The planned train between Swiss cities and the UK capital could be operational as early as four years from now, the government has said.
In March 2026, the Swiss national rail company (SBB) and its French counterpart, SNCF Voyageurs, signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing new international routes – including one to the UK.
Then, on May 11th, the two companies took another step forward: they signed a ‘memorandum of understanding’ with Eurostar to establish a direct connection between Swiss cities and London.
“This marks an important milestone in the long-term planning for establishing a new direct connection to the United Kingdom,” the SBB said at the time.
The exact timing of the new project had not been yet set, but now more details emerge about when the new route is expected to be launched.
If all the challenges facing the project can be solved quickly, trains could begin circulating on the new route already from the beginning of next decade, the Federal Council announced on June 12th.
What challenges need to be resolved?
There are several to be tackled — for instance, some adaptations are necessary at Swiss stations and on the train routes to accommodate the new link.
Additionally, since Great Britain is not part of the Schengen zone, there are “entry formalities, the required infrastructure and intergovernmental agreements, as well as ensuring the availability of suitable trains and train paths,” the SBB pointed out.
However, once the new train is on the right track – both literally and figuratively – London will be reached in 6 hours from Zurich, 5 hours from Basel, and 5.5 hours from Geneva.
READ MORE: The international rail routes Switzerland plans to expand
