The
owners


of
the
HS1
concession
have
unveiled
a
new
name
for
their
enterprise.
From
now
on,
the
HS1
concession
will
be
branded
London
St.
Pancras Highspeed.

The
concession
to
operate
the
high
speed
line
between
London
and
the
Channel
Tunnel
was
awarded
in
November
2010
and
lasts
for
30
years.
The
complete line
had
opened
three
years
earlier,
when
Eurostar
moved
from
London
Waterloo
to
St
Pancras
International,
but
the
name
HS1
had
been
coined
by
Eurostar chief
executive
Richard
Brown
in
November
2006,
when
he
told
an
audience
at
St
Pancras
that
the
original
title
of
Channel
Tunnel
Rail
Link
was
being
retired.

The
concession
was
sold
in
2010
by
the
government
for
£2.1
billion
to
the
Ontario
Municipal
Employees
Retirement
System
and
the
Ontario
Teachers’
Pension
Plan. 

They
sold
it
on
in
turn
for
£3
billion
to
HICL
Infrastructure
(35
per
cent),
Equitix
(35
per
cent)
and
South
Korea’s
National
Pension
Service
(30
per
cent),
in
2017.

The
concession
includes
the
four
stations
at
St
Pancras,
Stratford
International,
Ebbsfleet
International
and
Ashford
International,
although
a
controversy
has flared
about
the
lack
of
Eurostar
services
at
Ebbsfleet
and
Ashford
since
the
Covid
pandemic.
In
spite
of
its
name,
no
cross-channel
trains
have
ever
called
at Stratford
International,
which
is
served
only
by
domestic
Southeastern
high
speed
trains
and
the
Docklands
Light
Railway.

London
St.
Pancras
Highspeed
CEO
Robert
Sinclair
said:
‘This
is
not
simply
a
change
of
brand
or
a
new
logo.
Instead,
it
signifies
an
important
shift
and
a desire
to
play
a
much
more
active
and
supportive
role
in
driving
the
growth
of
sustainable
travel
by
high-speed
rail.

‘Who
we
are
and
what
we
do
as
a
business
has
not
changed,
but
our
ambition
has.
It’s
evident
that
a
modal
shift
is
taking
place
for
travel
and
our
new
brand reflects
this.

‘We
believe
that
growth
on
our
line
will
have
a
significant
benefit
for
the
UK,
opening
up
more
business
and
tourism
opportunities,
while
bringing
Europe
closer with
fast,
city
centre
to
city
centre
journeys.

‘We
have
an
incredible
opportunity
and
an
important
responsibility
to
help
maximise
the
take-up
of
sustainable
rail
travel.
Together
with
our
partners
in
the industry,
all
of
us
at
London
St.
Pancras
Highspeed
are
excited
about
the
journey
ahead.’

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