Trains between Britain and Europe on track to run every 15 minutes – POLITICO

LONDON — High-speed trains linking the U.K. to the continent through the Channel Tunnel may soon depart every 15 minutes — thanks to competition from new operators on the route.

The number of daily services between London St Pancras and destinations like Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam is on track to rise from the 25 round trips currently operated by Eurostar each day to 55 by the end of the decade — around four departures per hour — according to POLITICO calculations.

The Channel Tunnel has been running under capacity since it opened in 1994 and infrastructure owners have long encouraged a “second operator” to challenge incumbent Eurostar on the rail line to the continent.