The UK rail regulator Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has granted Virgin Trains track access to run up to 20 daily return passenger services between London St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel from 1 October 2030 to 31 December 2040. This access covers the High Speed 1 (HS1) rail line, allowing Virgin Trains to operate on the route linking London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
Virgin Trains has secured rights to share Eurostar’s Temple Mills depot in east London for train maintenance and storage. The company must still obtain access to the Channel Tunnel itself and the rail networks
in mainland Europe before starting services.
Virgin Trains plans to serve the same stations in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam as Eurostar, which holds the passenger monopoly through the Channel Tunnel since 1994 and is currently operated by SNCF. The company intends to invest £700 million in the cross-Channel project and create around 400 UK jobs. Eurotunnel operates the vehicle shuttle LeShuttle but does not provide passenger services.
A Virgin Group spokesperson said, “Our plans for a new London – Europe rail service from 2030 are moving at pace. We welcome the ORR’s pre-approval of our track access agreement and the
opportunity to bring competition and Virgin’s award-winning customer experience to the Channel tunnel.” Martin Jones, deputy director of access and international at the ORR, commented, “This is an important next step in bringing competition and growth to the market for international rail services, and we welcome the progress Virgin Trains and London St Pancras High Speed have made.” Eurostar stated, “This confirms the huge potential for growth in international rail and the ambition across the industry to bring more passengers to Europe by train. Eurostar will play a full part in that growth, and our focus remains on delivering our
own ambitious plans, investing in our fleet and carrying 30 million passengers a year.”
Virgin Trains’ access approval ends Eurostar’s 30-year monopoly and responds to criticism of high prices and reduced stops at Ashford and Ebbsfleet stations in Kent over the past decade. Rising demand for international rail travel from the UK supports Virgin Trains’ expansion plans. Additionally, Eurostar is planning to introduce double-decker trains, and a UK-German rail taskforce is investigating direct London-Germany connections as part of a broader growth in cross-border services.
