Legally speaking, the door had been open for some time for the British company Virgin Trains to become a competitor to the high-speed rail operator Eurostar.
But with approval from the British rail regulator ORR for rail access on High Speed 1 (HS1) – or between St. Pancras and the entrance to the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone – another major regulatory hurdle has now been removed.
If everything goes according to plan, starting October 1, 2030, businessman Richard Branson’s railroad company will operate 20 new daily round-trip services between London and Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam.
Another piece of the British puzzle
In October of last year, Virgin had already received approval from the ORR to use Temple Mills, the only maintenance depot directly connected by rail to the HS1 itself and, as a result, able to accommodate the clearance profiles required for European trainsets.
However, without a concrete access contract for the rail line itself, Virgin was still unable to operate trains between London and the Channel Tunnel.
Now, the ORR has also approved track access for Virgin Trains on HS1. The contract allows the company to operate up to 20 new daily round-trip services between London and the European mainland from October 1, 2030, through December 31, 2040.
A few more important steps
However, this is not yet the final go-ahead, and there are still a few steps to take before the first Virgin Train whizzes down the tracks. Virgin Trains and London St. Pancras High Speed must formally finalize the agreement by September 4.
After that, they must still arrange access to other rail networks – including access to the Channel Tunnel, which Getlink/Eurotunnel operates, and the networks on the other side of the Channel – and obtain approvals from the QQR and the relevant authorities.
At the same time, Virgin still needs to purchase the appropriate rolling stock. However, Virgin Trains is reportedly already in preliminary talks with the French train manufacturer Alstom about purchasing twelve high-speed trains.
Italian competitor also on the way
Since the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994, Eurostar has held a monopoly on operating passenger trains through it. The high-speed rail operator is largely owned by the French railway company SNCF, while the Belgian NMBS/SNCB holds an 18.5% stake.
The Channel Tunnel is currently operating at only about half its maximum capacity – 400 trains pass through each day, while the maximum is 1,000. In addition to Eurostar trains, LeShuttle trains (which transport cars, trucks, and buses) and freight trains also run through the tunnel between Calais and Folkestone.
Virgin, the first competitor to make real progress toward providing service, has also indicated that it aims to expand its rail plans over time “in France, Germany, and Switzerland.”
As well as Virgin, Italy’s FS Italiane Group is planning to run services through the Channel Tunnel from 2029 via its subsidiary, Trenitalia France. But unlike Virgin, it does not yet have access to the British rail infrastructure, although last week, Trenitalia France signed an agreement for nineteen new high-speed trains from Hitachi Rail, which it plans to use on the service.
