Eurostar to run direct trains from London to Germany, Switzerland

Eurostar plans to launch direct services from London to Germany and Switzerland, extending its European network beyond Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

Chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave heralded the announcement of the new services as “a new golden age of international sustainable travel.”

“We’re seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we provide.”

Eurostar would carry travellers from London to Frankfurt in five hours.

Cazenave said she expects a strong demand from both business and leisure travellers for the direct services from London to “big financial hubs” Frankfurt and Geneva, given the increasing number of people prepared to opt for longer but more relaxed train journeys instead of flying.

The London-Frankfurt journey will take around five hours, with London-Geneva coming in under 5½ hours.

While a direct flight between London and Frankfurt takes less than two hours, each city’s train station is far more centrally and conveniently located compared to the airport, resulting in a more equal door-to-door journey time.

Eurostar also wants new trains to go with the new routes.

Eurostar will spend about £1.7bn (AU$3bn) in a fleet of 50 new trains for the additional services, which it expects to launch in the “early 2030s.”

It’s yet to be determined if the new routes would include additional stops en route, such as Cologne for trains to or from Frankfurt.

While opening the new routes will require "time, investments, expertise, a huge amount of energy and partnerships,” Cazenave said she has “no doubt” the services will happen due to the “willingness” of Eurostar, passengers and governments.

The UK and Switzerland recently signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at establishing direct train services between the countries.

As previously reported, Eurostar could soon lose its monopoly on the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France, paving the way for competition from the likes of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, French-Spanish consortium Evolyn and UK start-up Gemini Trains.

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