The UK and Switzerland have signed an agreement to build a direct rail link between the two countries.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and Federal Councillor Albert Rösti signed a Memorandum of Understanding today (9 May) at London St Pancras Station.
A joint working group will now be set up to bring governments and experts together to establish Channel Tunnel safety requirements, new security arrangements, and discuss options with train operators.
The Transport Secretary said: “This is an exciting and important milestone in our efforts to strengthen international rail connections and promote greener travel to Europe.
“A direct rail link between the UK and Switzerland has the potential to boost tourism, grow our economy and bring people closer together – all while offering a greener option for passengers.”
London St Pancras Highspeed CEO Robert Sinclair said: “We strongly welcome the UK and Swiss governments’ active cooperation to create a sustainable international rail border arrangement between the the countries.
“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.”
Currently, passengers from St Pancras to Switzerland have to change at Paris and the journey to Geneva (pictured) takes about seven and a half hours. The direct route could reduce travel time to around five hours.
Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said: “We welcome steps to strengthen sustainable travel between the UK and Switzerland.
“Eurostar customers can now book their entire journey between London and Geneva, Zurich, Basel or Lausanne via Paris. This is a first step in a wider plan with our partners to grow connections in the greenest way.”
