul and extension of George Gilbert Scott’s former Midland Grand Hotel designed by RHWL and Richard Griffiths Architects – features capacity limitations and long processing queues for international travel due to new border check requirements following Brexit.

The latest project comes five years after Chapman Taylor Architects drew up the ‘SPICE’ growth study for the interchange and delivered a series interim measures to improve the departure experience for passengers.

Bids for the latest commission will be evaluated 60 per cent on quality and 40 per cent on price. Applicants must hold employer’s liability insurance of £10 million, public liability insurance of £10 million and professional indemnity insurance of £5 million.

Source: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/competitions/st-pancras-international-london

HS1 would like to commission the above study covering 3 parts and to be instructed sequentially: 1) Optimisation, 2) Future Vision and 3) Path to Success.
Further information on this study can be found within the attached RFP.

Source: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/498264f6-de79-428b-ae11-367c5f6a609b

 

[Citybreak1]

Rules out all those posts saying use Kent stations and Stratford.

 

[BahrainLad]

Is there anything on 'SPICE' publicly available?

 

[gravitystorm]

Eurostar who have an aspiration to grow passenger throughput capacity from 1800 passengers an hour to 2700 passengers an hour by 2025

There's two great things in just this sentence - that's a substantial increase in capacity, which is great, and that's not very far from now to implement any changes, which is also great. It's much better than e.g. a 10% increase and five years to muddle through in the meantime.

It also talks about having other operators alongside Eurostar, so the (perhaps longer term?) capacity goal must be even higher than that. I think it will need some substantial rearrangements to achieve. Still, I won't complain about "only" +50% capacity if it's achieved in the next 21 months.

 

[Citybreak1]

Another area to expand is the large glass section that could extended further without the loss of shops. I wonder when work is due to start? Especially with some ambitious time tables. I wonder how this expansion will compare to Amsterdam central? Even than the plan is to move out of town. I hope we don’t lose the M&S as that’s very useful for travelling. I’d like a superior longer with some fancy seating too I think Amsterdam has this.

 

[swt_passenger]

It’s odd, given that this subject has so much existing coverage in the speculation forum, that this thread about a bona fide announcement seems to have gone ‘under the radar’.

Perhaps as it is about a station in London it would have been more visible in the normal infrastructure thread?

 

[Sad Sprinter]

It’s odd, given that this subject has so much existing coverage in the speculation forum, that this thread about a bona fide announcement seems to have gone ‘under the radar’.

Perhaps as it is about a station in London it would have been more visible in the normal infrastructure thread?

Perhaps Eurostar has been reading this forum!