NEW direct trains between London and Switzerland could soon be a reality.
The government has revealed today that an agreement has been signed between Britain and Switzerland, aimed at creating a direct rail link between London and Switzerland.
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Currently, passengers from London can travel directly to Paris in France, Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
However, most passengers heading to Switzerland have to change trains and stations in Paris, which increases the overall journey time to and from Geneva to around seven-and-a-half hours.
If a direct service is established, the journey would take around five hours.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the signing of the agreement was “an important day” but acknowledged there is “a lot of detail to work through” before services can begin.
She added: “It’s not going to be within the next 12 months, but if we can make this happen I think it will be a fantastic thing for our two countries.”
The Transport Secretary also commented that direct train services to Switzerland would offer “an incredible passenger experience” and be “really convenient”.
Flights from London Heathrow to Geneva currently take around one hour and 40 minutes.
However, if one train was full of 1,000 people, flights from Switzerland would be reduced by five.
Albert Rosti, Swiss transport minister, said: “It will be competitive to flights.
“I’m convinced that it’s a good opportunity.”
He also insisted that it is “really likely” that services will launch in five to 10 years.
A new group will be established to work out how to overcome the commercial, technical and security barriers to running services from Britain, through the Channel Tunnel, crossing France and onto Switzerland.
As part of the agreement, work will be done to understand what border controls would need to be established and how to meet Channel Tunnel safety rules, according to the Department for Transport (DfT) said.
The first group meeting will take place in the upcoming months, according to the DfT.
Robert Sinclair, chief executive of London St Pancras Highspeed, which owns St Pancras station and the high-speed line to the Channel Tunnel, said: “This exciting announcement brings us one step closer to direct high-speed services between London and Switzerland, building on the preliminary work already undertaken to ensure that station access and routes are in place to make this a reality.”
Eurostar boss Gwendoline Cazenave said the operator has introduced the ability for passengers to buy tickets for travel between London and several Swiss cities in a single booking.
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She added: “This is a first step in a wider plan with our partners to grow connections in the greenest way.”
Currently, Eurostar holds the monopoly in running passenger trains through the Channel Tunnel.
However, several organisations are currently developing plans to launch rival services, including Virgin Group.
Virgin Group stated in March there were “no more major hurdles to overcome” before it can begin operating.
The Group made the claim following a report carried out by the Office of Rail and Road revealed that there is some capacity at Eurostar’s Temple Mills maintenance depot in north-east London.
Ms Alexander said the government “wants to see a competitive and thriving international rail market” and is keen to work with London St Pancras Highspeed to “maximise the opportunities” of the Channel Tunnel.
London St Pancras Highspeed has said the line to the tunnel is operating at about 50 per cent capacity.
Virgin Group responded to the report conducted by the Office for Rail and Road.
Plus, Eurostar has revealed future plans for trains from UK to Germany and Switzerland.
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