Swiss eyes direct railway links to London

The government considered the challenges related to this railway connection during a discussion.

For example, precisely which stations in Switzerland will yet be served. Since the United Kingdom is not part of the Schengen Zone, border controls will also be necessary both for entry and for exit, the announcement said.

It becomes known that in the case of a direct train service between Switzerland and London, entry controls will have to be conducted on Swiss soil, she added.

Furthermore, stricter security regulations and stricter controls apply to Eurotunnel, respectively. According to the government, extending international treaties in Switzerland is necessary for border and security controls.

The relevant departments are in charge of further reviewing outstanding issues. It aims to decide further steps by the end of 2027.

A direct link between Swiss stations and London is expected to become operational from 2030 onward.

London is considered the most popular travel destination for the Swiss, reports Swissinfo. A planned direct link is expected to enable six-hour travel lengths between Cyril and London, five and a half hours from Geneva and five hours from Basel, Swiss Federal Railways said last March. This fulfills the expectations of travelers, broadcasts albinfo.ch.

In May of last year, federal railways signed a memorandum of understanding with the French rail company SNCF Voyageurs and Eurostar International, the high-speed train operator between London and the European continent.

A political base for the train already exists: Transport Minister Albert Röst and British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander agreed last May to a relevant intergovernmental agreement in London.

According to the transport ministry, state subsidies for service functioning are not planned. It will have to be run commercially by a railway company and financed through ticket sales.