Right now, if you want to get from the UK to Switzerland by train, you have to travel on the Eurostar to Paris then change onto a train heading for Geneva. All in all, that takes around seven and a half hours. If a direct train link existed, that time could be cut down to five hours. Yes, it’s a lot longer than the one hour 40 minute flight from Heathrow, but it’s also a lot more planet-friendly (and doesn’t involve all the tedious airport processes).
Last week, the UK and Swiss governments got one step closer to making that direct link a reality. To get the ball rolling, the UK and Switzerland have signed a memorandum of understanding (ie. a statement of serious intent), agreeing to bring the rail link into being. As part of that, they’ve agreed to work together to deal with obstacles such as establishing border controls and meeting Channel Tunnel safety rules.
The memorandum of understanding also includes agreements between the two countries to share information and expertise, understand the practical requirements for border and security controls and chat with interested operators to develop commercial arrangements.
Heidi Alexander, the UK’s transport secretary, held talks with her Swiss counterpart Albert Rosti last Thursday. She told the PA news agency: ‘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.’
A joint working group, made up of government and industry experts, will be set up to discuss the rail link and, according to the Department for Transport, will hold its first meeting in the coming months. Albert Rosti said that it was ‘really likely’ that the link could launch in the next five to 10 years.
Geneva is just one of several destinations that Eurostar hopes to offer direct routes to in the near future. Plans are underway for a huge expansion at London St Pancras that could lead to new routes to the likes of Frankfurt, Zurich and Milan.
Robert Sinclair, chief exec of London St Pancras Highspeed 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.’
Plus: A direct train could soon link Brighton and Newcastle for the first time.
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