Eurostar’s newly announced plans to launch direct services from London to Frankfurt and Geneva by the early 2030s have sparked enthusiasm across Europe’s rail map.
Yet, as Paperjam noted, Luxembourg is absent from the plans despite its strategic location and existing TGV links.
As reported by AFP on Wednesday, the €2 billion investment includes 50 new trains, increased services to Amsterdam and Brussels, and an ambitious target to reach 30 million passengers annually. “A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here,” said Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave.
The company’s expansion comes as competitors like Trenitalia and Virgin signal entry into cross-Channel services, challenging Eurostar’s decades-long monopoly. Luxembourg’s government, meanwhile, says it’s open to supporting new initiatives – though it hasn’t been approached by Eurostar.
The Grand Duchy already benefits from daily TGV services to Paris, making its role as a regional hub clear. Even the Trier region often relies on Luxembourg for access to Europe’s high-speed rail network, as Trierer Volksfreund points out.
Getting to London from Luxembourg
From an editorial perspective, the Luxembourg – London train route via Brussels remains a viable alternative. On days without delays or strikes, the journey takes just over five hours (plus an additional hour of buffer time to go through security and customs): approximately three hours to Brussels-Midi, followed by a Eurostar service of around two hours to London.
With CFL offering fixed-price fares to Brussels and Eurostar recently reintroducing its Snap fare option, this route is often the cheaper route to London. That said, travelling via Paris also allows for a quick lunch break overlooking the Haussmannian boulevards.
With Eurostar arriving at St Pancras, in the heart of Central London, total travel time does rival with air travel once airport transfers and waiting times are taken into account.
Now that Frankfurt and Geneva will be joining the network, the question remains: when will Luxembourg hop on the train?
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