The new system adopted by Eurostar since July is called "SmartCheck and was designed by iProov. Already being tested from December 2021 to April 2022, it will enable a facial biometric registration passengers at London St Pancras. It is reserved for Business Premier passengers and to members of the loyalty programme at level Carte Blanche.
Eurostar promises them "a contactless, ticketless and secure travel experience". Of course, baggage inspection and the passport control at french borders still punctuate the passenger journey. But mathematically, they will save time, by avoiding the queues for ticket and UK border exit checks in the station, and by checking in at ticket, passport and therefore face before they travel.
To do so, they will first need to register and download the iProov.me SmartCheck application onto their smartphone, via the Apple App Store or Google Play. Before their journey, they will be able to scan their identity documents and check their face at the same time as their ticket via the application. On arrival at London St Pancras station, they will then be able to go through the new SmartCheck corridor with a biometric facial control point.
Moving security checks out of the station
For the founder and CEO of iProov, this launch marks a major step forward in terms of saving time and space in stations: "iProov is a major step forward in terms of saving time and space in stations. The deployment of SmartCheck in Eurostar's Business Premier check-in at London St Pancras is significant because it clearly demonstrates how facial biometric technology can be used to manage border controls more intelligently and efficiently, to the benefit of organisations and passengers and on a large scale. By creating a biometric lane, we are moving security checks out of the stationThis saves precious time and space at the border and streamlines the boarding process, making it much faster, more convenient, less cluttered and less stressful, while making it even safer." .
" We are continuing to look for solutions to increase station capacity and simplify passenger flows."testifies Gwendoline CazenaveCEO of Eurostar Group. " At St Pancras International Station, SmartCheck is a solution that makes check-in faster and smoother. By introducing SmartCheck, we become the first rail operator to adopt facial biometric verification. This innovation will improve the departure journey for our customers, which is essential to delivering the unique travel experience that is Eurostar. "adds Gwendoline Cazenave.
