One of Europe’s most beautiful train stations could get a direct route from the UK

There has been a lot of talk recently about the new rail providers who may (or may not) become competitors for Eurostar in the world of cross-Channel train travel. That’s all well and good, but did you know that Brits could also see an increase in the European destinations available by train sometime in the future?

Currently, Eurostar offers direct journeys from London to Paris, Lille, Brussels, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. Those are some great options, but according to the Sun, there is a possibility that competitor services could expand southward into Italy in the 2030s.

That may sound futuristic, but it’s less than five years away. These new destinations would be fuelled by a massive refurb at St Pancras station, which would drastically increase passenger numbers and therefore encourage rail providers to expand and set sights on new, more distant destinations. A spokesperson for the station explained that ‘many European cities could be reached directly by train in under six hours which we believe is really competitive with short-haul air travel’, however, nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

Milan is one of the furthest afield destinations pundits are predicting train services could expand to, and the only one in Italy. The city’s main train station, much (but not all) of which was built in the 1920s and ’30s, is a vast piece of art deco architecture, and is a landmark in and of itself. Imagine stepping on a train at St Pancras, and stepping off at one of the most picturesque terminals on the continent. Sounds pretty nice, right?

Other places which have been named as potential options for expansion include Marseille – which was actually an option until service was halted in 2020 – which is generally agreed to be the most likely. Bordeaux has also been a suggestion since 2018, but there has been no movement on that front since then.

The future of international train travel from the UK is very much uncertain at the moment; but for all the right reasons. Within the next few years, you could get on a Virgin or Evolyn train to Marseille, or maybe even Milan. All we can do is wait and see!

More train travel with Time Out

In case you missed it, Cross-Channel trains to Europe will return to Kent by 2029 under new plans by Uber, and Winston Churchill’s old railway carriage has been restored. Plus: here’s everything we know about the new Eurostar competitor. 

First look: inside the mind-blowing new V&A East Storehouse in Stratford. 

The leafy Scottish city that is one of the world’s best cities for green spaces.