Automated Border Control now at St Pancras
Posted: 16 February 2017 | | No comments yet
State-of-the-art Automated Border Control (ABC) equipment has now been deployed at St Pancras International Station. This will not only make the immigration procedure smoother and quicker for passengers, but it will also increase security at the border.
State-of-the-art Automated Border Control (ABC) equipment has now been deployed at St Pancras International Station. This will not only make the immigration procedure smoother and quicker for passengers, but it will also increase security at the border.
Automated Border Control making the immigration procedure seamless
Launched in cooperation with Eurostar, the French border police and the French Ministry of Interior, the ABC equipment, created by Vision-Box, will make the immigration procedure for those travelling from the UK into Europe much faster and smoother. This also marks both the first time that self-service technology has been installed by a private transport service and that such a programme has been used at a French border.
With an estimated increase in traffic levels expected at around 20% in the upcoming years (and more than 26,000 passengers per day at the borders during peak hours), the new innovation will allow Eurostar and its passengers a quick and seamless immigration procedure whilst also maintaining high levels of border security.
Security is increased thanks to Automated Border Control
The ABC eGates can be used by all passengers from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland who are over 18 years old and hold a valid electronic passport. It works by using facial recognition – comparing the image taken of passenger at the eGate with the one in their passport. This not only increases efficiency at the border and eliminates any subjectivity, but it also allows officers to spend a greater time focusing on persons of interest.
Mikaël Lemarchand, Director of Stations at Eurostar, said: “Eurostar’s mission is to deliver a memorable experience to our customers. That is why we selected Vision-Box to accompany us on this very innovative journey. The results of this close collaboration are now visible in London St Pancras, with the Automated Border Control solution in place enhancing the daily experience of our customers. We are now planning the next chapter to deploy automated border controls throughout the Eurostar network, in Paris and Brussels.”