Direct trains from London to Berlin could run within a decade

Times

21 hours ago

Rail passengers will be able to travel directly from London to Berlin as a result of the first bilateral treaty between Britain and Germany.
Under plans which ministers claim will 'fundamentally change how millions of people travel' the two governments are to set up a taskforce to agree border and security controls, and the technical aspect of the new service.
The government hopes the rail link could be operational by the early 2030s. It would also link London with other German cities, such as Frankfurt.
Eurostar has already said it hopes to launch direct services from London to Switzerland and Germany.
London to Frankfurt is likely to take about five hours and London to Geneva is expected to take five hours and 20 minutes.
Eurostar and other train operators had an eye on expanding the number of destinations served by the Channel Tunnel since the original service was launched in the 1990s.
Plans were put on hold after Brexit because priority was given to sorting out the logistical issues of keeping the existing lines serving France, Belgium and the Netherlands running smoothly.
The new taskforce will examine commercial and technical requirements, including safety standards, border arrangements and collaboration with rail operators.
'We're pioneering a new era of European rail connectivity and are determined to put Britain at the heart of a better-connected continent,' Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, said.
'The Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie — in just a matter of years, rail passengers in the UK could be able to visit these iconic sights direct from the comfort of a train.
'This landmark agreement has the potential to fundamentally change how millions of people travel between our two countries.'
The announcement was made during the first visit to the UK of Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor. He and Sir Keir Starmer signed a major bilateral agreement between the two countries setting out new co-operation in areas such as defence and illegal migration.
At a joint press conference, Starmer said that the deal was 'evidence of the closeness of our relationship as it stands today' as well as a 'statement of intent, a statement of our ambition to work ever more closely together'.
It includes plans to let UK travellers use German e-gates, defence procurement co-operation and a commitment from Germany to change the law so police can seize engines and inflatable boats used in illegal channel migration.
Merz said that Britain, France and Germany were 'converging' on policy matters such as migration and security.
He said: 'It is no coincidence that I happen to be here a week after the state visit of the French president to London, Emmanuel Macron.
'Great Britain, France and Germany are converging in their positions on foreign policy, on security policy, on migration policy, but also on economic policy issues.'
During the press conference Starmer also revealed that the UK was in talks with the Trump administration to buy US weapons to send to Ukraine.
Trump announced the initiative at a meeting with Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, two days ago, but Downing Street had not said whether the UK would participate.