Question 14775 — rail transport

Summary

Mr Vincent Caure draws the attention of the Minister of the Interior to the persistent asymmetry of security rules and boarding conditions between Gare du Nord in Paris and St Pancras International station in London for travelers using Eurostar services. The legal framework for the cross-Channel connection is based on the Sangatte protocol of November 25, 1991 (law no. 93-803 of April 21, 1993), its additional protocol signed in Brussels on May 29, 2000 and the Le Touquet Treaty of February 4, 2003, which organize juxtaposed national control offices (BCNJ) in the Paris-Gare du Nord, London-St Pancras, Calais-Fréthun and Lille-Europe stations. These texts provide for double control by the State of departure then by the State of arrival, which should in principle be carried out under comparable conditions on both sides of the Channel. But in reality, an imbalance considerable has taken hold. On the British side, St Pancras station is the subject of a major modernization program aimed at increasing the number of passengers handled per hour by 2,700 within three to four years, then completely overhauling the international zone, with the prospect of a tripling of cross-Channel traffic by 2040. The introduction of biometric airlocks and facial recognition is already reducing passage times there. On the French side, the SNCF unveiled the “Future Gare du Nord” program in December 2025, which notably provides for the redevelopment and expansion of the cross-Channel terminal by 2029, as well as the streamlining of the traveler journey by reorganizing the order and arrangement of ticket controls, French customs, British customs and baggage inspection. This project should make it possible to respond to the 30% increase in traffic expected by 2030. The existence of this program is a step forward that should be welcomed. The fact remains that the completion times are causing great concern among the 179,000 French people registered on the consular lists of Northern Europe, an overwhelming majority of whom reside in the United Kingdom and regularly use this route. While waiting for the work to be completed, travelers departing from Paris must still present at least 45 minutes before departure, or even 60 to 90 minutes during peak periods, where passage times are already reduced on the British side. This asymmetry generates considerable frustration and reduces the comparative advantage of high-speed rail over air travel. The prospect of the full entry into service of the European Entry/Exit System (EES), gradually deployed since October 2025, and the announced arrival of new cross-Channel operators from 2029 will make this modernization even more urgent. He asks what measures the Government intends to take to accelerate the redevelopment of the cross-Channel terminal at the Gare du Nord as part of the “Future Gare du Nord” program, in consultation with the SNCF, Eurostar and the border police authorities, in order to guarantee boarding conditions comparable to those of St Pancras, in accordance with the bilateral commitments resulting from the Sangatte Protocol and the Treaty of Le Touquet, and adapted to the expected increase in cross-Channel rail traffic.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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