German theme park, Europa Park, is looking to increase the number of French visitors to the resort, after negotiating a cross-border fast train connection between Paris and a train station less than a mile from its gates.

Following successful talks, the high-speed TGV train service from Paris to the southern German city of Freiburg will now make an extra stop at Ringsheim-Europa-Park station.

The journey from Paris to Europa Park will take less than 3 hours and there will be nine return journeys scheduled per week.

As well as the Paris link, the park will be further serviced by the launch of a weekly service from Freiburg to Bordeaux.

Run by rail operator SNCF, the direct, one-way tickets from Bordeaux to Freiburg cost €59 (£51, US$63).

The first direct trains from Paris and Bordeaux stopped at the station earlier this month (December 2022).

The move comes two years after Europa Park successfully campaigned to get an inter-city train travelling between German city Frankfurt and Milan in Italy to stop at the Ringsheim-Europa-Park station.

The theme park's focus on utilising the Ringsheim-Europa-Park station for its arriving guests is part of efforts to become more sustainable in all its operations.