Eurostar is planning three new routes, two of them from London. The British services will connect the UK capital with Frankfurt and Geneva, while the third will link Amsterdam and Brussels with Geneva.

Their introduction depends on a new fleet of up to 50 trains by the early 2030s, which will need an investment of around €2 billion.

The news of Eurostar’s expansion comes as other operators compete for paths on HS1 from London, although the Office of Rail and Road says the capacity of Temple Mills depot is limited. Unless it is enlarged or there is a new depot, only one further operator can be accommodated.

Eurostar says its passenger numbers rose to more than 19.5 million in 2024, which was an increase of 5 per cent. Revenue was up by 2 per cent, to €2.0 billion (£1.7 billion), although its bank debt was €650 million at the end of last year.

Its busiest route is still London-Paris, which carried more than 280,000 passengers last year.

Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said: ‘We’re seeing strong demand for train travel across Europe, with customers wanting to go further by rail than ever before and enjoy the unique experience we provide. Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has bold ambitions for the future.

‘Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality – notably direct trains between London and Germany, and between London and Switzerland for the first time. A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here.’

Alain Krakovitch is president of the Eurostar Groupand director of TGV-INTERCITÉS at Eurostar’s major shareholder, SNCF Voyageurs. He added: ‘2024 is an exceptional year, crowned by the successes of the Olympic Games.  Eurostar is in good shape to serve 30 million passengers and the ambition to develop our European services remains strong.’

British transport secretary Heidi Alexander has welcomed the development, saying: ‘Last month I signed a landmark agreement to deliver a direct rail link between London and Switzerland, paving the way for direct commercial services. Today’s announcement by Eurostar shows that the government’s plan for change is rapidly strengthening the links between major cities in countries across Europe, creating more opportunities to travel, work, and socialise.’

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