The UK and German governments have agreed to work together to create a long-distance rail service between the countries, as well as allowing UK business travellers to use eGates at the German border.
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The initiatives are part of a wider treaty between the two nations, which was signed last week by UK prime minister Keir Starmer and Germany¡¯s chancellor Friedrich Merz.
One of the provisions of the treaty will see the formation of a joint taskforce, which will ¡°address the barriers¡± to establishing long-distance train services between the UK and Germany.
In a statement, the UK government said a train service between London and Berlin could be operational within 10 years. It added that the move forms part of the government¡¯s "wider plan to boost international rail connectivity and deliver more travel options for passengers".
A more immediate benefit of the treaty for corporate travellers is that the German government is planning to allow UK passport holders to use eGates at its borders, which has not previously been possible since Brexit.
Under the plan, frequent UK business travellers will be allowed to use the eGates at German airports by the end of this summer. This will then be extended to all UK passport holders ¡°as soon as technically possible¡±.
The announcement of plans for a UK-Germany rail service came just weeks after Eurostar said it planned to launch a route from London to Frankfurt when it receives new trains in the early 2030s.
¡°This landmark agreement has the potential to fundamentally change how millions of people travel between our two countries, offering a faster, more convenient and significantly greener alternative to flying,¡± said UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander.
¡°A new task force will bring our nations closer together and create new opportunities for tourism, business and cultural exchange, building on a landmark deal we signed earlier this year to explore introducing direct services to Switzerland.¡±?
Plans for a rail link between the UK and Germany have failed to reach fruition before, with Deutsche Bahn abandoning its attempts to launch a London-Frankfurt service in the 2010s.