Protect, enhance and grow
HS1 Ltd CEO DYAN CROWTHER on meeting future challenges for St Pancras International.
We can’ t take our reputation for granted. We have to continually scan the horizon for opportunities and risks -and then address them. Dyan Crowther, Chief Executive Officer, HS1 Ltd
Processing almost 50 million passengers a year is a major challenge for any large station, not least one so steeped in history as St Pancras International.
And yet passenger numbers are only set to rise, with all four of the station’s train operators (Eurostar, East Midlands Trains, Southeastern, Thameslink) enjoying continued growth, and expanded Thameslink services to new destinations including Cambridge and Peterborough due to commence later this year.
Current proposals for Crossrail 2 include an interchange with St Pancras International that could be operational by the early 2030s, while a second international operator is expected to join Eurostar well before then, adding more footfall to what is already one of the UK’s busiest stations. St Pancras also continues to be the busiest station on the London Underground network.
Managing this growth is the job of HS1 Ltd, which has a 30-year concession to own and operate High Speed 1 and its stations until December 2040. As the steward of St Pancras International, it is also responsible for protecting its world-famous Victorian architecture for future generations to enjoy.
HS1 Ltd must not only provide sufficient capacity and modern facilities, but sensitive enhancements to the fabric of the unique and much-loved 150-year-old station.
As Britain’s top-rated station for passenger satisfaction for the last seven years (according to Transport Focus’ National Rail Passenger Survey), HS1 Ltd must also ensure that passenger growth does not have any detrimental impact on the overall passenger experience, and its successful retail and cultural offerings.
Dyan Crowther, Chief Executive Officer of HS1 Ltd, says: “We have three strategic aims; protect, enhance and grow. The ‘protect’ element is key as it’s an iconic Grade I-listed station with a powerful wow factor for visitors, and we take that responsibility very seriously. On the other hand we look after a customer base that has evolving demands, which is where enhancement comes in.
“It has free-to-use toilets, it was the first station to offer free Wi-Fi in the UK, and we are working to expand 4G coverage, three simple examples which demonstrate how everything we do is about giving customers exceptional service on an everyday basis.
“The train services from the station continue to evolve, and there are many future opportunities which could enhance the passenger experience. But we are keen to protect the cachet of St Pancras while at the same time acknowledging that enhancement is not a dirty word, because that is what the travelling public wants.”
For its third strategic aim HS1 Ltd is predicting that passenger numbers will almost double to 80 million by 2040. To accommodate this, work started in May 2016 to develop a station masterplan designed to resolve capacity problems while maintaining the station’s top spot in terms of passenger satisfaction.
The masterplan outlined a range of costed options that will now be further developed and presented to key stakeholders and the board of HS1 Ltd, building on the close collaborative relationship with its train operating customers, of which the company is very proud.
Crowther adds: “As stewards of the station we need to make sure we can support all of our train operating customers, while making sure that St Pancras International is still the destination of choice - we can’t take our reputation for granted. We have to continually scan the horizon for opportunities and risks - and then address them.
“We’ve already worked with Eurostar on a revised queuing arrangement, for example, because passengers used to queue in the Arcade shopping area, which affected the experience for other customers. We also obtained approvals for more e-gates in the international area to speed up security checks so that Eurostar can still advise passengers to turn up just 30 minutes before departure while at the same time introducing a new fleet of e320s that introduces more passenger capacity in specific time slots.
“We’ve also done lots of work in the last two years on our masterplan to make the best use of space and create opportunities, while at the same time recognising that we are a commercial organisation.”
Further capacity-enhancing measures are set to be announced in due course, but Crowther says that her organisation is committed to preventing problems rather than responding to them as they emerge.
She adds that the best results will be created by working in partnership with TOCs, and so the drawing up and implementation of the masterplan will be a two-way process, with HS1 Ltd placing much value on the advice and suggestions of its direct customer base.
“If we can put the expansion elements in now, rather than doing it in the future when we know we’ll have less capacity, it will mean a much better outcome for customers. All of our masterplan ideas have been created from the bottom up with the TOCs, and they have had full input into what mitigation measures there might be and when we’d look to initiate them.
“We’re waiting to see what happens with the new East Midlands and South Eastern franchises (due to commence in August 2019 and April 2019 respectively), but we’re quite excited about having the opportunity to engage on a medium-term basis with those operators and we’ve got some very clear views on how we’d expect the bidders to work with us so far as the masterplan is concerned.
“We could take a heavy-handed asset manager view, but we’ve got to do it in a way that supports them and their customers and provides a seamless transition towards having more capacity in future.”
Crowther stresses that there will also be no change in HS1 Ltd’s commitment to developing its popular public arts and cultural offerings so that the station continues to be a top choice destination not only for passengers but for people with different purposes, and those who wouldn’t normally decide to visit a railway station.
This diversity will help secure its reputation for many years to come as not just a 150-yearold wonder of Victorian engineering, but as the UK’s premier 21st-century transport hub.
“We’ve succeeded in that by being quite particular about who we work with, and our team works very diligently in the selection and identification of display pieces. It’s also an opportunity to bring in the local community and take on an educational role, which we will always want to do because it’s one of our defining features.
“The art and the music is what really helps to give the station its soul and its sense of community. Our customers, whether passengers or visitors to the station, are our greatest advocates, long may that continue.”