Eurostar is planning to expand its high-speed rail services from London to Frankfurt and Geneva in response to growing demand for greener travel options among business passengers. The company also hopes to strengthen its position as new competition is expected on its cross-channel routes.
The planned routes would connect London with two key European financial centers. New services from Amsterdam and Brussels to Geneva are also part of the expansion. Eurostar says these routes could begin operating in the early 2030s, although no exact timeline has been set.
The expansion depends on Eurostar’s plan to invest €2 billion in 50 new trains, which would increase its fleet to 67. The new routes would only launch once the new trains are delivered, but the company has not yet confirmed when the trains will be ordered.
To launch these services, Eurostar would need approval from governments to install security and border control facilities at the Frankfurt and Geneva stations—an expensive and complex process.
Although Eurostar has been operating for more than 30 years, it currently only runs services from London to three major cities: Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
Jon Worth, a rail consultant who specializes in cross-border transport, cautioned that these new routes are still far from certain. “Until we see what trains they order, and when those will be delivered, we cannot call these ‘plans’ but more like vague ideas,” he said.
