Marseille service details in autumn

EUROSTAR will confirm full details of the timetable and prices of its new London to Marseille service this autumn, the company says.

A spokesman for the firm confirmed reports that it plans a new direct service to start “around May” next year, stopping at a few cities en-route – notably Lille and Lyon - but with no need to change train.

“We did a trial last year which was very successful and we would have hoped to start the service this year,” the spokesman said. “However it’s a long and complicated process to start a new train route and we have to bid for slots on the high-speed track.”

He said tickets will go on sale towards the end of this year.

However, he could not confirm yet how long the journey will take because Eurostar prefers to give precise times, not rough estimates.

While passengers will be able to travel London to Marseille without stopping, on the return route it will be necessary to get off the train for a security check at Lille.

Outbound, checks are done before boarding in London, but it was found to be more practical to do it at Lille on the way back than in other French cities on the route.

Photo: Paul Johnson