Direct Rail Service Established between London and Berlin, Connecting England and Germany

Establishing a Direct Rail Link Between London and Berlin in England and Germany - Direct Rail Service Established between London and Berlin, Connecting England and Germany

A direct train connection between London and Berlin could soon become a reality, as discussions and decisions regarding the proposed service are underway. The German Railway (DB) and Eurostar, a railway service that extends from London to Brussels and Amsterdam, are reportedly involved in these discussions.

The project, which aims to resolve current issues of requiring a transfer, such as in Brussels, for travel from the UK to Germany, is in its early stages. The UK and German transport ministers signed a Joint Declaration of Intent in mid-2025, formalizing their intention to establish a direct passenger train service between the two cities [1].

Since then, the project has progressed into route planning, security arrangements, and technical feasibility studies [2]. Eurostar plans to offer a direct connection between Germany and the UK by the early 2030s, also including Frankfurt and Geneva in Switzerland [3][5]. However, no definitive launch date exists yet, and regular services could realistically start sometime within the 2030s, pending resolution of technical, regulatory, and financial challenges [2][3][4].

Eurostar's current network mainly connects London with Brussels, Amsterdam, and Paris. The company collaborates with the DB for existing connections with transfers between Germany and the UK. The DB sells tickets for these connections through its booking platform [4].

Alexander, who advocated for a direct train connection from England to Germany, cited faster, more comfortable, and environmentally friendly travel as benefits [1]. The necessary infrastructure for border controls at stations is a significant obstacle in establishing new direct train connections [4]. Schnieder, who was mentioned as a person involved in the discussions, added that clarification is needed on border and security controls, along with infrastructure operators and interested railway companies [4].

The last new route opened was the extension of the Eurostar connection from London to Brussels to Amsterdam in 2020 [4]. Direct train connections from the UK to Germany have a high demand, but new routes are infrequent due to the need to build infrastructure for border controls at stations [4].

The DB welcomed the announcement by Eurostar in June [4]. While there is momentum, experts remain cautious, citing past financial and logistical hurdles as well as the complexity of operating trains through the Channel Tunnel [4]. As the project progresses, we can expect more updates on the direct train connection from London to Berlin.

References

1. The Guardian
2. BBC News
3. Eurostar
4. The Financial Times
5. Deutsche Bahn

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