Eurostar promises to run direct trains from UK to Germany

After Deutsche Bahn and London St Pancras station promised direct services between England and Germany, the current kings of the Channel Tunnel have now thrown their hat into the ring to run the route.

Eurostar vows to run direct UK to Germany rail routes

Amid growing demand for train travel and plans for more cross-channel rail services between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, Eurostar - the only provider to run long-distance rail services between London, Paris, Lille, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam - has been largely silent. Now, however, the company has committed to expanding to other destinations.

According to a report published in The Guardian, Eurostar has pledged to operate direct trains between the UK and Germany and Switzerland. The company said conditions were “finally right” to start offering more routes, and that a “new golden age of international sustainable travel” was on its way. 

Eurostar plans to connect London and Frankfurt

The first new route set to take to the tracks will be between London and Frankfurt, with the journey lasting five hours. From Frankfurt, Germany's financial capital and one of its rail hubs, passengers will be well connected to other corners of the country.

Another service connecting London and Geneva will then be added, with the journey expected to take five hours and 20 minutes. To begin running both of these routes, the rail operator plans to buy 50 additional high-speed trains.

The Guardian suggested that the announcement is a bid to ward off advances by other possible competitors, such as the Virgin Group, Gemini Trains, Evolyn, SBB and FS Italiane. The push for action was also accelerated by the UK Office of Rail and Road, which is soon expected to announce whether the one remaining London depot space available to service cross-Channel trains will be awarded to Eurostar or a different company.

Several further hurdles remain, according to a spokesperson from Eurostar, such as building border controls, setting up timetables and developing station infrastructure to support the services.

Eurostar will increase services connecting UK and the Netherlands

Alongside its vow to run direct services between the UK, Germany and Switzerland, Eurostar confirmed plans to run more frequent services on its existing route connecting the UK and the Netherlands. From September 9, an additional fourth daily return service will run between London and Amsterdam, with a fifth being added from mid-December.

Despite Eurostar's expansion and promises of further services, the results of a 2024 study from the European Federation for Transport and Environment suggested the rail company needs to do more to please passengers. The study ranked Eurostar as the worst train provider in Europe, due to sky-high ticket prices, the absence of night trains and poor reliability and compensation policies.