IN BRIEF | Business travellers in Europe will see faster connections between Germany and the UK when Deutsche Bahn, the German rail operator, starts direct high-speed train services through the Channel Tunnel from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium to London in 2013.

The thrice-daily train service will leave London's impressive St Pancras International station and head for Brussels, where the train will split, with one half going to Rotterdam and Amsterdam, while the other heads for Frankfurt via Cologne, ABTN reports.

Direct trains to Germany and Holland mean that passengers won't have to change train at Brussels -- and often Cologne as well -- to reach Germany. Cologne is a key rail hub for northern Europe, so direct trains there from London are also a benefit.

And direct trains will reduce travel times to Cologne and Amsterdam to four hours, while Frankfurt is just five hours away.

Only Eurostar currently runs trains through the Channel Tunnel, with direct trains to Lille, Paris and Brussels, plus occasional tourist trains to the south of France.

Business travellers heading from London to Paris and Brussels overwhelmingly choose the convenience of the centre-to-centre Eurostar trains over heading out to the airport for a flight.