Eurostar is proposing to invest €80 million (£69 million) in upgrading and enlarging Temple Mills depot in East London, where capacity is in short supply.

It is also urging the industry and government to work together to encourage private investment in new or upgraded depots for more international trains in south east England.

Upgrades could include Southeastern and Hitachi’s Ashford Train Maintenance Centre, freight sidings at Dollands Moor, Singlewell depot, Barking Ripple Lane, the HS1 chord and Fawkham Junction. A new depot could also be built in East London.

Increases in international services, which could mean one or more new operators, depend on the provision of stabling and maintenance suitable for international trains, which are built to a larger loading gauge.

Several operators who want to provide cross-channel rail services in competition with Eurostar have emerged in recent times They include Virgin Trains, Spanish Evolyn and also Gemini Trains, which is led by HS2 critic Lord Tony Berkeley.

However, a report commisioned from consultants IPEX and published by the Office of Rail and Road in March had said there is some capacity at Temple Mills, and that some of this can be used without any changes. More capacity could be added if operational practices were changed, although this would require investment.

Eurostar has 25 sets altogether, but they are also maintained at Le Landy in Paris and Forest in Brussels.

IPEX says only six to 10 sets are at Temple Mills over a normal 24-hour period, and that the maximum depot capacity without restrictions on activity is 15 sets. The result is that there is room for another four to eight sets, rising to nine if a decommissioned Class 373 set is removed.

In response, Eurostar had said: ‘Eurostar welcomes this independent study. It confirms what Eurostar has said all along: the Temple Mills depot is effectively almost full today for major maintenance work and would require investment to meet the growing demands of international rail.’

The ORR added in June that Temple Mills can either support Eurostar’s expansion plans, which include new routes to Frankfurt and Geneva, or one additional operator, but not both.

Eurostar general secretary Gareth Williams said: ‘Eurostar is on the side of solutions, and we believe there is an incredible opportunity to grow international rail as demand for sustainable travel increases.

‘Our plans are financed, already underway, and designed to deliver for the long term – from introducing a brand-new fleet that will be maintained in the UK, to opening brand-new routes - we know what it takes to deliver growth.

‘Temple Mills is an important foundation of that future. We want to be a leading centre for European high-speed maintenance, bringing skilled jobs and industrial investment. The regulator, UK Government and private investors have a unique moment now to make bold decisions to unlock the huge potential of international rail and encourage more European links for tourism, trade and education.’

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