Eurostar to launch two new London routes to Frankfurt and Geneva
The operator on Tuesday (10 June) said it would seek to serve Frankfurt and Geneva from London starting in the early 2030s, taking advantage of Eurostar's aim to grow its fleet with up to 50 new trains. A third new route running between Amsterdam/Brussels to Geneva is also planned.
Meanwhile, following the reinstatement in February of services from London to Rotterdam and Amsterdam after an eight-month pause, Eurostar will add two more frequencies on this route this year – the first departing from 9 September and the second from mid-December.
'We're seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we provide,' said Eurostar chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander welcomed the announcement, claiming Eurostar's investment showed the government's plans to deliver rail routes to central Europe were 'rapidly strengthening the links between major cities in countries across Europe, creating more opportunities to travel, work and socialise'.
To support this growth, Eurostar is investing €2 billion in up to 50 new trains, which will operate alongside its current fleet of 17 e320 trains – the ones currently used on its cross-Channel routes – and bring its total fleet up to 67 trains.
'Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has bold ambitions for the future,' Cazenave added.
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