London Could Get a Four-Hour Train to Cologne
Gemini Trains plans to launch a direct rail service between London and Cologne by 2030, challenging Eurostar’s long-standing position in Channel Tunnel passenger travel. The proposed journey would take about four hours, cutting as much as two hours off current trips that normally require at least one change. The British start-up also wants to revive international services at several stations outside central London.
A New Route Beyond St Pancras
- Route: London – Cologne
- Operator: Gemini Trains
- Planned launch: By 2030
- Journey time: About four hours
- Initial frequency: Around 11 services a day across Gemini’s planned network
- London hub: Stratford International
- UK stops: Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International
- Current status: Proposed service; bookings are not open
- Trains: Eight leased electric units with more than 550 seats each
Gemini intends to use Stratford International rather than London St Pancras as its main hub, while restoring cross-Channel calls at Ebbsfleet and Ashford, where Eurostar services ended in 2020. Its wider plans include trains to Paris, Disneyland Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport and Brussels, followed later by Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. Introductory London–Paris fares could begin at about £59 under dynamic pricing.
A direct Cologne service would make the city’s cathedral, Old Town, Rhine waterfront and major Christmas markets easier to reach without changing trains in Brussels. Stratford departures could also suit travellers based in east London, Essex and parts of Kent, while revived stops at Ebbsfleet and Ashford would reduce the need to cross London before starting an international rail journey.
The proposal is still several years away and depends on trains, approvals, Channel Tunnel access and station capacity, so tickets cannot yet be treated as a firm travel option. Even so, Gemini’s plan matters because it targets routes and stations Eurostar does not currently serve directly. More competition could give travellers a wider choice of departure points, destinations and fares on cross-Channel rail.
