Uber plots Channel Tunnel disruption with app-bookable high-speed trains

A partnership with Gemini Rail could see Uber trains running from Stratford and Ebbsfleet to Paris, Brussels and Lille within four years, opening app-based booking to international rail for the first time

Uber is preparing to extend its mobility platform from city streets to continental railways, with plans for passengers to book cross-Channel high-speed trains directly through its app.

In partnership with new entrant Gemini Trains, a start-up chaired by industry veteran Lord Tony Berkeley, the U.S firm has submitted proposals to the UK regulator to run 10 new trains between east London, Paris, Brussels and Lille.

Unlike Eurostar, which has run all London departures from St Pancras since the Tunnel opened in 1994, the proposed Uber–Gemini service would bypass Zone 1 entirely, starting instead from Stratford International in east London and Ebbsfleet in Kent.

If approved, the first services could launch by 2029 and mark the most direct challenge yet to Eurostar’s three-decade dominance of the Channel Tunnel.

The move would allow users to open the Uber app and select a train to Paris in the same way they currently book a taxi, river cruise or rental bike.

And it means they could use a single platform to book and manage the entire journey, from ordering a car to Stratford International, to boarding a train through the Tunnel, to arranging onward connections on the Continent.

Lord Berkeley said: “Our team has real strength, depth, vision and dynamism and is superbly placed to offer customers choice on what is currently a monopoly route”.

The firm’s CEO Adrian Quine added: “The high-speed line connecting London and the continent through the Channel Tunnel is one of the great rail routes.

“With a whole new generation now choosing trains over planes, there is a great opportunity to bring real entrepreneurial flair and dynamism with competitive fares to Europe’s premier route”.

Eurostar has long been criticised for high fares, with returns to Paris often exceeding £200 even when booked weeks in advance.

But Gemini and Uber are promising a “customer-first” approach, with both economy and business seats priced competitively, and service designed to compete on value as well as speed.

Stratford International already houses passport control, customs and Border Force infrastructure.

It also links directly with the Elizabeth line, the DLR, the Overground, and Southeastern rail services, making it one of London’s best-connected – and least busiest – hubs.

Gemini’s plans also include restarting international departures from Ebbsfleet International in Kent. Eurostar suspended services there in 2020, but the station retains its full passport and security infrastructure.

Located off the M25, with extensive parking and strong regional rail links, Ebbsfleet is designed as a park-and-ride hub for South-East passengers who want to avoid central London altogether.

For Uber, rail is another step towards becoming a European “super-app” for transport. Its UK app already integrates buses, coaches, boat trips and bike hire alongside ride-hailing.

But adding international trains would allow it to capture more of the traveller’s journey, from door to door.

The earliest realistic launch date is 2029, with approvals, financing and rolling-stock procurement still to be secured.

Travellers yesterday told The European that the new service could transform how they plan their journeys.

Sarah Thompson, 34, a marketing consultant from Hackney who makes monthly trips on Eurostar to see clients in Brussels, said: “Getting to St Pancras is always the worst part of the journey. If I could board at Stratford instead, it would save me nearly an hour each way.”

Another passenger, James Patel, 42, an IT engineer who commutes fortnightly between London and Paris, added: “Eurostar is convenient once you’re on board, but the fares are eye-watering. If Uber brings real competition, it will be a game-changer.”