The prospect of direct trains between London and Switzerland have moved a step closer with the signing of a co-operation agreement.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the UK and Switzerland in an attempt to address barriers to the rail link, such as establishing border controls and meeting Channel Tunnel safety rules, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander held talks on the issue with Swiss transport minister Albert Rosti at London’s St Pancras station on Thursday.
Most passengers travelling by rail between St Pancras and Switzerland change trains and stations in Paris, leading to a total journey time to and from Geneva of around seven-and-a-half hours.
This could be reduced to around five hours if services were direct.
Flights from Heathrow to Geneva take one hour and 40 minutes.
Ms Alexander hailed the signing of the agreement as “an important day” but acknowledged there is “a lot of detail to work through” before services begin.
She told the PA news agency: “It’s not going to be within the next 12 months, but if we can make this happen I think it will be a fantastic thing for our two countries.”
The Transport Secretary said direct train services to Switzerland would offer “an incredible passenger experience” and be “really convenient”.
Mr Rosti predicted that progress in opening the route will not be “as fast as I would like” but insisted it is “really likely” that services will launch in five to 10 years.
He went on: “I’m convinced that it’s a good opportunity.
“It will be competitive to flights.
“If you can fill one train with 1,000 people, you can reduce the number of flights from Switzerland by five.”
The memorandum of understanding includes intentions to share information and expertise, understand the practical requirements for border and security controls, and facilitate dialogue with interested operators to develop commercial arrangements.
A joint working group will be established bringing together government and industry experts from the UK and Switzerland to examine how to overcome commercial and technical barriers to launching train services.
It will hold its first meeting in the coming months, according to the DfT.
Robert Sinclair, chief executive of London St Pancras Highspeed, which owns St Pancras station and the high-speed line to the Channel Tunnel, said: “This exciting announcement brings us one step closer to direct high-speed services between London and Switzerland, building on the preliminary work already undertaken to ensure that station access and routes are in place to make this a reality.”
Eurostar boss Gwendoline Cazenave said the operator has introduced the ability for passengers to buy tickets for travel between London and several Swiss cities in a single booking, adding: “This is a first step in a wider plan with our partners to grow connections in the greenest way.”
Eurostar holds a monopoly in running passenger trains through the Channel Tunnel, but several organisations are developing plans to launch rival services.
Virgin Group stated in March there were “no more major hurdles to overcome” before it can begin operating.
It made the claim after regulator the Office of Rail and Road said some capacity at Eurostar’s Temple Mills maintenance depot in north-east London could be made available to other operators.
Ms Alexander said the Government “wants to see a competitive and thriving international rail market” and is keen to work with London St Pancras Highspeed to “maximise the opportunities” of the Channel Tunnel.
London St Pancras Highspeed has said the line to the tunnel is operating at about 50% capacity.
