Whilst taking a plane might be the fastest way of reaching your destination, so much is missed on the ground! Taking trains to far and wide destinations may seem unpleasant at first, but once you factor in the views, free WiFi, fewer costs for baggage and all the extra leg room, taking a train definitely beats taking a plane!
The train operator Eurostar has been taking passengers through the Channel Tunnel to France, Belgium and the Netherlands for years and they are soon to add a new destination to the list! Believe it or not, plans to link the UK and Germany by train are being considered after Eurostar intends to merge forces with Thalys – another European high-speed pan-European train operator.
This means a larger network of places to choose from when taking any Eurostar train from London. The reason for the delay has mainly been down to the pandemic and further delays in development. With the green light from the European Commission, the train operators are working very closely to get this plan in place very soon.
What does this mean for you?
For those of us looking to travel for business or leisure, a trip to Berlin will become a possibility. Within a few hours, you could see yourself going from London’s St Pancras station to Berlin. You may still have to change trains in Paris, but it means not having to wait in airports and instead, spending more time admiring the views. With other German destinations in the plans as well, you could see yourself travelling from London to Cologne in five to six hours.
The plan to merge comes after the train operators invested their interest into a more eco way of travelling. Their intention is to find an alternative to flying and reduce environmental pollution. Not only is it more harmful to the environment when taking the plane, but airports are also facing extreme difficulties with a shortage of staff and delayed flights. A direct train from London to Berlin might just be the start of a bigger solution.
Main Image – Aleksei Zaitcev, Unsplash
