Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has announced a bilateral rail agreement with Germany, following a similar deal with Switzerland in May, reviving long-dormant ambitions for direct trains from Britain to continental Europe. Speaking at landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, Alexander expressed confidence that rail passengers could soon travel directly from the UK to these iconic sites.
The renewed push comes after a decade in which the government sold off its stake in Eurostar, leaving the company struggling. Now, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is set to decide this autumn how to allocate space at Temple Mills depot, the key facility for cross-Channel operations. Several rival companies are vying to enter the depot, currently occupied by Eurostar, which also seeks room to expand services to Germany.
Previous attempts at direct London-Germany rail links have failed, such as Deutsche Bahn's 2010 plan for Frankfurt-London trains. However, Eurostar's general secretary Gareth Williams points to growing demand: passenger numbers are rising year on year, and the company plans to invest £1.5bn. He notes that banks are now willing to back such projects, indicating confidence in the market's potential.
Longer train journeys are becoming more acceptable thanks to smartphones and personal entertainment, with the London-Amsterdam route proving that trains can compete with planes for trips over four hours. Williams also cites a genuine shift towards sustainable travel, particularly among business passengers, which is driving purchasing decisions.
Technical barriers are gradually being resolved, with harmonisation of signalling systems, power transmission, and loading gauges progressing. Eurostar hopes its next fleet will be fully interoperable across its network, overcoming issues that once halted trains at borders. However, John Lawrence of the Institution of Engineering and Technology warns that political and practical challenges—such as securing train paths and maintaining attractive speeds—remain significant obstacles, especially for longer international routes.
