Direct Journeys to London: Deutsche Bahn's Ambitious Talks with Eurostar Revealed
German railway company, Deutsche Bahn, aims to establish direct links with Eurostar to London.
A breezy chat, mate! Here's the scoop on Deutsche Bahn and Eurostar's plans for a direct train ride from the heart of Germany to the bustling metropolis of London. But, don't get too excited just yet—there's a bit of a catch.
In a nutty chat with a spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn (DB), the word on the street is they're engaging in some serious convo with Eurostar about making a direct connection to the UK capital. Let's be clear, though—at the moment, passengers still gotta deal with a transfer, mostly via the ICE connection from Cologne and Frankfurt to Brussels.
But, wait a sec! DB and Eurostar already share some love when it comes to collaboration, with DB selling tickets for corresponding services via its own booking platform. The DB spokesperson further added, "We're all gung-ho about extending our commercial relationship with Eurostar since we dig their plans for acquiring new iron horses," so to speak.
However, it's not all smooth sailing with a direct connection to London. DB fronted that it'll be a beast of a challenge in technical, operational, and legal terms. Eurostar, on the other hand, is making waves with their intention to introduce new trains connecting London to Frankfurt and Geneva in the early 2030s, taking approximately five hours.
Although Eurostar unveiled a billion-dollar investment in 50 new trains, no orders have been placed as of yet. As rail expert Jon Worth tells the Financial Times, "Until we know which tin lizards they're buying and when they'll launch, we're still just dealing with vague fantasies."
To make these dreams a reality, Eurostar would need to get their hands (and pockets) dirty, investing in new trains—a virgin altar, so to say. Moreover, they'd need to make some structural changes at stations, creating terminals for passenger control and handling, similar to what's already in place in London.
So, while the idea of a direct connection from Germany to the UK capital is hip and happening, there's still a whole lot of legwork, cash, and blood, sweat, and tears to be done. Stay tuned for updates on the world's longest game of musical chairs!
Source: ntv.de, lme/AFP
- Eurostar
- Train Traffic
- London
- United Kingdom
- Deutsche Bahn
The community policy of Deutsche Bahn includes talks with Eurostar about the potential implementation of a direct train from Germany to London as part of their ambitions, yet passengers still encounter a transfer due to the current arrangement via the ICE connection from Cologne and Frankfurt to Brussels. In conjunction with these plans, Eurostar envisions introducing new trains connecting London to Frankfurt and Geneva in the early 2030s, as part of an aim to revamp its lifestyle and travel opportunities within Europe.
