Virgin has moved a step closer to launching its own passenger services through the Channel Tunnel after securing Virgin Channel Tunnel track access from the rail regulator, in what could end Eurostar’s three-decade monopoly on the route. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) granted the approval, which covers up to 20 daily return services between London and Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam, running from 1 October 2030 to 31 December 2040.
The ORR called the decision ‘a significant step forward’ in introducing competition on a route that Eurostar has operated without a rival since the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994. For passengers, the regulator said the extra competition would deliver ‘significant benefits’.
What the Virgin Channel Tunnel track access does and does not cover
The approval applies specifically to the HS1 high-speed line between London St Pancras and the tunnel entrance. It does not, on its own, clear Virgin to run a full end-to-end service. The ORR was explicit that Virgin still needs to secure rolling stock for the services, obtain safety clearance from both UK and EU authorities, and negotiate access to rail networks on the continent.
Martin Jones, the ORR’s deputy director of access and international, said: ‘This is an important next step in bringing competition and growth to the market for international rail services. While there is still more work to do, we are supporting Virgin and the wider industry to grow international services.’
The ORR also noted that fitting extra services into London St Pancras international station would ‘demand more robust operational working’, though it said that should not be a barrier to expansion. The HS1 network, it added, should be capable of supporting the ‘substantial additional services’ as long as ‘operational, contractual, and co-ordination risks are properly controlled’.
A Virgin Group spokesperson welcomed the decision: ‘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.’
Trains, depots and the race to compete through the tunnel
Virgin is planning to buy 12 high-speed trains from Alstom to operate the services, though that order has not yet been finalised. One obstacle already cleared was access to the Temple Mills railway facility in east London, the only depot in the UK capable of housing the larger trains used on continental European routes and already connected to the cross-Channel line. The ORR approved Virgin’s application to share that depot with Eurostar last year.
Virgin will not be the only newcomer on the route. Italy’s FS Italiane Group is also planning to run Channel Tunnel passenger services from 2029 through its subsidiary Trenitalia France. Last week, Trenitalia France signed an agreement for 19 new high-speed trains from Hitachi Rail to use on those services, making it the closer of the two challengers to launching.
Eurostar, for its part, is not standing still. The incumbent welcomed the ORR’s statement, saying it confirmed ‘the huge potential for growth in international rail and the ambition across the industry to bring more passengers to Europe by train’. The company added: ‘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.’
Eurostar’s fleet investment is already under way on a considerable scale. According to a post on LinkedIn, Eurostar has ordered 30 Avelia Horizon trains from Alstom, with first operations expected in 2031. That renewal programme means Eurostar will be running newer rolling stock by the time Virgin and Trenitalia France are scheduled to enter the market.
Eurostar has also said it plans to launch direct services from London to Germany and Switzerland by the early 2030s, extending its own network even as rivals prepare to challenge it on its existing corridors.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, said last year that it was ‘time to end’ Eurostar’s monopoly on the route. The ORR’s latest decision on Eurostar‘s long-held territory suggests that process is now formally under way, even if passengers will have to wait until at least 2030 before they can book a Virgin seat to Paris.
