THE government has finally revealed the new operator that could run train services to Europe alongside Eurostar.
The Office for Rail and Road has announced that Virgin Trains will be allowed to access Temple Mills International depot in East London.
This means Virgin will eventually join Eurostar to operate train services via the Channel Tunnel from the UK to Europe – and will be the first train service to rival Eurostar since it launched more than 30 years ago.
Virgin first announced plans to launch services rivalling Eurostar in January 2025, and could start running trains from 2030.
This means direct routes to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, with future plans for France, Germany and Switzerland.
Virgin also announced plans to restart trains from both Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International in Kent as well – which had Eurostar trains until the pandemic.
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Earlier this month, the company even said that it if it won the bid, it could to run services from Manchester and Birmingham.
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson said: “The ORR’s decision is the right one for consumers – it’s time to end this 30-year monopoly and bring some Virgin magic to the cross-Channel route.
“Virgin is no stranger to delivering award-winning rail services, and just as we have successfully challenged incumbents in air, cruise and rail, we’re ready to do it again.
“We’re going to shake-up the cross-Channel route for good and give consumers the choice they deserve.”
Martin Jones, deputy director, access and international, said that Virgin’s plans were “more financially and operationally robust than those of other applicants”.
He added: “With this decision we are backing customer choice and competition in international rail, unlocking up to £700million in private sector investment and stimulating growth.
“While there is still some way to go before the first new services can run, we stand ready to work with Virgin Trains as their plans develop.”
Signing an agreement with Alstom, Virgin will buy 12 Avelia Stream trains, and have secured funding from Equitix, a leading European investor.
This is alongside private equity firm Azzurra.
While the access to the Temples Mills depot is a step forward, it will be a while until trains can launch.
This is because Virgin must also secure access to the tracks.
But it is good news for a competitor on the HS1 line, as this could even mean cheaper fares in the future.
Virgin’s Phil Whittingham said: “Temple Mills has been a critical bottle neck in the process to launching a new cross-Channel service, so today’s news is a significant milestone for Virgin and a pivotal turning point for international rail.
“Building on the great success of Virgin Trains, Virgin will deliver a first-class cross-Channel service that will create hundreds of jobs and support the modal shift of short-haul journeys from air to rail.”
Eurostar has had monopoly of the Channel Tunnel since it first launched back in 1994.
And over the past months, a number of companies have stepped forward in bid to run services through the Channel Tunnel to Europe.
What does this mean for travellers?
The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey weighs in.
EUROSTAR has long had the monopoly of the Channel Tunnel, being the only train operator since 1994 to use the lines connecting the UK to Europe.
The new arrival of Virgin Trains will see competition on the lines, which always a good thing.
This is because it could put pressure on Eurostar to up their game, which has already seen them announce new routes, new trains and the return to other stations.
It could also mean cheaper fares, as competition so often does – look at many of the budget European airlines with cheap fares.
Of course we have a while to wait. It is unlikely that Virgin will launch trains anytime before 2030.
But with ambitious plans for trains from Manchester, Birmingham and Kent – as well as new routes to France, Switzerland and Germany – it will be exciting to see how train travel to Europe progresses in the next few years.
This includes Italy‘s state-owned FS Italiane Group and Gemini Trains (recently partnering with Uber), as well as start up Evolyn.
Currently, the only destinations Brits can get to via direct train from the UK are Paris, Lille, Brussels Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
Previous routes that have since been scrapped included Disneyland Paris, as well as Marseille and Lyon.
Eurostar recently revealed it’s £1.7billion plans to launch double decker trains for the first time.
This would mean 540 seats onboard – a 20 per cent increase.
And the train operator previously revealed future plans of new destinations across Europe including Switzerland, Germany and Italy.
Cities could include Zurich, Geneva, Milan, Frankfurt and Cologne.