Virgin is on track to launch a rival train service through the Channel Tunnel
Image: c Harry Kinnaird / VML
Virgin has been given the green light to launch a rival international train service through the Channel Tunnel, thanks to a decision made by the Office of Rail and Road.
For 30 years, Eurostar has enjoyed a cross-Channel monopoly with its first paying passengers travelling on November 14, 1994. The government ruling means that Virgin will break that monopoly and can use Temple Mills, an east London train depot, to maintain and store its trains.
The news comes just days after Eurostar announced a €2bn (£1.7bn) investment in new fully electric double-decker trains scheduled to begin services in May 2031.
Sir Richard said, “It’s time to end this 30-year monopoly. We’re going to shake up the cross-Channel route for good and give consumers the choice they deserve.”
The train operator is on track to go live in 2030, connecting London St Pancras International with Paris Gare du Nord, Brussels, Midi and Amsterdam Central. Plans for destinations in Germany and Switzerland are expected within the next five years.
That will give the company time to build, certify and test the 12 state-of-the-art Avelia Stream trains they have ordered from manufacturer Alstom (who built Virgin Trains Pendolinos back in the day). Funding is coming from Equitix, an infrastructure investor, and Azzurra Capital, a private equity firm.
Josh Bayliss, chief executive of the Virgin Group, said: “Together, this consortium will build a new business that does what Virgin does best – disrupt and challenge the status quo.”
What’s more, the trains could stop in Kent if Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International stations are reopened. Virgin is in talks with Kent County Council to try and make this possible.
Rail minister Lord Hendy said he was ‘incredibly pleased’ by the ORR’s decision, as it will ‘give passengers greater choice, better value and improve connectivity for millions’.
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