Direct trains linking London and the French wine capital of Bordeaux in just over four hours could run within two years, according to high-speed rail operators.
The prospect of 200mph trains whisking UK travellers straight to south-west France has come a step closer after rail firms on both sides of the Channel said they were agreeing plans to develop the service, which would bypass Paris to join the recently completed line south of Tours.
Eurostar, which recently started direct services from London to Amsterdam, has in the past discussed such a route, but its network development has been slowed by logistical difficulties - particularly border controls.
The collaboration by operators of the different high-speed rail tracks, to agree routes, timetable slots and clear red tape, could in theory allow Eurostar or another train company to start services in two years’ time. However, passport checks are likely to remain an issue without further government agreement.
Rail operators believe that the direct route, connecting city centres, would be a viable competitor to air travel on a route used by 1.2 million plane passengers a year.
HS1, the firm that operates Britain’s only existing high-speed tracks from St Pancras to the start of the Channel tunnel, said it was looking at developing direct routes to Geneva and Frankfurt in a similar way. It is working with Eurotunnel and the operators of the French infrastructure, SNCF Réseau and Lisea, on the Bordeaux route.
Dyan Crowther, the chief executive of HS1 Ltd, said: “As we’ve seen with the recent introduction of the Eurostar London-Amsterdam service, there’s a real demand for international train services to provide a comfortable and better-connected service, especially for leisure journeys.
“This is the first time that railway operators have collaborated in this way and saves the train operator having to do a lot of legwork. The route is almost ready for a train operator to turn up and turn the key as soon as the UK and French governments agree on border controls. With the right commitment, we could be looking at new services in the next couple of years.”
