Swiss parliament member Matthias Aebische is calling on the Federal Council to examine with France and Great Britain how a direct Basel-London daily train connection can be created.
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Schengen the worlds largest visa free zone? What about the USA, Russia?
The visa issues would probably not apply to inbound traffic to the EU and Switzerland, so that trains might continue to Zurich and other destinations in theory, if they could master Swiss rail’s 15 kV power and train control system. The trains would then have to run as “local trains” back to Basel, where all passengers would have to depart before boarding of passengers to London.
Australia, China and Canada are also larger than the EU or Shengen area. May have uniform specifications for trains.
One trainset might travel Basel – London and either Paris – Basel or Paris – London daily during daytime, in both direction, i.e. 4 routes, or Basel – London 3 times oneway. With four trainsets, starting in the morning from Basel and London, and from Paris in both directions, departures about every three hours could be made possible.
With about 21 flights daily from Zurich and 6 from Basel to London, five train services would not seem too ambitious.
Eurotunnel track access charges may kill it.
This is completely unrealistic. What they should do is get a direct service to Lille, where you can make a same-station connection onto the Eurostar instead of having to cross Paris to reach Gare du Nord.
Expanding Eurostar services between Lille and London would have a big impact too – if they are hourly or better, then you don’t have to worry too much timing the Basel-Lille train.
If you wanted a much better service, then a new line Strasbourg-Luxembourg-Brussels would have a big impact.
There was a direct TGV service between Lille and Geneva but it turned out to be uneconomical. A Basel to Brussels service that stops at Lille would be the next best thing if they can’t sort out border controls at Basel (the alternative would be to turf the passengers off at Lille and put them through security, which I think is what they do with the ski trains).
There are almost 100 flights every single day between any of Switzerland’s airports and London. Now imagine if just one fraction of these travelers would opt to take the train, the market potential is huge! There is no doubt in my mind this direct link will eventually become a reality.
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There are almost 100 flights every single day between any of Switzerland’s airports and London. If just one fraction of these travelers would opt to take the train, the market potential is huge! There is no doubt in my mind this direct link will eventually become a reality.
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The service between Lille and Geneva was not conveniently timed . Sncf very often runs interregional trains outside of busy hours, effectively killing any hope for economic success. Even the Bordeaux Lyon services doesn’t run anymore , although nowadays these trains could run on highspeed lines for almost the whole route. Eurostar beeing managed by Sncf , a Basle London train will simply not happen.
I believe in the enormous potential of a direct line between London St Pancras and the rest of central Europe. I believe that it is necessary to build a new very high speed line (Above 320km/h with targets to reach 400km/h between Lille-Europe, passing through Luxembourg, and connecting at the junction in Bruchsal (where the routes “The Magistrale for Europe” and the “Rhine–Alpine Corridor” intersect. Such a route would meet all the demand of southern Germany with direct trains to key cities.
I believe in the enormous potential of a direct line between London St Pancras and the rest of central Europe. I believe that it is necessary to build a new very high speed line (Above 320km/h with targets to reach 400km/h between Lille-Europe, passing through Luxembourg, and connecting at the junction in Bruchsal (where the routes “The Magistrale for Europe” and the “Rhine–Alpine Corridor” intersect. Such a route would meet all the demand of southern Germany with direct trains to several cities
such as Luxembourg in 2:05h, Stuttgart in 3h, Saarbrücken 2:30h, Strassbourg 3:30h, Mannheim 3h, Karlsruhe 2:50h, Ulm 3:30h, Augsburg 3:55h, Munich 4:25h, Mulhouse 4:40h, Basel 4:20h, Zürich 5:30h, Bern 5:30h, Nuremberg 5h, Freiburg 3:45h, Heidelberg 3:05h, Heilbron 3:05h, Ingolstadt 4:35h, Frankfurt Airport 3:30h (city 3:40h) and to Salzburg 6h, Vienna 8:30h, Linz 7h, Bratislava 9:30, Innsbruck 5:50h).