- Virgin received ORR approval to operate cross-Channel services from October 2030
- The company plans up to 20 daily return trips to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam
- Virgin has invested approximately £700 million and created 400 new jobs
- A preliminary agreement with Alstom covers 12 high-speed Avelia Stream trains
- Eurostar has held a 32-year monopoly on Channel Tunnel passenger travel
Virgin Trains has received formal track access approval from the Office of Rail and Road to operate cross-Channel services from October 2030
The decision has granted Sir Richard Branson’s company the green light to use the High Speed 1 rail lines from London St Pancras International to the Channel Tunnel, breaking Eurostar’s 32-year monopoly on passenger travel through the tunnel. The approved agreement has lasted from 2030 until 2040 and allowed Virgin to run up to 20 return trips every day between England and mainland Europe. Virgin has planned around 13 daily return trips to Paris, four to Brussels and three to Amsterdam, with hopes to eventually extend routes further into Germany and Switzerland.
The company has invested approximately £700 million into the project and created 400 new jobs. The ORR approved Virgin’s bid to share the Temple Mills engineering depot in London last year, the only train yard in England capable of servicing large, European-sized trains. The August 2026 approval has formally granted Virgin its time slots to physically run trains on the British high-speed tracks heading to the coast. Virgin has a preliminary agreement with French manufacturer Alstom to buy 12 high-speed Avelia Stream trains, though these must still be built and delivered.
Several critical regulatory hurdles have remained before the 2030 launch. Virgin needs separate track access permissions from French, Belgian and Dutch rail network regulators. The company must lock down a final commercial usage contract with Getlink, the firm that manages the physical Channel Tunnel. British and European Union safety officials must test and approve the new fleet for tunnel safety. Other major rail companies including Italy’s state-owned Trenitalia, Gemini Trains and Spanish start-up Evolyn have been aggressively trying to clear the same hurdles to challenge Eurostar. Eurostar has highlighted its own growth plans to purchase next-generation double-decker trains and scale to carrying 30 million passengers annually.
A Virgin Trains representative shared this landmark deal breaks Eurostar’s 32-year monopoly on passenger travel through the tunnel, opening up the market for cheaper tickets and more travel choice.
