Eurostar has unveiled ambitious plans to significantly expand its international rail services, announcing proposals for direct train routes from London St Pancras to both Frankfurt, Germany, and Geneva, Switzerland. Chief Executive Gwendoline Cazenave heralded the initiative, stating, "a new golden age of international sustainable travel is here." These new services are anticipated to launch in the "early 2030s," marking a major step in Eurostar's growth strategy.

The proposed journey times are approximately five hours between London and Frankfurt, and five hours and twenty minutes between London and Geneva. To facilitate these new routes, Eurostar plans to invest in a new fleet of up to 50 trains, at an estimated cost of around £1.7 billion (€2 billion). Decisions regarding intermediate stops on these new routes, such as a potential stop in Cologne for services to or from Frankfurt, and whether passengers will be able to board or alight en route, are yet to be finalized.

Ms. Cazenave anticipates strong demand for these direct services from both leisure and business travellers, particularly to destinations she described as "big financial hubs" like Frankfurt and Geneva. A key driver for this expansion is the increasing number of passengers who are prepared to choose longer train journeys over flying, motivated by a desire to "travel more sustainably."

Eurostar acknowledges several hurdles must be overcome before the new services can commence. These challenges include creating sufficient passenger space at the destination stations, installing new border checkpoints, and securing necessary access to train tracks. Despite these obstacles, Ms. Cazenave expressed her firm belief that the services will be realized, attributing this confidence to the "willingness" of Eurostar, its passengers, and governments. Further supporting this optimism, the UK and Switzerland signed a memorandum of understanding in the month prior to the announcement, aimed at establishing direct train services between the two countries.

The acquisition of up to 50 new trains will significantly bolster Eurostar's operational capacity. Combined with its existing fleet of 17 e320 trains, the operator's total fleet could expand to as many as 67 trains, representing a 30% increase. This enhanced fleet will not only serve the new German and Swiss routes but will also enable Eurostar to increase frequencies on its existing popular services. For instance, daily return frequencies between London and Paris are planned to increase from 17 to 20.

In addition to the new routes, Eurostar confirmed enhancements to its existing Amsterdam service. A fourth daily return service between St Pancras and Amsterdam is scheduled to begin from September 9th, with a fifth daily service to be added from mid-December. Currently, Eurostar operates services from London to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, as well as seasonal trains to the French Alps. The company also runs services within Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Eurostar's expansion plans are backed by positive performance indicators. The operator carried 19.5 million passengers in 2024, a 5% increase compared to the previous year. In 2024, its strongest performing route was London-Paris with 280,000 passengers, followed by London-Brussels with 250,000 passengers. Ms. Cazenave commented on the strong demand for train travel across Europe, stating, "We’re seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we provide. Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has bold ambitions for the future."

The move to expand comes as Eurostar faces a potentially more competitive environment. Several companies, including Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, Italy’s state-owned railway company FS Italiane Group, and Gemini Trains (chaired by Lord Berkeley), are reportedly developing plans to operate passenger trains through the Channel Tunnel, potentially ending Eurostar's long-standing monopoly on these routes.