HS1 Ltd, the owner and operator of High Speed 1, says it is in ‘advanced planning’ for establishing a direct high-speed rail link between London and Bordeaux that could see a journey time of less than five hours.
The current rail route requires a change of trains at Paris, taking five hours and 25 minutes with a one hour and five minute connection in Paris, while the return journey has a nearly two-hour stop in Paris to clear border and security controls to re-enter the UK.
HS1 says the direct service will cut journey times by eliminating the need to stop in Paris and establishing immigration and security checks in Bordeaux. It claims the move will allow the rail link to compete with low-cost airlines, which fly 1.2 million passengers per year between London and Bordeaux.
The firm says it is in talks with three other international rail operators along the proposed route – Lisea, Eurotunnel and SNCF Reseau – which could take advantage of a new 302km high-speed line between Tours and Bordeaux. The companies are working on pre-planned and agreed timetable slots and train routes, with HS1 claiming the route could be up and running within ‘a couple of years’ depending on Brexit border control agreements between the UK and French governments.
Dyan Crowther, CEO of HS1, commented: “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.”
HS1 is also in talks with international operators to develop routes to Frankfurt and Geneva, among others.
highspeed1.co.uk