Eurostar has announced plans to launch direct train services from London to Switzerland and Germany.
The operator is planning to offer trains between London St Pancras and Frankfurt and Geneva from the early 2030s.
The train journey between London and Frankfurt is likely to take around five hours while the trip between London and Geneva is expected to take five hours and 20 minutes.
Eurostar has said it expects to see strong demand from passengers travelling on both routes.
The new routes will depend on a fleet of 50 new trains, expected to cost around £1.7bn (€2bn).
The operator has yet to reveal which stops each route might include and whether passengers could get off along the way.
CEO Gwendoline Cazenave says: ‘We’re seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we provide.
‘Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has bold ambitions for the future.
Eurostar has announced plans to launch direct train services from London to Switzerland and Germany
The operator is planning to offer trains between London St Pancras and Frankfurt and Geneva from the early 2030s
‘Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality – notably direct trains between London and Germany and between London and Switzerland for the first time.
‘A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here.’
The new trains would also allow Eurostar to boost the frequency of existing routes.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander says: ‘I am pleased to welcome this exciting investment into Eurostar services, which is a huge step in promoting green travel across Europe and boosting our international rail connections.’
In May, the UK signed a ‘memorandum of understanding’ with Switzerland where both countries committed to working together to launch a new direct train route between the two.
In light of the new Eurostar announcement, Alexander adds: ‘Last month, I signed a landmark agreement to deliver a direct rail link between London and Switzerland, paving the way for direct commercial services.
‘Today’s announcement by Eurostar shows that the government’s plan for change is rapidly strengthening the links between major cities in counties across Europe, creating more opportunities to travel, work, and socialise.’
Eurostar carried 19.5 million passengers in 2024, a rise of 5 per cent on traveller numbers in 2023.
The train journey between London and Frankfurt is likely to take around five hours on Eurostar
The trip between London and Geneva is expected to take five hours and 20 minutes on Eurostar
Alain Krakovitch, president of the Eurostar group, said: ‘2024 is an exceptional year, crowned by the successes of the Olympic Games.
‘Eurostar is in good shape to serve 30 million passengers and the ambition to develop our European services remains strong.’
Eurostar currently has a fleet of 51 high-speed trains, serving 28 destinations across Europe.
British tourists can currently reach Paris, Lille, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam on direct routes from London.
Geneva and Frankfurt are expected to be popular destinations for business travellers as both cities are international finance hubs.
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