Our vision for international rail

Our 2050 Vision

Vision:

International rail

We believe a viable medium- and long-term alternative to air and road travel abroad is to enhance our international rail links.

At Enroute, we strive to create a greener, economically-friendly, and community-influenced public and active transport network, encouraging modal shift from road and private car to sustainable modes of transport. We elaborate on our aims with our comprehensive vision for the transport network in 2050.

Our 2050 Vision draws on our work and the published work of other organisations. Whilst we highlight where our vision aligns with the views of other organisations, the 2050 Vision represents Enroute’s views and should not be taken to represent those of other organisations.

International rail in Kent

Enroute supports the reintroduction of some form of international European rail service to Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International, to act as a regional hub for international rail across South West London, Kent and Sussex.

New Europe-bound routes

We support the development and introduction of new European-bound routes from London through various operators including in competition to Eurostar, such as direct routes to Frankfurt, Marseille, Barcelona and Milan via Disneyland Paris, Lyon, Turin and Montpellier.

We also support proposals for night train routes from London to destinations in mainland Europe such as Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Munich, Milan, Zurich, Barcelona and Madrid.

International rail in other UK cities

We support the concept of serving other UK cities including Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow with international rail services (potentially including night services) utilising classic and potential new high speed rail infrastructure.

We acknowledge three main limitations with this approach:

Border policy (juxtaposed border controls);
Security requirements; and
Channel tunnel rolling stock regulations

These routes would complement those serving London.

Enroute would support further research into the case for enhanced cross-channel rail (extending both beyond London and beyond Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam) and overcoming the above limitations through technological innovation, policy change.

We are supportive of a rail link in some form between HS1 and HS2 to enable through international services to other UK cities.