Gemini Trains, a British-based start-up backed by a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund, has announced plans to launch a direct train service from the UK to Cologne, Germany, by 2030, positioning itself as a rival to Eurostar. The service will also include routes to Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport, with future expansions to Frankfurt and Düsseldorf.
Service Details and Pricing
Gemini Trains aims to offer 11 services per day by 2030, using eight electric 200-metre trains capable of carrying 550 passengers each. The trains will be leased for the service. Standard class will feature “more comfortable seats, good wifi and mood lighting”, while business class will include food and a privacy screen, according to The Times. Tickets will be subject to dynamic pricing, but the introductory one-way fare to Paris is hoped to be £59.
Stations and Operations
The service will depart from Stratford International rather than St. Pancras, where Eurostar trains currently operate. Adrian Quine, chief executive of Gemini Trains, stated that the Channel Tunnel growth forecast makes it the right time to expand into further routes. He noted that only 50% of track slots in the Channel Tunnel are currently used, and criticized Eurostar as a “monopoly operator” that has become “lacklustre and very expensive”.
CEO Statement
Quine said: “Sometimes we think of ourselves as reincarnations of those early day Victorian pioneers. Despite having a solid team of experts Gemini Trains is very much a disruptor operator which constantly challenges the status quo. The forecast growth through the Channel Tunnel is enormous, yet only 50 per cent of the slots on the track are currently used. Eurostar, a monopoly operator, has become lacklustre and very expensive. We will shake things up by offering new routes, new stations, new trains, new interiors, new cheaper fares and encouraging people to shift from plane to train. For too long there has been no choice but Eurostar, who in 32 years have opened up virtually no new routes and in fact have cut some. Rail is one of the last great industries that has not been liberalised.”
Future Expansion
Gemini Trains plans a rapid expansion after launching the initial routes, with the aim of offering services to Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. The company believes it can attract passengers away from air travel by providing a more affordable and comfortable alternative to Eurostar.
