Eurostar has announced plans to operate new rail services between London and Frankfurt in Germany and Geneva in Switzerland.
However, the new routes won’t launch until the early 2030s, when Eurostar will have a fleet of new trains.
In the meantime, it will add a fourth daily service between London, Rotterdam and Amsterdam from 9 September 2025, and a fifth from mid-December.
The news was announced as the cross-Channel train operator revealed a drop in pre-tax earnings from €423m in 2023 to €346 million last year, despite a 5% rise in passenger numbers to more than 19.5 million. It blamed the fall on a ‘challenging economic environment’ driven by high inflation and increases in fixed costs.
To support its aim of carrying 30m passengers a year, Eurostar is investing €2 billion in up to 50 new trains, which will be able to operate across its network across its current fleet of 17.
CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said: “We’re seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we provide.
“Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has bold ambitions for the future. Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality – notably direct trains between London and Germany, and between London and Switzerland for the first time. A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “I am pleased to welcome this exciting investment into Eurostar services, which is a huge step in promoting green travel across Europe and boosting our international rail connections.
“Last month, I signed a landmark agreement to deliver a direct rail link between London and Switzerland, paving the way for direct commercial services. Today’s announcement by Eurostar shows that the government’s plan for change is rapidly strengthening the links between major cities in counties across Europe, creating more opportunities to travel, work, and socialise.”
