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.