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Eurostar sets timeline for new routes to Germany and Switzerland

Eurostar direct trains from the UK to Germany and Switzerland – but not this decade
  • Eurostar plans to launch direct train services from London St Pancras to Frankfurt and Geneva, aiming to begin in the early 2030s.
  • The new routes will be served by a fleet of up to 50 new trains, costing approximately two billion euros (£1.7 billion), with London-Frankfurt journeys estimated at five hours and London-Geneva at five hours and 20 minutes.
  • Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave cites strong demand for sustainable travel from both leisure and business travellers as a key driver for the new routes.
  • Several hurdles remain, including creating sufficient passenger space and border checkpoints at stations, and securing track access.
  • Eurostar's expansion includes adding a fourth daily return service between London and Amsterdam from September 9, and a fifth from mid-December, alongside increasing frequencies on existing routes like London-Paris.
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