Overview

• Germany’s transport ministers signed an intention on August 13 and created a joint taskforce to tackle regulatory, security and infrastructure issues for a through-train connection.
• Deutsche Bahn and Eurostar have proposed ordering up to 50 new trains and are coordinating technical and operational plans under the taskforce’s oversight.
• Major hurdles include post-Brexit passport and security controls that require dedicated facilities at German departure stations, multi-country safety certifications and constrained station capacity.
• Officials consider an early-2030s start date realistic given the need for border-control infrastructure, regulatory approvals and station upgrades in Frankfurt, Cologne and other hubs.
• Separately, Deutsche Bahn’s rollout of the OSDM ticketing standard and integrated DB sales platform aims to enable seamless cross-border bookings by end-2026 but does not address core entry and infrastructure challenges.