Plans for a direct rail service between London and Bordeaux have been confirmed by rail chiefs, with proposals to open up a route to the wine-growing region sometime in 2026.

While there is already a direct high-speed service between Paris and Bordeaux – taking around two hours – the Eurotunnel train between London St Pancras and the French capital terminates at Gare du Nord; passengers must then cross Paris to the TGV Terminal at Montparnasse to continue on to the south west of France.

A new direct service is expected to take around five hours with Dyan Crowther, the chief executive of HS1, the company that operates the route from St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel, confirming that Bordeaux is one of a number of new services planned. Crowther has spoken for several years about the hopes to open a direct route to the wine capital, saying in the past that “the key to unlocking the route is agreement between the UK and French governments on border control.”    

New border controls following the UK’s departure from the EU have increased checking in times at St Pancras, an issue that is likely to be further complicated by the introduction later this year of a new automated, biometric system for travellers from third countries crossing in or out of the EU.

Along with the direct route to Bordeaux, there are also plans for new train services from St Pancras to Geneva, Frankfurt and Cologne.