The Eurostar departures area at Gare du Nord in Paris will increase in size by 50 per cent next year.
The €15 million project will also see the Eurostar lounge moved to a mezzanine floor above the security area that was once a hotel, while access and facilities in the cross-Channel operator's terminal will be "optimised".
The boarding area will be 35 per cent larger.
Later this year, Eurostar's new e320 trains will enter service, resulting in a 20 per cent increase in passengers. The new rolling stock was unveiled to the media at St Pancras International in London last year (see news, November 2014).
How it will look: New Eurostar departures lounge at Gare du Nord
The renovation to the Eurostar area at Gare du Nord is part of a construction programme to overhaul the ageing infrastructure at the 150-year-old station, which is the busiest passenger rail interchange in Europe.
SNCF said the work, which is being split up into two phases, is scheduled to complete in 2023.
The first phase, from 2015 to 2018, will start with the refurbishment of the RER B and D platforms, which accounts for 80 per cent of the traffic at the station.
Artist's impression: Redesigned Gare du Nord exterior
The main concourse will also be redesigned to ensure easier passenger flow through the facility.
Next year will see the openings of new shops, restaurants and business units.
The 2018 to 2023 phase will focus on opening up the station to the rest of Paris and the promotion of Gare du Nord as the main entry point into France, SNCF said.
This will include the construction of a 250-metre long walkway over the tracks with escalators to platform level.
Graham Smith
