Eurostar wants to connect London with Frankfurt and Geneva by rail in five hours, although a challenge remains.
No plane, no problem: the high-speed 500-mile journey that will revolutionize European travel
Europe’s high-speed rail ambitions just took a bold turn. Eurostar has unveiled plans for direct trains from England to Germany and Switzerland, as reported by The Guardian, potentially slashing the need for short-haul flights and shrinking the carbon footprint of cross-border travel.
What services will be available?
The proposed services – London to Frankfurt in about five hours, Geneva in five hours and 20 minutes - form part of a €2 billion ($2.16 bn) investment in a new fleet of up to 50 trains due by the early 2030s. The goal: to boost London departures by 30% and expand Eurostar’s reach into central Europe, including new Geneva links from Amsterdam and Brussels.
But there’s a catch.
All of Eurostar’s UK-bound trains rely on a single depot – Temple Mills in east London – the only site compatible with continental-sized stock. That depot, owned by the UK government’s St Pancras Highspeed, is now facing pressure from rivals including Evolyn, Virgin, and a Gemini-Uber partnership, all eager to launch their own international rail services.
October decision deadline
The Office of Rail and Road is weighing who gets access. It has warned there’s only room for one expansion, either Eurostar’s fleet or a competitor’s. A decision is due by the end of October. If Eurostar loses out, its Frankfurt and Geneva dreams could stall before they ever leave the platform.
Still, demand is growing. Eurostar carried a record 19.5 million passengers in 2024, and plans to ramp up Paris trips even further. Its boss calls it “a new golden age” for sustainable travel. Whether that includes Germany and Switzerland, though, may depend on who wins the fight for the depot.
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