Virgin’s plans for a service to rival Eurostar has been approved and its launch date revealed.
The British company intends to bring in an international train service through the Channel Tunnel.
Earlier this year, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) revealed it would allocate spare capacity at Eurostar’s Temple Mills maintenance depot in Leyton, East London.
Temple Mills is the only train depot that can be accessed from High Speed 1, the line that runs between London and the tunnel and Eurostar has held monopoly for the past 31 years.
Today, October 30, the ORR confirmed Virgin Trains has been granted access to the depot and can move ahead with plans.
However, the company still needs to secure access to the tracks.
It is now set to go ahead and finalise the agreement and begin the final stages of acquiring trains and financing.
Virgin will become the first train service to rival Eurostar and could begin services from London St. Pancras to Europe from 2030.
Virgin’s plans for a service to rival Eurostar has been approved and its launch date revealed
Plans are in place for routes from London to Paris Gare du Nord, Brussels-Midi and Amsterdam Central.
There could also be further expansions across France and into Germany and Switzerland.
The company recently agreed with Alstom to buy 12 Avelia Stream trains and will be funded by investor Equitix, as well as private equity firm Azzurra Capital.
What’s more, the trains could stop in Kent if Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International station are reopened.
Virgin is in talks with Kent County Council to try and make this possible.
Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, praised the approval and pledged to ‘shake-up the cross-Channel route’.
The billionaire entrepreneur 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.
Today, October 30, the ORR confirmed Virgin Trains has been granted access to the depot and can move ahead with plans. Pictured: Virgin boss Richard Branson
‘We’re going to shake-up the cross-Channel route for good and give consumers the choice they deserve.’
The project is being led by Phil Whittingham, a former Managing Director at Virgin Trains with more than 25 years experience in rail.
He commented: ‘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.’
Rail minister Lord Hendy said he was ‘incredibly pleased’ by the ORR’s decision, as it will ‘give passengers greater choice, better value and improve connectivity for millions’.
He added: ‘Depot capacity should not be a barrier to greater competition and growth.
‘We are therefore exploring plans to establish new depot capacity in the UK, supported by private investment, to meet the needs of the market and will set out further plans in due course.’
It comes as a brand new fleet of double-decker trains was recently announced by Eurostar.
Virgin will become the first train service to rival Eurostar and could begin services from London St. Pancras to Europe from 2030
The company shared it would be acquiring up to 50 two-storey trains for use across its entire network.
This includes between London St Pancras and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam via the Channel Tunnel.
Set to begin services in May 2031, the trains will be fully electric and the first major fleet of double-deckers on the UK’s railways.
They’ll be named Eurostar Celestia, derived from the Latin word caelestis, meaning ‘heavenly’.
