[AMcWhirter]

Readers may remember that Deutsche Bahn (DB) had firm plans to launch a route between Germany and London St Pancras.

Indeed back in 2010 one of DB’s high-speed ICEs was brought to St Pancras and media wooed over the event … however most were unaware that the ICE was towed to London from Calais by a couple of Tunnel diesel locos.

Now Deutsche Welle reports that DB is reactivating its plans for a Frankfurt-London service via Cologne and Brussels.

DB’s original plans to serve London failed – see “Analysis: It’s 10 years since Deutsche Bahn announced plans for London” – which we posted on line in 2020.

The situation is a little different now as it’s understood that some Tunnel rules have been relaxed somewhat and Getlink wants more passenger trains to use its facility because more trains equate to more toll fees.

A further factor is that trains are more environmentally friendly.

It’s no means certain that DB will realise its ambition and, even if the operator gets the green light, there’s the matter of dealing with the rail infrastructure plus UK Border.

https://www.dw.com/en/channel-tunnel-deutsche-bahn-keen-on-trains-to-london/a-67973093

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Andrew, RCinBelper, Kjell, AndrewinHK, cwoodward

[alistairNicoll]

Well there’s a surprise more trains equal more revenue so why has it taken so long to realise this

[red_robbo]

“more trains equal more revenue”

But of course, more revenue doesn’t always equal more profit.

[alistairNicoll]

I would have thought the cost of providing a path was minimal so most of the revenue would go on the bottom line

[AMcWhirter]

Amongst the beneficiaries are the HS (high-speed) lines in mainland Europe plus the Tunnel and HS1.

They all charge access fees and the fees are high for HS1.

Before he retired the previous boss of Eurostar (before its merger with Thalys)n said that the fees charged to use HS1 were the highest of all the HS lines used by Eurostar.

Tunnel fees are especially high and so no wonder that Getlink wants more trains to use its facility.

In this piece by Simon Calder dated January 2021 it explains how the Tunnel tolls are calculated – see towards the end.

These vary depending on time of day and train occupancy.

So the toll fee for a 750-seat train would be around £4,000. But most services today are operated by Siemens units which accommodate just uner 900 passengers.

But “In normal times the tolls add around £43 to a return London-Paris ticket, meaning that any fare below that sum would generate a loss.”

1 user thanked author for this post.

red_robbo

[AMcWhirter]

Link below:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/eurostar-rescue-trains-london-paris-channel-tunnel-b1791239.html

1 user thanked author for this post.

red_robbo

[SimonS1]

I thought it was a while since this ‘plan’ did the rounds.

Who knows whether anything will ever happen (probably not due to the fragmented nature of stations, tracks, tunnel, rolling stock, customs controls etc together with some industrial action along the way) but it is good for filling a few column inches in the industry media.

[Author]

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