Eurostar plans to offer direct trains from London to Swiss Alps
Plans with SBB and SNCF aim to cut journey times and offer a rail alternative to flying between the UK and Switzerland
Estimates suggest that travel from London to Zurich would take around six hours
Sergii Figurnyi/Shutterstock.
A new direct route is planned between London and Switzerland, reshaping short-haul travel between the two countries.
The move follows a Cooperation Agreement signed in March between SBB (the national railway company of Switzerland) and SNCF Voyageurs, with Eurostar, SBB and SNCF Voyageurs taking the next step by signing a memorandum of understanding to develop a new connection.
London is the number one flight destination from Switzerland, according to Eurostar, while many travellers from London also frequently travel to Switzerland.
Estimates suggest that travel from London to Zurich would take around six hours, while London to Basel would take some five hours, and London to Geneva approximately five and a half hours.
Currently travelling between London and Switzerland currently takes over seven hours via Paris with a change, and around 8 to 10 hours overall, including connections.
The route is still subject to final approvals and infrastructure planning, with no confirmed launch date announced.
The plans also form part of Eurostar’s wider investment programme, which includes a new fleet of trains and potential future routes such as London–Frankfurt.
