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View offers Hi {{fullName}} * My Independent Premium * Account details * Help centre * Logout (BUTTON) News > UK > UK Politics Close Deutsche Bahn had already obtained an operating certificate to run InterCity Express services through the Channel Tunnel Plans for UK-Germany high speed rail services shelved due to ‘significantly changed economic environment’ Exclusive: Deutsche Bahn declines to say whether Brexit played a role in cancellation * Jon Stone Europe Correspondent @joncstone * Saturday 16 June 2018 20:07 {{^moreThanTen}} * {{total}} comments {{/moreThanTen}} * Germany’s state rail operator has shelved plans for international high-speed services between London, Cologne and Frankfurt due to “changes” in the “economic environment”, The Independent has learned. Deutsche Bahn (DB) said the services to London would now “not be on the agenda in the foreseeable future”, despite just last year saying they were “still interested”. The company would neither confirm nor deny whether uncertainty caused by floundering Brexit talks had played a part in their decision to mothball the project, saying they did not want to wade into politics. Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines (BUTTON) Download now Watch more * Eurostar to finally launch London-Amsterdam direct service DB had already begun early preparations to run the trains, successfully obtaining an operating certificate to run services through the Channel Tunnel in 2013 and even going as far as to display one of its sleek InterCity Express (ICE) units at London St Pancras to drum up publicity. A high-speed train running from London to Cologne on current infrastructure would take around three-and-a-half hours, with a London to Frankfurt service taking around four-and-a-half – roughly the same time as London-Edinburgh services. The Times reported in March 2017 that officials at Eurotunnel, who run the infrastructure, had been told by DB that the services would be starting around 2020. DB told industry publication International Railway Journal at the time that they were “still interested” in running in “the medium-term” but declined to confirm a start date. But a spokesperson for the publicly owned company now told The Independent: “ICE direct services to London will not be on the agenda in the foreseeable future. We ask for your understanding that we won’t comment on political developments like Brexit. Deutsche Bahn spokesperson “The decisive factors are technical and economic reasons: the ICE BR 407 is not yet registered in Belgium and the economic environment has changed significantly as a result of the price competition with low-cost airlines. “We ask for your understanding that we won’t comment on political developments like Brexit.” One reason cited by the spokesperson, that its train model is not registered in Belgium, is technically correct – though similar trains are now used through the tunnel by Eurostar under a different brand name, meaning obtaining clearance to run them should not be difficult. As well as the uncertainty caused by Brexit potentially affecting the services, there had been some speculation in the railway industry press that the relocation of financial services to Frankfurt from London after the UK leaves the EU could increased demand for a high speed rail link, with executives needing to travel back and forth at speed. This benefit does not yet appear to have materialised. Inside Politics newsletter The latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox ____________________ Enter your email address (BUTTON) Continue (BUTTON) Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in receiveBrexit_______ [ ] I would like to receive updates on politics every morning by email Update newsletter preferences Eurostar’s e320 trains are technically similar to DB’s newer ICE trains, both being based on the Siemens Velaro family In recent months Eurostar, which is majority owned by the French state railway company SNCF, has begun running services from London to Amsterdam via Rotterdam in the Netherlands. DB’s original plans for cross-channel services reportedly also involved running to Amsterdam, with the train splitting at Brussels and its two halves heading towards the Netherlands and Germany respectively. The two operators would potentially have been in direct competition on the Dutch route. Eurostar has also faced difficulty with border control arrangements at Amsterdam and Rotterdam, with passengers currently having to change at Brussels for checks on the return journey because Amsterdam station lacks the right facilities. Boarding an international train in most of Europe is like boarding any other train, but Britain’s refusal to join the borderless Schengen area means continental stations with services to London must be specifically configured for passport control and security checks – with dedicated platforms physically walled-off from others as if they were a national border. These physical changes to stations are not always possible and require significant investment that limits the ability to trial new routes. Created with Sketch. The week in travel: in pictures Show all 10 Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. The week in travel: in pictures 1/10 Ali Campbell and ex UB40 members in Antigua Virgin Atlantic 2/10 Ali Campbell and ex UB40 members perform in Antigua. They were there to film a new music video encouraging tourists to return to the caribbean post hurricane. Virgin Atlantic 3/10 The World's steepest funicular rail line is opening in Switzerland REUTERS 4/10 A skier in front of mount Grosser Mythen and the barrel-shaped carriages of a new funicular line during sunny winter weather on a piste in Stoos, Switzerland REUTERS 5/10 President Donald Trump gets a tour of the newly-opened Mississippi Civil Rights Museum AP 6/10 "This Little Light of Mine," gallery, a soaring space in the heart of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum AP 7/10 Snow caused havoc with transport throughout Europe. Here a snow truck clears snow from the tarmac of Brussels Airport, after several flights were delayed and cancelled due to the cold temperatures. AFP/Getty Images 8/10 In the Netherlands, at Schiphol Airport, stranded passengers spent the night on camp beds because their flights have been cancelled. AFP/Getty Images 9/10 People walk in front of the ancient Pantheon in downtown Rome, from May 2018 it will begin to charge tourists fees to visit REUTERS 10/10 Tourists take pictures as they visit the ancient Pantheon in downtown Rome REUTERS 1/10 Ali Campbell and ex UB40 members in Antigua Virgin Atlantic 2/10 Ali Campbell and ex UB40 members perform in Antigua. They were there to film a new music video encouraging tourists to return to the caribbean post hurricane. Virgin Atlantic 3/10 The World's steepest funicular rail line is opening in Switzerland REUTERS 4/10 A skier in front of mount Grosser Mythen and the barrel-shaped carriages of a new funicular line during sunny winter weather on a piste in Stoos, Switzerland REUTERS 5/10 President Donald Trump gets a tour of the newly-opened Mississippi Civil Rights Museum AP 6/10 "This Little Light of Mine," gallery, a soaring space in the heart of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum AP 7/10 Snow caused havoc with transport throughout Europe. Here a snow truck clears snow from the tarmac of Brussels Airport, after several flights were delayed and cancelled due to the cold temperatures. AFP/Getty Images 8/10 In the Netherlands, at Schiphol Airport, stranded passengers spent the night on camp beds because their flights have been cancelled. AFP/Getty Images 9/10 People walk in front of the ancient Pantheon in downtown Rome, from May 2018 it will begin to charge tourists fees to visit REUTERS 10/10 Tourists take pictures as they visit the ancient Pantheon in downtown Rome REUTERS The new e320 trains purchased by Eurostar are, unlike its old ones, capable of running on the overhead wires system used in Germany – though the company has not announced plans for any services there. Earlier this year a number of infrastructure companies announced they were interested in a rail operator coming forward to operate a London-Bordeaux service, but none has yet done so. As track speeds increase in Europe, longer-distance high-speed services are being introduced – with operators successfully competing against airlines by offering comfortable and convenient services between city centres rather than outlying airports with onerous check-in procedures. Industry wisdom generally holds that train journeys of up to four hours are usually able to capture significant market share from flying, but some are even longer – with services between Paris and Barcelona taking around six and a half hours. In the summer months Eurostar runs a seasonal service between London and Marseille, which takes a similar amount of time. 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