Eurostar is expanding its network with three new routes: a direct service from London St Pancras to Antwerp, Belgium, launching December 14, 2026; a route to Frankfurt, Germany, expected in the early 2030s; and high-speed trains to Zurich and Geneva, Switzerland, with a date yet to be confirmed.
London to Antwerp from December 2026
From December 14, Eurostar plans to launch a new high-speed rail service direct from London St Pancras to Antwerp. Currently, Eurostar only connects London to Brussels, and travellers to Antwerp must change in the Belgian capital, making the journey around 3 hours and 15 minutes. The new direct service will cut about 45 minutes, taking just over 2 and a half hours.
While the outbound journey will be direct, the inbound one still requires a change at Brussels. This is because Antwerpen-Centraal has no dedicated UK border and customs facilities, and there is no plan for one in the near future. Customers travelling from Antwerp to London can book a combined SNCB and Eurostar ticket on eurostar.com, connecting via Brussels-Midi where UK border and security checks take place.
Timings for the service are 06:16–09:57, 08:16–11:57, 11:04–14:57, and 18:04–21:57. Tickets are already on sale, starting from £51.
Frankfurt route in the early 2030s
Last year, Eurostar announced plans to buy Celestia, a future fleet of up to 50 new trains costing around €2bn (£1.7bn). These double-decker trains are expected to bring a 20% increase in capacity and up to a 50% reduction in energy consumption. The introduction of the new trains, which will replace some older ones, will also lead to a 30% increase in trains that service London.
As for where they’ll head, there’s a new route scheduled for Frankfurt, the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the financial capital of Europe. The five-hour service hopes to offer a faster, more convenient, and more sustainable alternative to short-haul flights. Eurostar has teamed up with Deutsche Bahn (DB), Germany’s national railway company, to help make the train route a reality.
Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the project as ‘a step towards a better-connected Europe, with direct benefits for the people of the UK,’ adding that it could boost tourism, investment, and bilateral trade.
Right now, it’s not clear if the route will include stops for passengers to board or leave, and there is no firm timetable just yet. However, authorities suggest that ‘substantial progress’ should be made over the next decade to ensure services begin in the early 2030s.
Switzerland route date TBC
Finally, Eurostar has plans for high-speed cross-Channel trains from London to Zurich and Geneva. Currently, a train journey from London to Zurich takes around seven-and-a-half hours, and includes at least one connection.
The railway company signed an ‘important milestone’ agreement in May with Swiss operator SSB and France’s SNCF Voyageurs. The three companies say they are working together to ‘establish a potential direct connection between London and Switzerland.’ The next step is to analyse possible timetables and operational concepts, as Eurostar says there is demand for a much speedier service.
According to the company, the three partners are keen to launch the direct connection ‘as soon as possible.’ However, there are ‘several steps’ that need to be overcome first. This includes ‘preparing the entry formalities and the necessary infrastructure and intergovernmental agreements, and ensuring the availability of suited trains and train paths.’
Should things go to plan, Eurostar believes the earliest established route would be ‘feasible’ in the 2030s. Eurostar ordered the Celestia fleet from the manufacturer Alstom last year, with hopes of using the first six trains by 2031. They will be the first double-decker high-speed trains to run through the Channel Tunnel.
Before passengers can travel on them, they have to complete a years-long certification process for use in the Channel Tunnel, and in each of the countries Eurostar operates. Each train will be 4.33 metres high — 16cm higher than the current E320 models. They will also be 200m long, and if two run together, could host 1,080 travellers. Deutsche Bahn (DB) already operates double-decker trains, which are widely used for regional and select long-distance intercity routes throughout Germany.
