Editing Eurostar (section)

=== Operational difficulties with UK-Schengen trains ===
{{Quote box|align=right|width=25%|quote="We know we can go to most places in France physically, because our trains are compatible with French infrastructure, but then you've got to look at impact on fleet utilisation, you've got to have a station that's got the spare capacity to have a train stood for a number of hours, for all the security, screening, passport control passes. So it's not possible to go just anywhere. And you've got to be able to get the control authorities to agree that there's a big enough market for it to be worthwhile for them to set up there." |source=<small>Richard Brown, former Chief Executive of Eurostar.<ref>{{cite news
 |url=http://www.railpro.co.uk/issues/pdfs/feb08_interview.pdf
 |last=Silvester
 |first=Katie
 |location=Cambridge
 |title=Interview with Richard Brown, Chief Executive of Eurostar
 |work=Rail Professional
 |date=February 2008
 |access-date=31 December 2008
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090304040145/http://www.railpro.co.uk/issues/pdfs/feb08_interview.pdf
 |archive-date=4 March 2009}}</ref></small>}}
[[File:Eurostars 373 210 and 373 205 Brussels-South, June 2014.JPG|thumb|right|Eurostar ''e300'' trains, in their former livery at [[Brussels Midi|Brussels Midi/Zuid/South]]]]

The e320 trains allow Eurostar the possibility of London to Germany services in the future, but implementing such new services is complex. The UK is neither part of the [[Schengen Agreement]],<ref name="Schengen" /> which allows unrestricted movement across borders of member countries, nor a member of the EU. This means that travellers between the UK and EU must pass through full border identification, visa and customs controls for their departure and arrival countries, while travellers between stations within the Schengen area do not. The logistics of providing space and time for these controls while conforming to the requirements of free travel within the Schengen area makes implementing new services operationally complex.<ref>{{cite news |last=Topham |first=Gwyn |date=24 January 2023 |title=Eurostar trains forced to run with empty seats due to Brexit passport rules |url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jan/24/eurostar-trains-empty-seats-brexit-passport-rules-london-paris-brussels |access-date=28 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |location= London |archive-date=27 May 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240527004147/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jan/24/eurostar-trains-empty-seats-brexit-passport-rules-london-paris-brussels |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 February 2024 |title=Possible restrictions on Eurostar services due to future post-Brexit passport controls |url= https://www.belganewsagency.eu/possible-restrictions-on-eurostar-services-due-to-future-post-brexit-passport-controls |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240228141023/https://www.belganewsagency.eu/possible-restrictions-on-eurostar-services-due-to-future-post-brexit-passport-controls |archive-date=28 February 2024 |access-date=28 February 2024 |website= Belga News Agency |location= Brussels }}</ref> The "[[Juxtaposed controls#Lille loophole|Lille loophole]]" solution requires Eurostar customers travelling from Brussels to Lille to be segregated and guarded from other passengers for their journey. Similarly, when the Amsterdam to London route began, it was direct in only one direction: passengers had to disembark in Brussels to go through the [[juxtaposed controls]]. The direct connection was subject to talks between the UK and Dutch governments, and juxtaposed controls buildings were constructed on platforms at [[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam Centraal]] and [[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam Centraal]], opening on 26 October 2020.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="EurostarNL2020">{{cite press release |date=4 February 2020 |title=Eurostar transforms link between London and Amsterdam with services now direct both to and from the Netherlands |url= https://mediacentre.eurostar.com/mc_view?language=uk-en&article_Id=ka33z0000008fVpAAI |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200328084201/https://mediacentre.eurostar.com/mc_view?language=uk-en&article_Id=ka33z0000008fVpAAI |archive-date=28 March 2020 |access-date=28 March 2020 |publisher=Eurostar}}</ref> These were both closed on 15 June 2024 and are planned to remain closed until 9 February 2025 due to major track works at Amsterdam Centraal. Eurostar stated direct Rotterdam to London services could not be maintained due to the much smaller customs facility at Rotterdam, leaving around 760 of the 902 seats on each train empty.<ref name="g902">{{cite news |date=14 April 2022 |title=Amsterdam to London Eurostar services to be suspended for six months |url= https://www.railvolution.net/news/amsterdam-to-london-eurostar-services-to-be-suspended-for-six-months |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=Railvolution}}</ref>

The difficulties that Eurostar faces in expanding its services between the UK and the EU would also be faced by any potential competitors to Eurostar. Trains must use platforms that are physically isolated,<ref name="highspeedwho" /> a constraint which other intra-EU operators do not face. In addition, the British authorities are required to make security and passport checks on passengers before they board the train,<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/travel_information/before_you_go/travel_documents/passports_visas.jsp
|title= Passports & Visas |publisher= Eurostar |access-date=15 May 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080521081418/http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/travel_information/before_you_go/travel_documents/passports_visas.jsp |archive-date=21 May 2008}}</ref> which might deter domestic passengers. Compounding the difficulties in providing a similar service are the Channel Tunnel safety rules, the major ones being the "half-train rule" and the "length rule". The "half-train rule" stipulated that passenger trains had to be able to split in an emergency.<ref name="eurotunnrules" /> Class 373 trains were designed as two half-sets, which when coupled form a complete train, enabling them to be split easily in the event of an emergency while in the tunnel, with the unaffected set able to be driven out. The half-train rule was finally abolished in May 2010. However, the "length rule", which states that passenger trains must be at least {{cvt|375|m}} long with a through corridor (to match the distance between the safety doors in the tunnel), was retained, preventing any potential operators from applying to run services with existing fleets, as the majority of both TGV and ICE trains are only {{cvt|200|m}} long.<ref name="channeltunneligc.co.uk">{{cite web |url= http://www.channeltunneligc.co.uk/spip.php?action=acceder_document&arg=152&cle=afc9f895b3a111e715b8cca09821c197&file=pdf%2F100331_-_D15012_Parent-consultees_cons_conclusions.pdf |title= Unified Safety Rules Consultation conclusions |date=31 March 2010 |publisher= Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200805085613/https://www.channeltunneligc.co.uk/spip.php?action=acceder_document&arg=152&cle=afc9f895b3a111e715b8cca09821c197&file=pdf%2F100331_-_D15012_Parent-consultees_cons_conclusions.pdf |archive-date=5 August 2020 }}</ref>