Swiss travellers are keen on the idea of rail travel to the United Kingdom, a new survey shows, with a majority in favour of developing direct trains between the two countries and willing to switch from air travel to trains if prices were right.
A YouGov poll commissioned by Transport & Environment (T&E), T&E, actif-trafiC and ATE, surveyed opinions from over 1,000 Swiss adults and took place in September 2026. It found 58% of respondents support developing direct rail connections to the UK, and 61% of people who would normally fly to London would choose rail instead if prices were lower. They would also be more likely to travel by rail if the train journeys were shorter.
Despite this enthusiasm for rail travel, seven in ten Swiss people travelling to the UK said they would currently fly. Part of the problem is that, at present, no direct train links Switzerland and the UK. A train journey between Zurich and London takes eight to nine hours, and from Geneva up to eight hours. The survey commissioners also argue that security checks at Gare du Nord can make catching the Eurostar on time challenging. Meanwhile, an average of 50 flights a day operate between Switzerland and London (around 23 from Geneva, 21 from Zurich and six from Basel).
Eurostar, however, is planning to launch new direct trains to connect the two non-EU countries, with the proposed services claimed to slash journey times between the two countries down to five to six hours. Travel Tomorrow reported earlier this year that Eurostar, Swiss rail operator SBB, and France’s SNCF Voyageurs signed a “memorandum of understanding” (MoU) on 11 May 2026, declaring that the trio “are dedicated to work together on the project of potential direct connections between London and Switzerland.”
The development of direct Swiss-UK trains could be a gamechanger for a huge range of travellers, from skiers, hikers, and wild swimmers, to business travellers, London sightseers, and visitors to Christmas markets.
Demand for such services appears clear according to the survey results. Close to half of Swiss people use trains to go abroad at least once a year, and six in ten rail travellers say they would choose the train for journeys of up to six hours. In addition, a majority of Swiss people think that developing international rail infrastructure is the right priority.
With that in mind, as well as the significant reduction in greenhouse emissions the move could achieve, T&E has published a list of recommended next steps, including garnering support from Federal and Regional authorities and rail operators (CFF/SBB, Eurostar, SNCF), and calling on the Swiss government to invest in train stations ready to host direct London-Geneva and London-Basel/Zürich services.
Authorities are also being urged to work with transport operators (CFF/SBB, Eurostar, SNCF) to ensure that train fares will be attractive and affordable — a factor highlighted by the survey as key for many consumers.
