Eurostar reveals plans for direct trains to Germany and Switzerland

Eurostar announces proposals to run trains between London St Pancras and both Frankfurt and Geneva 

The firm made known that a fleet of up to 50 new trains, costing around €2bn (£1.7bn) is set out to be running within the next 10 years.

The travel time between London and Frankfurt is estimated to be about five hours, and about 20 minutes longer to get to Geneva.

Eurostar has not yet announced what stops the trains would make along the way, for instance, Cologne for trains to or from Frankfurt, and whether passengers would be able to hop on and off route.

Eurostar's boss claimed there was a strong demand for train travel across Europe, despite challenges of higher operational costs and inflation gripping customer budgets.

The instigation of the new trains, which will also replace some older convoys, is believed to lead to a 30% increase in trains that service London.

In addition to the new fleet in London, the firm also wants to service a direct line to Geneva from both Amsterdam and Brussels.

However, the announcement does raise concerns about whether Eurostar's depot in east London has enough space for more trains.

Its Temple Mills railway storehouse in east London is not only the sole depot in the UK able to accommodate the large trains used in continental Europe but is also the only depot which is already linked to the cross-Channel line.

Currently, Temple Mills is exclusively used by Eurostar, but there has been interest shown by other firms that want to start operating services between London and mainland Europe, including Spanish start-up Evolyn, Richard Branson's Virgin and a partnership between Gemini Trains and Uber.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has told the BBC it was reviewing Eurostar's plans to increase services as well as proposals from rival companies.

However, The ORR said it's a case of either/or, as the depot doesn't hold enough space for both.

The ORR said it would decide on who gets to use the depot by the end of October.

Currently, passengers can travel with the Eurostar from London to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. During the ski season, the French Alps are added to this list.