Virgin Trains will compete with Eurostar services in what’s been described as a ‘significant’ win for passengers.
Britain’s rail regulator has announced a new deal that will allow Virgin to operate up to 20 new daily return services between London St Pancras and Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam from 01 Oct 2030.
“The agreement is a significant step forward in bringing competition to the market for international rail services, supporting economic growth and providing significant benefits for passengers travelling between London and continental Europe,” the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) says.
However, there’s a number of steps before the new services will be able to run. Virgin Trains must also get rolling stock, secure access to other rail networks, and obtain safety approvals from ORR and the relevant authorities in the EU.
Virgin, owned by Sir Richard Branson (pictured above celebrating the news), has long-held ambitions to challenge what it has described as Eurostar’s 30-year monopoly on services to Europe through the Channel Tunnel. Reports from London say fares could drop substantially when competition arrives.
