GERMAN Rail (DB) and Eurostar announced on December 4 the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore options for the joint operation of high-speed services between London and major German cities including Cologne and Frankfurt.
The partners say that they are aiming to launch direct services in the early 2030s, “provided that the necessary technical, operational, and legal conditions are met.” Services would be operated with Eurostar’s new double-deck Celestia fleet ordered from Alstom in October.
DB and Eurostar will explore potential timetables and terminal facilities that would enable passengers to complete the security and border controls required for travelling between Britain and the Schengen area via the Channel Tunnel.
Following the signing on July 17 of the friendship and bilateral cooperation treaty between Germany and Britain, the transport ministries of both countries established a joint task force to tackle the political obstacles to direct services from London. This met for the first time on November 25 in Berlin, with its work focusing on entry formalities as well as the necessary infrastructure and intergovernmental agreements.
“We are convinced of the great potential of such a direct connection,” says Michael Peterson, member of the management board for long-distance passenger transport at DB.
“However, this project also shows that new cross-border long-distance services are often only possible through partnerships like this, due to complex framework conditions.”
“By combining Eurostar’s cross-channel know-how and new fleet with DB’s strong presence in Germany, we’re creating a whole new level of connectivity and convenience for our customers,” says Eurostar CEO, Gwendoline Cazenave.
