{"id":2163,"date":"2025-05-09T10:31:40","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T10:31:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=2163"},"modified":"2025-05-13T13:11:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T13:11:47","slug":"new-direct-train-set-to-connect-london-with-switzerland-in-five-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/09\/new-direct-train-set-to-connect-london-with-switzerland-in-five-hours\/","title":{"rendered":"New direct train set to connect London with Switzerland in five hours"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A direct rail service from London St Pancras to Geneva could take around five hours (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

British travellers are one step closer to getting a direct train<\/a> to Switzerland<\/a> \u2014 and a significantly shorter journey.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the UK and Switzerland have reached an agreement in a bid to resolve obstacles to the rail link, including border controls and Channel Tunnel safety regulations, the Department for Transport (DfT)<\/a> said.<\/p>\n

Most passengers travelling by rail between St Pancras and\u00a0Geneva<\/a>\u00a0change trains and stations in Paris<\/a>, leading to a total journey time of around seven-and-a-half hours.<\/p>\n

This could be reduced to five hours if services ran direct. And, once in Geneva, tourists can hop on and off the city\u2019s extensive transport network without paying a penny<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Anyone staying in approved accommodation, whether that be a hotel, youth hostel, or campsite, is entitled to the city\u2019s\u00a0Transport Card<\/a>\u00a0for free travel for the duration of their stay.<\/p>\n

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Geneva offers free public transport for tourists staying at designated accommodation (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander held talks on the proposed rail link with Swiss transport minister Albert Rosti at London<\/a>\u2019s St Pancras station on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Ms Alexander hailed the signing of the agreement as \u2018an important day\u2019 but acknowledged there is \u2018a lot of detail to work through\u2019 before services begin.<\/p>\n

Asked for a timeline, she said said: \u2018It\u2019s not going to be within the next 12 months, but if we can make this happen I think it will be a fantastic thing for our two countries.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mr Rosti predicted that progress on the route will not be \u2018as fast as I would like\u2019, but insisted it is \u2018really likely\u2019 that services will launch in five to 10 years.<\/p>\n

He said the link would compete with air travel. Flights from Heathrow<\/a> to Geneva take one hour and 40 minutes, but factoring in security queues and commuting time to and from airports, a direct train could be faster, all told.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tEurope’s 8 most beautiful train routes to travel in 2025\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Rail travel\u00a0is enjoying a renaissance, with more people swapping flights for the\u00a0romance of slow, scenic and sustainable journeys<\/a>\u00a0on land.<\/p>\n

Metro <\/strong>has rounded up the most beautiful train routes to travel in 2025. Whether you\u2019re looking for an under-the-radar adventure or a luxurious sleeper train, there\u2019s something for everyone.<\/p>\n

Read the full list of destinations here<\/a> or get inspired by the highlights below:<\/p>\n

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  1. Cannes to Menton, France<\/strong> \u2013 A coastal journey along the French Riviera.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  2. The Bernina Express, Switzerland and Italy <\/strong>\u2013 A Unesco-listed journey through the Alps that crosses the famous Landwasser Viaduct.<\/li>\n
  3. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express<\/strong> \u2013 A route from Paris to Istanbul immortalised in cinema through Agatha Christie\u2019s Murder on the Orient Express.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    Mr Rosti also noted the potential environmental benefits, saying: \u2018If you can fill one train with 1,000 people, you can reduce the number of flights from\u00a0Switzerland\u00a0by five.\u2019<\/p>\n

    A joint working group will be established bringing together government and industry experts from the UK and\u00a0Switzerland\u00a0to examine how to overcome commercial and technical barriers to launching train services.<\/p>\n

    It will hold its first meeting in the coming months, according to the DfT.<\/p>\n

    Robert Sinclair, chief executive of London St Pancras Highspeed, which owns St Pancras station and the high-speed line to the Channel Tunnel, said: \u2018This exciting announcement brings us one step closer to direct high-speed services between London and\u00a0Switzerland, building on the preliminary work already undertaken to ensure that station access and routes are in place to make this a reality.\u2019<\/p>\n

    Eurostar boss Gwendoline Cazenave said the operator has introduced the ability for passengers to buy tickets for travel between London and several Swiss cities in a single booking, adding: \u2018This is a first step in a wider plan with our partners to grow connections in the greenest way.\u2019<\/p>\n

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    \n
    @thetraintraveller_<\/a> <\/p>\n

    Most scenic trains in Switzerland under \u00a330 \ud83d\ude85\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udded #switzerland<\/a> #trains<\/a> #swisstrains<\/a> #travel<\/a> <\/p>\n

    \u266c The Bug Collector \u2013 BEN SCOTT<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

    Eurostar<\/a> holds a monopoly in running passenger trains through the Channel Tunnel, but several organisations are developing plans to launch rival services<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    In March, Virgin Group announced<\/a> there were \u2018no more major hurdles to overcome\u2019 before it can begin operating.<\/p>\n

    The company made the positive claim after the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) confirmed that Eurostar\u2019s Temple Mills maintenance depot could be used by other train operators.<\/p>\n

    The depot, trains can maintained and stored, is crucial for other operators to be able to compete. The ORR confirmed that \u2018operational and maintenance arrangements\u2019 could be made to make this possible.<\/p>\n

    One month later,\u00a0a new potential rival emerged:\u00a0Italy<\/a>\u2019s national state-owned railway company, which could turn the whole game on its head.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \n\t\t\t\tHow to get free business class Eurostar tickets\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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    \u2018This weekend I went to\u00a0Paris\u00a0for 24 hours and did not pay a single penny for my train, there or back. And, I went in business class.\u2019<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s the claim made by Lucy Josephs, a 25-year-old influencer who describes herself as your \u2018type B travel bestie\u2019 on\u00a0TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    It sounds too good to be true, but for once in this life,\u00a0Metro<\/strong>\u00a0has discovered that it\u2019s very much fact \u2014 if you sign up as a mystery shopper. Read more about Lucy\u2019s budget hack here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Group) says it will launch a new high-speed rail service between\u00a0London\u00a0and\u00a0Paris\u00a0by 2029<\/a> that would compete with Eurostar.<\/p>\n

    The group, which is a co-owner of Avanti West Coast<\/a>, could extend the route to Marseilles, Lyon and\u00a0Milan, and is also looking at a possible reopening of Ashford International in Kent.<\/p>\n

    Eurostar stopped calling at the station March 2020 due to\u00a0Covid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Fares on the rail link between the UK and France have soared since the pandemic, but passengers can soon look forward to a change in the game.<\/p>\n

    There are now six players vying to compete with Eurostar\u2019s dominance over the Channel Tunnel \u2014 and experts are welcoming the fight.<\/p>\n

    \u2018Any competition is good competition, a new player would obviously help to bring rail fares down,\u2019 Zoe Adjey, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality at the University of East London, told\u00a0Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    She says it\u2019s high time that the UK levels up its rail services, both at home and abroad.<\/p>\n

    \u2018When you think back 30 years ago when we first got Eurostar at Waterloo, you should have been able to move to Manchester at the same speed \u2013 that never happened,\u2019 she notes.<\/p>\n

    \u2018The rail industry hasn\u2019t done what they were supposed to be doing.\u2019<\/p>\n

    Ms Alexander said the government \u2018wants to see a competitive and thriving international rail market\u2019 and is keen to work with London St Pancras Highspeed to \u2018maximise the opportunities\u2019 of the Channel Tunnel.<\/p>\n

    London St Pancras Highspeed has said the line to the tunnel is operating at about 50% capacity.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A direct rail service from London St Pancras to Geneva could take around five hours (Picture: Getty Images) British travellers are one step closer to getting a direct train to Switzerland \u2014 and a significantly shorter journey. That\u2019s because the UK and Switzerland have reached an agreement in a bid to resolve obstacles to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2163"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2168,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2163\/revisions\/2168"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}