A deal has been signed for an expansion on rail travel from the UK to a popular European destination – making it easier than ever for people to go on city breaks
For those looking for a quick city break – there’s a new European destination that will now be easily accessible via train. Britain and Germany have just signed a landmark deal that will “fundamentally change how millions of people travel”. Named The Kensington Treaty, the agreement will hopefully be in place in the early 2030s and marks a shift in relations between the two nations.
It was sealed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s on his first official visit to the UK on July 17. One of the key elements of the deal – as outlined in the UK goverments Plan for Change is the commitment to provide a long-distance direct passenger rail service between the two capitals according to The Times.
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It’s expected travel time from 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.
It also allows there to be easy travel to other German cities including Frankfurt. The joint UK-Germany transport taskforce will now explore the infrastructure, border and security needs to be able to create the route.
As well as looking into the commercial and technical requirements such as safety standards and what is needed from rail operators to make the direct service happen.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: ‘We’re pioneering a new era of European rail connectivity and are determined to put Britain at the heart of a better-connected continent.
“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, thanks to a direct connection linking London and Berlin.”
“This landmark agreement – part of a new treaty the Prime Minister will sign with Chancellor Merz today – has the potential to fundamentally change how millions of people travel between our two countries, offering a faster, more convenient and significantly greener alternative to flying.'”
It comes after Eurostar has since announced plans to launch direct services to Frankfurt and Geneva in the early 2030s, as well as working on a direct route to Berlin.
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