Virgin Trains agreed a deal with French manufacturer Alstom last week for 12 new high-speed trains to rival Eurostar on routes across the English Channel from 2030, potentially bringing more choice and lower prices for travellers.
Virgin "secured binding exclusivity" with Alstom for a dozen Avelia Stream trains, enhancing the offering of services from London St Pancras to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, according to a report submitted to the UK's rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). In the long term, the aim would be to expand this to elsewhere in France, Germany and Switzerland.
The venture requires some £700 million (approximately €809 million), involving a 50% Virgin stake and two undisclosed institutional shareholders. Virgin envisages separate operating and rolling stock asset-holding companies.
"For too long, passengers have had no choice and even less joy. We're not here to copy. We're here to raise standards, spark innovation and give people a better way to travel," Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson told The Times, adding that his aim was to inject competition and improve the passenger experience.
Eyes on the prize
Virgin is not the only one with its eyes on the prize, however. Until now, technical requirements, limited storage and maintenance space for train companies to operate have posed significant challenges. But recent rulings have helped facilitate change and several competitors are now finally making plans to challenge Eurostar's dominance.
Back in 2023, Spanish consortium Evolyn said that it hoped to launch a fleet of 12 Avelia trains between London and Paris in 2025. Dutch-run company Heurotrain also said it would start running trains from the Netherlands to London and Paris, with two stops in Belgium, starting from the end of 2027.
The ORR is considering applications from Italy's state-owned railway Trenitalia, and UK start-up Gemini, which plans to launch ten train from London to Paris and Brussels and will also be partnering with Uber, as announced in May.
The race for the cross-Channel tunnel was further spurred on when a new report in March 2025 revealed that there was space for more storage at the London Channel Tunnel depot at Temple Mills, where Eurostar stores its trains.
But thanks to last week's deal with Alstom, Virgin is currently the only applicant which has secured both trains and funding.
If Virgin secures a deal to use the Channel Tunnel, the company will be the first major competitor to challenge Eurostar's monopoly since it began operating in 1994. The ORR's decision will be announced in October.
