In the future, the train wants to travel directly from Switzerland to London. This raises some problems. The Federal Council wants to decide on the project soon.
Dec 10, 2025, 06:25Dec 10, 2025, 06:25
Stefan Ehrbar / ch media
SBB boss Vincent Ducrot is drawn to the island. In March he announced that the railway wanted to offer direct connections from Switzerland to London. The demand is there: around 12,000 people fly from Switzerland to London every day, around 8,000 of whom have their final destination in the UK. The market is not only large, but also solvent – and demand is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.
These are ideal conditions for a direct rail connection. But there is a problem: England is not part of the Schengen area and requires that entry and security checks take place at the departure stations. In order to introduce a direct train, terminals for these checks would have to be built at Swiss train stations.
The terminal for the London connection at Paris Gare du Nord.Image: keystone
One train replaces six flights
The focus is on direct connections from Zurich HB, Basel SBB or Geneva train stations. The Federal Office of Transport (BAV) has commissioned the SBB to prepare studies on any necessary infrastructural adjustments. He has what that means in the case of Zurich Zurich government council now responds to a request explained.
“In particular, the creation of a separate terminal to carry out the necessary border and security checks as well as separable waiting areas (including departure barriers) will be examined,” states the government council.
“Measures that can prevent unauthorized access to the train while it is parked outside the platform tracks must be further examined.”
It can be assumed that corresponding structural measures “are of minor importance and have no far-reaching impact on space and the environment”. Any responsibility for financing will also be clarified. According to the Zurich government, one direct train could replace around six flight connections in terms of capacity. On average, there are currently 20 flights per day and direction between Zurich and London.
From Basel to London in 5 hours
It is still unclear whether a direct train to London could start in Zurich, Basel or Geneva in the future. The argument against Zurich is that such a train would require space on the busy tracks between Zurich and Basel. According to the government council, the availability of free routes on this route is assessed by the SBB as “critical”.
The railway has been dealing with the issue for a long time. In 2022 she started a rough study. This was completed at the beginning of 2025 and showed that direct connections between Zurich or Basel and London with a travel time of 6 or 5 hours and between Geneva and London with a travel time of 5.5 hours are conceivable.
As SBB spokeswoman Mara Zenhäuser says, the construction of check-in terminals, the availability of capacity on tracks and train stations in Switzerland and the conclusion of intergovernmental agreements for border and entry controls are the biggest challenges. Added to this are the problems of suitable rolling stock, cost-effectiveness and the search for a suitable cooperation partner.
The train will not run until the 2030s at the earliest
As far as this is concerned, the SBB wants to cooperate with Eurostar for a possible direct train to London. It is the company that operates the existing connections between London and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam and is majority owned by the French railway SNCF. SBB boss Vincent Ducrot confirms this to CH Media. However, collaboration with multi-billionaire Richard Branson’s train operator Virgin, who recently received access to a depot in England to set up his own service, is not an issue.
Things are also making progress at the political level. In May, Federal Councilor Albert Rösti (SVP) signed a declaration of intent with his British counterpart to establish a direct rail connection between Switzerland and London.
The Federal Council will make a decision on this matter in 2026, says Zenhäuser. However, a final decision can only be made once the studies have been completed. This is expected to be the case in 2027. The establishment of a direct connection would ultimately require Parliament’s approval because of the many associated changes such as the new agreement.
According to spokeswoman Zenhäuser, the SBB sees “great potential” in the direct connection to London. However, implementation is only conceivable in the 2030s. The railway is now pushing the project forward “step by step”. (aargauerzeitung.ch)