Cross-Channel travel is in for some major shifts in the coming years. A bunch of rail operators are lining up to compete with Eurostar on the London-Paris route, St Pancras International could double in size and trains are set to start stopping in Kent – and now another huge change could be coming in UK-Europe travel.
LeShuttle has revealed major plans to transform its terminals on both sides of the Channel. The service describes the project as a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’ that sets up LeShuttle for the next 30 years.
LeShuttle, to clarify, is the cross-Channel rail service that carries vehicles like cars, lorries and campervans between Britain and France. It’s not to be confused with Eurostar (a non-vehicle passenger rail operator, though it uses the same tracks) or Eurotunnel (which is the infrastructure itself, ie the Channel Tunnel).
So, how exactly is LeShuttle getting upgraded? In Folkestone the terminal will get a flashy new canopy and have its check-in area reimagined. The work will begin this month and be complete before the end of 2026.
Passenger terminal buildings in both Folkestone and Calais will also be refurbed and have their ticketing process overhauled, as well as receiving a fresh layout with a bunch more customer-friendly areas like a new food hall and outdoor pet area. It’ll all apparently produce a ‘calm, service-led environment’ intended to ‘reduce stress, enhance flow, and offer customers a place they will actively want to spend time’.
The project has been designed by Hollaway Studio and will be delivered with consultants Engine, and it’ll also have sustainable credentials. Solar panels will be installed on the roof, and the project will attempts to make use of existing buildings. Here are some renders of what the new LeShuttle terminals will look like.
Pretty swish, eh? LeShuttle will remain fully operational throughout the works.
Commenting on the project, LeShuttle’s chief commercial officer Deborah Merrens said: ‘We are setting ourselves up for the next 30 years by completely rethinking the arrival experience, focusing on ease, enjoyment and a greener future.
‘The terminal is the first thing customers see, and we want to switch them into holiday mode from the very first step.’
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