EUROSTAR has taken the next step to launch trains to a new European country – for the first time ever.
A new agreement has been signed between the international train operator as well as Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and French SNCF Voyageurs.
The agreement would allow direct trains between London and Switzerland, with “significant potential” for the route.
The journey would take about five hours from London to the city of Basel, with other cities slightly longer such as Geneva (5.5 hours) and Zurich (six hours).
London is currently the ‘no.1 flight destination’ for Switzerland, with airlines such as Swiss, British Airways and easyJet operating direct flights.
If the new direct trains go ahead, they are likely to launch by the 2030s, although a confirmed date is yet to be revealed.
The current train route from the UK requires a change in Paris, with the whole journey taking around 7hr30.
It isn’t the only new route Eurostar is planning with other cities such as Frankfurt and Cologne in Germany.
Routes could even go as far as Milan in Italy.
Currently Eurostar operates trains to France (Paris and Lille) along with the Netherlands (Amsterdam and Rotterdam) and Brussels.
Virgin also confirmed last year that they would be launching rival trains to Europe, the first to do so alongside Eurostar.
Along with routes to the same destinations, they could also launch trains from Manchester and Birmingham, as well as restore routes from Ashford and Ebbsfleet.