The UK could soon get a direct train to one of Europe's prettiest destinations
A brand new direct train route could be set to connect the UK to Switzerland in just five hours.
Currently, tourists who want to travel by train have to get the Eurostar to Paris and change to reach Geneva, with the total journey taking around seven hours.
The proposed direct train route between London and Geneva would shave about two hours off the current travel time.
The UK and Switzerland have signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to work to set up the rail link.
Both countries are set to work together to deal with obstacles such as Channel Tunnel regulations and border controls.
Each country will also share expertise under the agreement and meet with potential operators.
Heidi Alexander, the UK's transport secretary, told PA: 'It's 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.'
Meanwhile, Alexander's Swiss counterpart, Albert Rosti, said the route wouldn't be opened 'as fast as I would like' but added that it was 'really likely' that the service could launch in the next five to 10 years.
He said: 'I'm convinced that it's a good opportunity. It will be competitive to flights. If you can fill one train with 1,000 people, you can reduce the number of flights from Switzerland by five.'
And Switzerland isn't the only destination that Brits could soon reach in a direct journey by train.
A planned expansion at London St Pancras could also lead to direct routes to Frankfurt and Milan.
Robert Sinclair, chief executive of London St Pancras Highspeed, said: 'This exciting announcement brings us one step closer to direct high-speed services between London and Switzerland, building on the preliminary work already undertaken to ensure that station access and routes are in place to make this a reality.'
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