Swiss public supports direct rail link to London

A YouGov poll indicates that 58 percent of Swiss respondents support the creation of a direct rail connection between Switzerland and London, while only 8 percent oppose it. The survey, commissioned by organizations including Transport & Environment (T&E), actif-trafiC, and the Association for Transport and the Environment (ATE), was conducted among 1,048 adults in September 2026.

Key barriers to rail travel compared to flying include price and duration. While 79 percent of those choosing planes cite speed as the primary reason, 61 percent of respondents indicated they would consider the train if tickets were cheaper. A direct route could potentially reduce the Geneva-to-London travel time from over seven hours to approximately five and a half hours by avoiding transfers in Paris.

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), France's SNCF, and Eurostar have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the connection. However, significant hurdles remain, and the service is not expected to be operational before 2030.