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Londoners could soon be getting a new, more convenient and eco-friendly way to get from the capital all the way to Berlin, as plans for a direct train between London and Germany have been outlined by political leaders.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have signed a new ‘friendship treaty’ at a summit in London today. It’s all part of the UK’s post-Brexit effort to reset relations with Europe. One of the more tangible outcomes? A plan to finally break down the legal and logistical barriers that are currently standing in the way of direct trains between London and Frankfurt, with the hope of eventually extending the route to Berlin.
A direct London-Berlin train is being discussed, but it’s not first in line. The initial destinations on the table are Frankfurt and Cologne, the former being Germany’s financial capital and the latter known for its enormous carnival and cathedral. Both cities would be connected to St Pancras via new Eurostar-style routes that would likely pass through Paris or Brussels to allow for border checks.
Deutsche Bahn tried to launch a London–Frankfurt service back in 2010 but shelved the idea after hitting a maze of cross-border complications, including tunnel rules, voltage differences and conflicting safety standards. Now, with Eurostar investing £2 billion into 50 new trains and both companies back in negotiations, the political will finally seems to be there.
The working group announced by Starmer and Merz will bring together UK and German officials to try and untangle the red tape. Eurostar says it’s eyeing up several new destinations, including Germany and Switzerland, as it prepares for competition when its Channel Tunnel monopoly ends. Several operators have announced intentions to run cross-Channel routes, including Virgin and Uber.
Eurostar boss Gwendoline Cazenave called the recent developments ‘a new golden age of international sustainable travel’. And honestly, if it means swapping a £7 airport meal deal for a train seat and a croissant, we’re into it.
Did you see that Uber has revealed plans to run trains to Europe from Stratford in east London?
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