New high-speed rail line between London and Switzerland takes next step

Eurostar, which is majority-owned by SNCF Voyageurs, announced as early as last year that the company wants to launch services from the United Kingdom to both Switzerland and Germany. This is reported by Business Travel News Europe.

The new agreement is described by the companies as an important milestone in the long-term work to create a direct connection between London and Switzerland. It also follows SNCF and SBB earlier this year extending their co-operation until 2032.

According to the companies, demand for international rail travel remains strong, while London is the most popular flight destination from Switzerland. Therefore, the operators see great potential in offering a direct rail alternative between the countries.

The planned routes include connections between London and Zurich, Basel and Geneva. Journey times are estimated at between five and six hours.

The parties will now analyse timetables, service planning and operational solutions for the future services. The ambition is to be able to launch the services as soon as possible.

However, the project requires both new infrastructure and intergovernmental agreements before the services can become a reality. The earliest realistic start is therefore considered to be sometime during the 2030s.