The Swiss Federal Council has resolved to continue developing plans for direct international passenger services linking Switzerland and London, with decisions on next steps to be taken by the end of 2027.
The government believes the link would enhance rail’s competitiveness against air on a corridor currently served by more than 50 flights per direction each day. At present, rail journeys require interchange at Paris or Lille.
The scheme builds on recent bilateral and industry agreements: Switzerland and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2025, while in May 2026 SBB, SNCF Voyageurs and Eurostar agreed to cooperate on development. The prospective route would operate via France to the Channel Tunnel.
However, substantial challenges remain. Implementation would require amendments to international agreements to enable border and security controls on Swiss territory, including airport-style baggage screening. Multiple federal bodies are involved, coordinated by the Federal Office of Transport.
Preliminary studies indicate end-to-end journey times of around 6 hours from Zurich, 5 hours from Basel and 5.5 hours from Geneva. Entry into service is not expected before the 2030s.