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HS1 Limited

HS1 Limited

HS1 Limited, operating under the concession name London St Pancras Highspeed since 2025, is the infrastructure manager and operator of High Speed 1 (HS1), the UK’s pioneering high-speed rail line connecting London’s St Pancras International station with the Channel Tunnel and onward international destinations like Paris and Brussels. The company holds a 30-year concession granted by the UK government until 2040 to maintain, operate, and renew the HS1 rail infrastructure including key international stations such as St Pancras, Stratford, Ebbsfleet, and Ashford.

HS1 was completed in two major phases—Section 1 completed in 2003, and Section 2 in 2007. The rail line is compliant with UIC GC structure gauge and European Technical Specifications for Interoperability, utilizing advanced signalling (TVM 430) and powered by overhead electrification enabling trains at speeds up to 300km/h. HS1 Limited’s main mission is to facilitate fast, seamless, and sustainable rail travel between the UK and mainland Europe, with an emphasis on enhancing customer experience, operational efficiency, and environmental benefits.

Ownership lies with pension funds Borealis Infrastructure, OMERS, and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, reflecting stable long-term investment backing. The concession includes strict asset stewardship obligations overseen by the UK’s Office of Rail and Road (ORR) that governs track access charges and compliance with rail regulations. HS1 Limited collaborates closely with train operators like Eurostar International Limited, Network Rail (High Speed), and other stakeholders to ensure smooth operation and future-proof asset management.

Since its incorporation in 2007, HS1 Limited has rebranded to emphasize a consumer-facing, growth-oriented strategy to increase rail travel modality over other transport types in line with European sustainable transport goals. While primarily a rail infrastructure operator, HS1 Limited also engages in lobbying activities within the EU framework to influence regulatory policies vital to international rail infrastructure, cross-border transport, and related environmental and commercial legislation

  • Full name: HS1 Limited (trading as London St Pancras Highspeed since 2025)

  • Company number: 06045862

  • Incorporated: 9 January 2007

  • Head office: 5th Floor, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, UK, N1 9AG

  • Sector: Rail Infrastructure, Utilities

  • Type: Private Limited Company

  • EU Transparency Register ID: Registered (details from EU lobby transparency but exact ID not disclosed)

  • Concession duration: Until 31 December 2040

No related lobbyists found.

  • Rail Infrastructure Management

  • International Passenger Rail Services

  • Transport Regulation and Policy

  • Sustainable Transport Advocacy

  • Cross-border EU-UK Transport Relations

HS1 Limited networks with several key organizations relevant to rail infrastructure and regulation:

  • Office of Rail and Road (ORR), UK regulator

  • Eurostar International Limited (Eurostar operator)

  • Network Rail (High Speed)

  • Department for Transport (UK Government)

  • EU transport and infrastructure policymaking bodies (via lobbying and transparency register)

  • Pension investment entities Borealis Infrastructure, OMERS, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (for corporate governance)

  • Other rail operators with track access agreements like Deutsche Bahn Schenker and Europorte Channel

Precise lobbying expenditure figures for HS1 Limited registered in the EU Transparency Register are not publicly detailed. HS1 Limited is a major rail infrastructure company with substantial operational budgets, but recorded lobbying costs and their yearly breakdown (if reported) remain unavailable from the sources. Financial filings focus mainly on operational revenues and asset investment rather than campaign-specific expenditures

HS1 Limited interacts mainly with EU policy frameworks related to:

  • Rail Regulations 2016 relevant for infrastructure management post-Brexit retained EU law

  • EU transparency and access regulations for international rail corridors

  • Interoperability standards under European Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs)

  • Collaboration or compliance with EU transport sustainability initiatives

  • Ongoing regulatory frameworks involving cross-border rail access, charges, and infrastructure safety under EU provisions retained or adapted post-Brexit

Specific EU meetings held by HS1 Limited or its representatives since EU Transparency Register registration are not detailed in publicly available sources. Such meetings would typically involve sessions with European Commission transport officials, ORR consultations, and rail industry stakeholder forums but exact records or frequency are not disclosed

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