Eurostar to launch direct routes from London to Frankfurt and Geneva Eurostar to launch direct routes from London to Frankfurt and Geneva

Eurostar has announced that it will be launching two new direct routes from London to Frankfurt and Geneva.

But before you get too excited, the destinations in Germany and Switzerland won’t be served until the early 2030s as the company is currently investing in new trains to operate the new routes. Eurostar also plans to operate a new service between Amsterdam/Brussels and Geneva.

In news that you can act on this year, a fourth daily service between London, Rotterdam and Amsterdam will be added from 9 September, followed by a fifth in mid-December.

Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar CEO, said, “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. 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.”

Cross-channel rail services have already been in the headlines this week, with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) stating that there is ‘room for at most one new operator, or for Eurostar to grow’, having assessed capacities at Temple Mills International depot (TMI). The depot is the only one in the UK that can handle the larger-sized trains used in continental Europe.

A number of other operators have said they want to run services from TMI, ending Eurostar’s monopoly on the Channel Tunnel line, including established brands like Trenitalia France and Richard Branson’s Virgin as well as start-ups like Evolyn and Gemini Trains.

More information: eurostar.com

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