Eurostar has announced the launch of direct trains connecting the United Kingdom with Germany and Switzerland. The operator claims that “a new golden age of sustainable international travel is upon us” and plans to launch routes between London (St. Pancras station) and cities such as Frankfurt and Geneva from the “early 2030s.”
A fleet of 50 new trains costing around two billion euros (1.7 billion pounds) will be used for these routes. The journey time will be around five hours to Frankfurt and five hours and twenty minutes to Geneva. It has not yet been decided which stops will be included on the route, for example in Cologne for trains bound for Frankfurt, and whether passengers will be able to get off at intermediate stations.
Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave emphasised that many passengers are willing to choose longer train journeys rather than flying, as they are looking for more sustainable modes of transport. She expects significant demand from both tourists and business travellers for direct flights to the financial centres of Frankfurt and Geneva.
However, a number of challenges must be overcome before the routes can be launched, including creating sufficient space for passengers at these stations, installing new border control points and obtaining access to railway tracks. Cazenave also noted that opening new international routes requires time, investment, expertise and partnership, but she is confident that the process is underway thanks to the interest of Eurostar, passengers and governments.
Last month, the United Kingdom and Switzerland signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at establishing direct rail links between the two countries. Eurostar will operate the new trains alongside its existing 17 e320 trains, bringing the total fleet to 67, a 30% increase on today’s levels.
Eurostar monopoly
In addition, the company has confirmed that it will add a fourth daily return service between St. Pancras and Amsterdam from September 9, and a fifth from mid-December. Eurostar operates routes between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, as well as to the French Alps during the ski season. Last year, the company carried 19.5 million passengers, up 5% from 18.6 million in 2023.
Several companies are developing plans to end Eurostar’s monopoly on passenger transport through the Channel Tunnel, including the Virgin Group, owned by billionaire Richard Branson, Italian state railway company FS Italiane Group and Gemini Trains, led by Lord Berkeley. Eurostar reported a 2.0% increase in revenue to €2.0 billion last year and recorded operating income of €346 million (£292 million).
In 2024, the company refinanced its €963.7 million (£813.2 million) debt, reducing the amount to €650 million (£549 million) by the end of the year. Eurostar is majority-owned by French state-owned railway company SNCF, while the UK sold its stake in Eurostar to private companies for £757 million in 2015.
