Eurostar has announced plans to launch direct train services from London St Pancras to Frankfurt and Geneva by the early 2030s, marking the first time the operator will connect the UK directly to Germany and Switzerland. The rail company described the move as heralding 'a new golden age of international sustainable travel'.
The new routes will be served by a fleet of up to 50 state-of-the-art trains, costing around €2 billion (£1.7 billion). Travel times are estimated at roughly five hours to Frankfurt and five hours and 20 minutes to Geneva. Details such as intermediate stops, including a possible call at Cologne on the Frankfurt route, are still under discussion.
Eurostar chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave cited growing demand for longer train journeys over flights, as passengers 'want to travel more sustainably'. She noted that Frankfurt and Geneva are 'big financial hubs' expected to attract both leisure and business travellers. However, challenges remain, including expanding station capacities, establishing new border controls, and securing track access.
The expansion will increase Eurostar's fleet from 17 e320 trains to 67, a 30% rise. This will also enhance existing routes, such as increasing daily London-Paris round trips from 17 to 20. From September 9, a fourth daily return service to Amsterdam will launch, with a fifth planned by mid-December.
Last year, Eurostar carried 19.5 million passengers, up 5% from 2023. The London-Paris line was the busiest, with 280,000 passengers, followed by London-Brussels (250,000). The UK and Switzerland signed a memorandum of understanding last month to facilitate direct services.
Several competitors, including Virgin Group, FS Italiane Group, and Gemini Trains, are developing plans to challenge Eurostar's monopoly on Channel Tunnel passenger services. Eurostar is predominantly owned by France's national rail company SNCF; the UK government sold its stake in 2015 for £757 million.
