Could a direct high-speed train between Switzerland and London soon be a reality

[whole diary]

[CyclingSid]

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/could-a-direct-high-speed-train-link-between-switzerland-and-london-soon-be-a-reality-/49071586?view=canonical

Boarding a train in Switzerland for the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) would therefore involve both security and passport controls similar to those required at airports – and new checkpoints and terminal facilities to be built at the appropriate Swiss stations.

This would obviously be an issue at UK end.

Sleeper trains through the Channel Tunnel?

[broadgage]

Sounds a good idea, hopefully the challenges can be overcome.
A direct train service is far preferable to a connecting service, simpler/less to go wrong/go on strike.
Throughout mainland Europe there is a renewed interest in sleeper trains instead of short haul air travel.

[RichardB]

An initial pair of trains between Basel and London, one each way daily, would be brilliant and I'd be confident it would be a great success.   

[grahame]

An initial pair of trains between Basel and London, one each way daily, would be brilliant and I'd be confident it would be a great success.   

Basel makes sense as a gateway for places right across Switzerland and perhaps beyond:

https://www.tgv-lyria.com/fr/en/booking/destinations/paris-basel

Lying in the far north-west of Switzerland, bordering France and Germany, Basel is the country’s third-biggest city. Basel boasts a rich historical heritage, and is packed with culture and architecture, old and new.

London to Paris - 2 hours and 17 minutes
Paris to Basel - 3 hours and 4 minutes

See the article linked to in the thread above referring to how to avoid the need to cross Paris; I suspect 6 hours could be achieved. 

I passed through Basel on my Interail trip last November - struck by the separate station section (platforms upwards of no. 30) for French services that had a customs post at the entrance and were distinctly underutilised.   But resetting all of this for just one UK^▸ (United Kingdom) train a day might not make economic sense, and would one train be able to make the round trip or would you need 2 sets?   Interworking with shorter (Paris or Brussels?) workings?

Basel main station section


Less than fully used grand hall ...


... on the way to the rather quiet French platforms.


And onwards to other destinations ...
Basel to Zurich - 53 minutes
Basel to Bern - 58 minutes
Basel to Lucerne - 1 hours and 2 minutes
Basel to Geneva - 2 hours and 44 minutes
Basel to Milan - 4 hours and 12 minutes
Basel to Munich - 4 hours and 31 minutes

[broadgage]

Sleeper trains through the Channel tunnel ! special manufacture needed no doubt, perhaps call this new sleeper stock "Nightstar" or something similar.

[Electric train]

Sleeper trains through the Channel tunnel ! special manufacture needed no doubt, perhaps call this new sleeper stock "Nightstar" or something similar.

The rules have changed for the trains that run through the Channel Tunnel, the Class 374, (Eurostar e320) do not have fire doors that close between coaches which Class 373, (Eurostar e300) or the requirement to be able to split the train in half and with the 2 emergency driving positions, there are a number of other special Channel Tunnel features that have been removed as a requirement.

Provided the trains are only required to operate on HS1^▸ (High Speed line 1 - St Pancras to Channel Tunnel) and the loops at Ashford International station they will not need to meet the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) loading gauge

[TaplowGreen]

Given that you can fly to Basel from several London airports for around £100 return in around 90 mins, how would this proposed train service compete, how much (roughly) would it cost and from where would the demand come?

[IndustryInsider]

Given that you can fly to Basel from several London airports for around £100 return in around 90 mins, how would this proposed train service compete, how much (roughly) would it cost and from where would the demand come?

Some of the answers to those questions are in the article quoted by CyclingSid, but specifically:

Speaking at an event in France, Getlink’s chief executive Yann Leriche said rail could eventually expect to take 30-40% of the airline traffic on the shorter German and Swiss routes from London, journeys of five to six hours by train.

He said new entrants and destinations could now arrive swiftly. Two potential operators, the Spanish rail firm Evolyn and the Dutch train startup Heuro, have publicly declared their interest in rivalling Eurostar. Leriche said he had been in conversation with at least two other players about starting competing operations through the tunnel.

The current service in the Eurotunnel – around 400 trains a day – could be expanded to 1,000, said Getlink’s CEO^▸ (Chief Executive Officer). There is a potential for one million rail travellers a year between London and Geneva or Zurich, he noted.

I guess that more detail on whether it might have potential will be when the results of the feasability study are released next year.  I have my doubts, but it is undeniable that the appetite for such a service is heading in the right direction.

[CyclingSid]

I noticed next to my first link "How to behave on a Swiss train" https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/swiss-train-etiquette/44854438 and how many Swiss would travel to UK^▸ (United Kingdom) more than once by train as I think you could say that our etiquette does not match their standards.

[eightonedee]

how many Swiss would travel to UK^▸ (United Kingdom) more than once by train as I think you could say that our etiquette does not match their standards.

Actually Sid, reading this through, it looks like you get all the behaviour people complain of over here, the exception being that the (fuss-pot?) guide to etiquette featured in the article seems to think it is acceptable to put your bare feet up on the seat opposite!