Eurostar is set to end its SmartCheck service at London St Pancras station, which allowed premium passengers to bypass UK passport checks through facial recognition technology.
The cross-Channel rail operator confirmed the service will cease on February 13.
The system, currently available to Premium, Carte Blanche and Etoile Club members, enables passengers to skip manual UK immigration checks by using a dedicated lane.
These travellers can currently proceed directly to French passport control after registering their details through the iProov.me identification app.
The change comes as Eurostar prepares for the introduction of the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES), though no launch date for this system has been confirmed.
SmartCheck was initially launched in July 2023 as a streamlined solution for premium passengers.
The service utilises facial recognition technology through the iProov.me app, where eligible members register their details.
When introduced, Eurostar promoted the system as a way to make journeys "that little bit more seamless" by reducing passport checks to a single instance.
The technology allows passengers to use a dedicated lane at St Pancras, bypassing the standard UK immigration officer checks.
Instead of the usual double verification process, SmartCheck users proceed straight to French border control, where their passports are checked only once for entry into France.
Explaining the removal of the service, Eurostar stated: "We're removing SmartCheck as we continue to make some changes at the station in preparation for the launch of the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES)."
The operator detailed plans for station improvements to handle the upcoming changes.
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"As part of these preparations, we're improving our border control area with new ePassport gates and extra passport control booths," Eurostar confirmed.
The company added these upgrades will "help us ensure the border control process is as smooth as possible for passengers travelling in the coming months and after EES has launched."
The new EES system is expected to increase processing times at St Pancras.
British travellers will need to provide facial scans and potentially fingerprints when first entering the EU.
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