London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday called on the British government to take action to avoid
"chaos"
on the Eurostar rail link with France, as the European Union is expected to introduce a new system of biometric border checks in the course of the year.
The London councilor called on British ministers to help Eurostar manage this new development, warning that any delay would harm London's businesses, particularly as the end-of-year holiday period approaches.
“
The success of Eurostar is a vital part of the economic success of London and the United Kingdom
,” he said.
As it stands, these new post-Brexit controls will cause chaos.”
Checks could cause delays
The European Union wants travelers from non-member countries, including Britain since it left in 2020, to register their biometric data, including their facial and fingerprints, at their first point of entry when controls.
But this announcement worries across the Channel: HS1, the owner and operator of the railway line and stations between London and the Channel Tunnel, has assured that the controls could lead to long delays for Eurostar trains, as well as a capping services and number of passengers.
In 2022, Eurostar, which operates passenger rail services linking London with Paris and other European capitals, reported that peak capacity in London fell by 30% when border controls were introduced after Brexit.