Eurostar explains why conditions are "right" for new routes after failed Deutsche Bahn attempt

Eurostar says conditions are “finally right” for new services after announcing its intention to serve Frankfurt and Geneva from the 2030s.

Services are expected to start once its new trains are in service, the order for which is expected to be placed in the coming months with the first entering traffic in 2030.

The announcement came as Eurostar recorded a growth in passenger numbers on all its London routes (Paris +280,000, Amsterdam +280,000 and Brussels +250,000), with 19 million passenger journeys made on its network both the UK and continental Europe in 2024.

“Demand is there and growing fast,” a Eurostar spokeswoman told RAIL.

“Travel patterns have shifted since the pandemic. Leisure and business travellers are open to longer journeys - our 2023 market studies show people are now comfortable with trips of up to six hours (vs three-four hours a few years ago) if the option is sustainable.”

Eurostar isn’t the first operator to plan a London-Frankfurt route: Deutsche Bahn announced in 2010 its intention to start a service from 2013 failed to materialise.

The spokeswoman added: “On the business side, companies are actively encouraging rail over short-haul flights to meet their sustainability targets. That’s exactly why we added an early-morning Amsterdam–London service — and cities like Frankfurt and Geneva are major hubs for this kind of travel,” adding that both also have multiple daily flights to and from the UK.

Eurostar will also add an extra daily London-Amsterdam service in both September and December.

The announcement also comes a month after the UK and Swiss governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work towards establishing a direct rail link between the two countries.

Eurostar said its Geneva plan “reflects our commitment to helping making this route a reality”.

Eurostar is set to order 50 new trains, though it’s been 13 months since news of its intention to do so broke. Eurostar has put this lead time down to choosing which train to go with, suppliers, a designer and potential depot changes/locations.

“These trains are being designed to handle multiple power systems, cross-border signalling, and longer routes. They're built with expansion in mind,” Eurostar’s spokeswoman added.

The new trains will increase the overall fleet from 51 to 67, with older Class 373 (e300) and PBKA/PBA TGV trains in France being withdrawn.

Cross-border rail consultant, Jon Worth, said Frankfurt and Geneva were “obvious” new destinations from St Pancras.

“If Eurostar wanted to blow the competition away, they would have committed to buy trains as soon as possible so they use the spare capacity,” he said.

He also suggested the turnaround time to build new trains depends on the manufacturer, pointing out that Alstom has orders for around 150 new trains while others have smaller order books.