Direct London to Switzerland Trains Edge Closer After Major Rail Agreement

Plans for direct rail services between London and Switzerland have moved a step closer after Eurostar, SBB and SNCF Voyageurs signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing future cross-border connections.

The agreement marks another stage in a wider push to strengthen international rail travel between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. It follows a cooperation agreement signed earlier this year between SBB and SNCF Voyageurs focused on exploring new international routes, including links connecting Switzerland directly with London.

All three companies say demand for international rail travel continues to grow, with Switzerland and London already heavily connected by air travel. London currently stands as the leading flight destination from Switzerland, while studies commissioned around the project suggest there is significant appetite for direct rail alternatives.

Early analysis indicates potential journey times of around six hours between London and Zurich, five hours between London and Basel, and approximately five and a half hours between London and Geneva. Rail bosses believe those timings could make direct services attractive to both business and leisure travellers looking for alternatives to short-haul flights.

Because any future service would pass through France before entering the Channel Tunnel, cooperation between the three operators is seen as essential. SNCF Voyageurs and SBB already work closely together on existing cross-border operations, while Eurostar has more than three decades of experience running services between Britain and continental Europe.

The newly signed memorandum does not yet guarantee the launch of services, but it does commit the companies to progressing studies into timetables, operational planning and the wider infrastructure required to make the route possible. Further work is also needed on border controls, station facilities, train availability and international agreements between governments.

Officials involved in the discussions say the earliest a direct Swiss service could realistically begin operating would be sometime during the 2030s due to the scale of planning and preparation required.

The latest developments build on earlier studies as well as a separate memorandum linked to a future intergovernmental agreement signed in London on 8 May 2025 by Swiss Federal Councillor Albert Rösti and UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. Further studies are now being carried out on behalf of Switzerland’s Federal Office of Transport while Eurostar and SNCF Voyageurs continue exploring wider international expansion opportunities.

Image: Eurostar