Eurostar has announced plans to launch direct train services from London to Frankfurt and Geneva, with a new fleet of up to 50 trains costing around €2 billion (£1.7 billion) expected to be operational by the early 2030s. The travel time to Frankfurt would be approximately five hours, and to Geneva around five hours and 20 minutes.
The expansion, however, faces potential hurdles due to limited capacity at Eurostar's Temple Mills depot in east London, the only UK facility capable of handling the larger continental trains. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is reviewing proposals from Eurostar and rival firms—including Evolyn, Virgin, and a Gemini Trains-Uber partnership—to use the depot, and will decide by the end of October. The regulator has indicated the depot can accommodate either an expanded Eurostar fleet or a competitor's trains, but not both.
Eurostar's chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave cited strong demand for rail travel across Europe, stating, 'A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here.' The new trains would replace older ones, leading to a 30% increase in services from London. Eurostar also plans direct lines from Amsterdam and Brussels to Geneva, and will increase frequency on its popular London-Paris route.
The company reported a record 19.5 million passengers in 2024, a 5% increase from the previous year. Currently, Eurostar serves Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and the French Alps (with a change in Lille), as well as domestic routes within several European countries. Getlink, owner of the Channel Tunnel, has signed an agreement with London St Pancras Highspeed to boost services to Europe.
