Eurostar passengers from St Pancras to have the ability to skip passport checks due to facial recognition tech

Eurostar passengers leaving London will be capable of keep away from handbook ticket and passport checks by UK officers by way of a brand new facial verification system.

The launch of the know-how at St Pancras station is aimed toward easing congestion.

To take part, passengers should use an app earlier than journey to scan their id doc and confirm their face and ticket.

At the station, they stroll in entrance of a display and have their face detected.

If they’re permitted, they will proceed by way of doorways which open mechanically.

The SmartCheck system, developed by iProov, is obtainable to Business Premier and Carte Blanche passengers.

Bags will nonetheless being scanned by safety employees, and border officers in Paris are persevering with to verify passports.

It emerged earlier this yr that Eurostar was being compelled to depart hundreds of seats empty on trains to and from London to keep away from lengthy queues at stations.

The scenario has since improved, however dozens of seats are usually not being supplied on the market on some providers.

Enhanced post-Brexit checks carried out by French border officers have considerably elevated the time it takes to course of passengers on the station.

Eurostar chief government Gwendoline Cazenave stated: “Providing a seamless station experience to our customers is a priority for Eurostar.

“By introducing SmartCheck, we turn into the primary rail journey operator to undertake biometric face verification.

“This innovation will enhance our customer departure journey, which is crucial to provide Eurostar’s unique travel experience.”

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Andrew Bud, chief government of iProov, stated: “By creating a biometric corridor, we are moving security checks away from the station, saving precious time and space at the border, streamlining the boarding process to one that’s far faster, more convenient, less crowded and stressful, yet even more secure.”

Heathrow Airport started trialling facial biometric scanners in 2019, however the venture was dropped when passenger numbers collapsed as a result of coronavirus pandemic.