It’s reported Eurostar plans to launch new rail services connecting London St Pancras with Frankfurt and Geneva through the Channel Tunnel from the early 2030s.
The operator is said it aims to invest approximately €2bn in a fleet of up to 50 new trains for these routes, with journey times estimated at around five hours to Frankfurt and five hours 20 minutes to Geneva.
Additionally, Eurostar intends to introduce an Amsterdam-Geneva service via Brussels.
This announcement comes as Eurostar faces potential competition for cross-Channel rail services, an area where it has held a monopoly. Despite the Channel Tunnel being open to competitors since 2010, high entry costs have put off new operators but recent regulatory changes and financial incentives are spurring new interest in cross-border rail, which potentially could lead to increased passenger choice, improved services, and lower fares.
The Channel Tunnel currently handles around 400 trains daily but has capacity for over 1,000.