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Travellers may soon be able to reach key European cities on high-speed trains without the rush and crowds of central London’s St. Pancras International station.
To rival Eurostar’s grip on cross-Channel travel, Uber has announced the upcoming launch of Uber Trains. This will allow 10 high-speed trains to offer direct connections to cities like Brussels, Paris and Lille through the Channel Tunnel, from east London’s Stratford International Station
The transport giant has partnered with startup Gemini Trains for this project, which could start operating as early as 2029, pending construction and approvals. Gemini Trains has already sent its proposals to the rail regulator.
Travellers will likely be able to book train tickets on Uber’s app, which already offers cabs, bikes and Thames river cruises.
Stratford International in the spotlight
With East London quickly becoming a commercial and transportation hub, many passengers are increasingly choosing Stratford International as a place to start their journeys.
The station is especially convenient, as it already offers multiple routes for inter-county travel and is well-positioned to upgrade to international travel. It has also recently been expanded and renovated to include the Elizabeth line.
Other connections include the Overground, DLR and Southeastern links, allowing travellers from all over London and the Southeast to access the station relatively easily.
Gemini Trains has shared that plans to launch trains to Paris from Ebbsfleet International station, in Ebbsfleet, Kent, are also in the pipeline. The station provides large parking facilities and can be reached by many regional rail services, making it another accessible departure point for travellers outside London.
“Locating the terminus in east London and reusing Ebbsfleet would open up catchment areas to cross-Channel rail services to 18 million people,” Adrian Quine, CEO of Gemini Trains, told The Times.
How Uber Trains could challenge the Eurostar
For many years, Eurostar has dominated cross-Channel travel, with fares often well over €230. for return tickets to Paris- despite being booked weeks in advance.
Low service reliability, misleading advertising, multiple scheduling problems and delays have also contributed to the train company facing considerable backlash in recent years.
Uber Trains’ entry into the cross-Channel travel market could potentially encourage other entrants, as well as boost more competitive pricing and better service quality.
“We believe that an unashamed ‘customer first’ service culture, coupled with great value fares and truly innovative offerings, will help reinvigorate rail travel,” Gemini Trains said on its website.
“We believe there is a significant opportunity for a dynamic and innovative operator offering mixed ‘economy’ and ‘business’ seats at a competitive price to Eurostar.”
The launch of Uber Trains could offer passengers more choice in cross-Channel travel, especially as rising travel prices squeeze holiday budgets.