Direct Eurostar trains from London to Switzerland on track for 2030s after major agreement is signed

On board the Eurostar, Brits can currently reach major European cities from the UK, including Paris, Brussels, Lille and Amsterdam.

And now, that list is set to get even longer. 

A major development has been made in the process of creating a future direct rail connection between London and Switzerland.

Eurostar, the national railway company of Switzerland SBB and French train company SNCF Voyageurs have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore a new route.

The arrival of the direct connection could be as soon as the 2030s.

It comes after a cooperation agreement was signed in March between SBB and SNCF Voyageurs, aimed at strengthening the partnership between the two companies and developing new routes.

The new memorandum of understanding marks an important milestone in the long-term plan for the new route.

It comes as the demand for international rail travel is high, given the uncertainty surrounding aviation and jet fuel supplies. 

Eurostar, SBB and European train company SNCF Voyageurs have signed a document to signal the development of a new direct London to Switzerland route

The national railway company of Switzerland SBB is involved in the development

Plus, London is the number one flight destination from Switzerland, and there is strong customer demand for a direct rail connection to the UK. 

Direct connections between London and Zurich are likely to have a travel time of six hours, London to Basel will be five hours, and London to Geneva will have a travel time of five and a half hours.

SNCF Voyageurs already works closely with SBB, and a direct connection to London would necessarily run through France.

However, several steps are still required before the new service can be introduced.

For example, the entry formalities must be prepared and the necessary infrastructure and intergovernmental agreements arranged.

Plus, the availability of suited trains and train paths will need to be ensured.

SBB is conducting further studies on behalf of the Federal Office of Transport, while Eurostar and SNCF Voyageurs are continuing their development with new international connections.

It comes after Deutsche Bahn and Eurostar announced they were taking the next step towards a direct high-speed rail connection between Germany and London.

Both companies announced their intention to explore options to jointly offer a direct long-distance service between London and major German cities such as Cologne and Frankfurt.

Sir Keir Starmer said at the time: ‘This brings us one step closer to a new rail link that will put Britain at the heart of a better-connected Europe and paves the way for increased trade, tourism and investment.’