A major UK train station is set to undergo a huge expansion project that could bring direct routes to Italy and Switzerland.

       Plans put forward for works at London St Pancras train station will see more space created for international services, and the number of passengers heading to the continent triple, The Times reports.

       The overhaul of one of London's most iconic stations will enable travellers to visit locations like Geneva, Zurich, and Milan by train without having to change, bringing a major boost for British holidaymakers.

       The station, on Euston Road, has been looking to increase its capacity and has produced plans to expand the international departure area, with hopes to go from the current 1,800 per hour to 2,400 in the next three to four years, as per the outlet.

       It's thought this could rise to as much as 5,000 per hour further down the line.

       READ MORE: You can now travel to three major European cities with a single train ticket

       London St Pancras Highspeed and French operator Getlink, which owns Eurotunnel, have also unveiled plans to offer new routes between the UK and Europe as part of a new partnership, The Sun reports.

       London St Pancras Highspeed believes it will be possible to create train services to several popular European destinations, including Bordeaux, Cologne, Frankfurt, Geneva, Marseille and Zurich.

       Getlink CEO Yann Leriche said: "We are keen to drive forward attractive opportunities for low-carbon [travel] with a range of new destinations in Germany, Switzerland and France.

       "This partnership with London St Pancras Highspeed is essential for accelerating this momentum,” he added.

       DON'T MISS:

       Incredible UK train station that's one of the world's most remote [REPORT]

       Inside ￡3.2bn mega-plan to free beautiful country from huge traffic gridlock [INSIGHT]

       Massive ￡53m train line in Africa linking island to mainland over 780 miles [LATEST]

       London St Pancras Highspeed CEO Robert Sinclair said the firm would work with Getlink to "encourage new and existing train operators to expand capacity and launch new destinations unlocking the potential of a fully connected Europe".

       More than 40 companies have reportedly expressed interest in obtaining a contract for the works at St Pancras.

       Eurostar is currently the only operator with routes through the Channel Tunnel, offering services from London to France, Belgium and The Netherlands.

       London St Pancras Highspeed hopes the new capacity will encourage Eurostar competitors to launch the proposed routes and open up Britain to more European destinations.

       Among the companies looking to compete on the cross-channel services are Virgin Group and Evoly, both of whom are developing plans for services to the destinations put forward.

       Virgin acknowledged establishing a new cross-Channel operator would be a "huge undertaking", though the route is "ripe for change with plenty of room and potential for new competition at St Pancras and through the Tunnel", as per BBC News.

       Its thought the services new wouldn't launch before 2030 as both potential operators would need to get permissions to operate on both sides of the channel and acquire trains, as per The Times.