Virgin Granted Track Access for Cross Channel Rail Services Starting 2030

The UK Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has granted Virgin track access to run high speed rail services between London St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel. The approval allows Virgin to operate up to 20 daily return services to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam from October 1, 2030, through December 31, 2040. This decision marks a significant step toward ending the monopoly held by Eurostar on passenger services since 1994.

Despite this approval, Virgin must still meet several requirements before services can begin. The company needs to secure rolling stock, obtain safety approvals from UK and EU authorities, and gain access to rail networks in mainland Europe. Virgin plans to purchase 12 high speed trains from Alstom for the route. Additionally, Virgin previously received approval to share the Temple Mills railway depot in east London with Eurostar, as it is the only facility capable of accommodating continental European trains.

Other competitors are also entering the market. Italy's FS Italiane Group plans to run services through the tunnel starting in 2029 via its subsidiary Trenitalia France, which recently signed an agreement for 19 new trains from Hitachi Rail. Eurostar has responded by focusing on its own growth plans, including the introduction of doubledecker trains and potential direct services to Germany and Switzerland by the early 2030s.

Outlets with a center left lean framed the decision as a blow to a monopoly and highlighted previous criticisms of Eurostar's high prices. In contrast, a center right lean outlet emphasized the financial scale of Eurostar's current operations and noted that Eurostar had opposed competition by arguing that St Pancras station lacks the capacity for increased traffic.