- Eurostar plans to launch direct train services from London St Pancras to Frankfurt and Geneva, aiming to begin in the early 2030s.
- The new routes will be served by a fleet of up to 50 new trains, costing approximately two billion euros (£1.7 billion), with London-Frankfurt journeys estimated at five hours and London-Geneva at five hours and 20 minutes.
- Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave cites strong demand for sustainable travel from both leisure and business travellers as a key driver for the new routes.
- Several hurdles remain, including creating sufficient passenger space and border checkpoints at stations, and securing track access.
- Eurostar's expansion includes adding a fourth daily return service between London and Amsterdam from September 9, and a fifth from mid-December, alongside increasing frequencies on existing routes like London-Paris.
IN FULL
Eurostar plans new direct routes to two European destinations