Virgin Trains has taken a major step towards challenging Eurostar‘s dominance of cross-Channel passenger rail services after the United Kingdom‘s rail regulator gave the green light to a track access agreement that could allow the company to launch international services in 2030.
Up to 20 daily services
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) announced on 17 August that it had decided on 13 August to pre-approve a new framework track access agreement between HS1 Limited, which operates the UK’s high-speed infrastructure to the Channel Tunnel, and VTE OPCO Limited, trading as Virgin Trains.
The agreement would allow Virgin Trains to operate up to 20 daily return services from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. The proposed access period runs from 1 October 2030 until the end of 2040.
The regulator described the agreement as a significant step towards introducing greater competition into the international rail market. Virgin Trains and London St Pancras Highspeed now have until 4 September 2026 to formally enter into the agreement.
More hurdles before trains can run
The approval does not yet mean that Virgin trains can start carrying passengers. The company still needs to acquire its rolling stock, secure access to railway networks in continental Europe and obtain the necessary safety approvals from the UK, the European Union and other relevant authorities.
Virgin is understood to be planning to acquire 12 high-speed trains from Alstom for its international operation. The company has said it intends to begin services in 2030.
Independent railway commentator Jon Worth cautioned that the track access agreement, while important, is not necessarily the most urgent milestone still facing the project. “This is an important step, but it is not the most time critical one from here – signing the contract for the Alstom trains and hoping (contrary to their current performance) Alstom can deliver on time is the most important.”
The ORR approval covers access to HS1 between London St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel, rather than the complete journey to Belgium, France or the Netherlands. Virgin will therefore also have to negotiate access to the rail networks it needs to reach Brussels, Paris, and Amsterdam.
Breaking Eurostar’s long-standing monopoly
The move represents an important development in a market in which Eurostar has been the only passenger operator through the Channel Tunnel since international passenger services began in 1994.
The arrival of Virgin would give passengers an alternative operator on routes connecting London with continental Europe, potentially increasing capacity and putting pressure on fares.
Virgin has already overcome another significant obstacle. In 2025, the company received approval to share the Temple Mills depot in east London with Eurostar. The facility is currently the UK’s only depot capable of accommodating the larger trains used for continental European services and is directly connected to the cross-Channel railway.
Trenitalia also preparing to enter the market
Virgin is not the only prospective new competitor. Italy’s Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group is also preparing to enter the Channel Tunnel market through Trenitalia France, with services planned from 2029.
Trenitalia France recently signed an agreement with Hitachi Rail for 19 new high-speed trains for its international operation.
The prospect of multiple new operators entering the market has also been welcomed by Eurotunnel, which manages the Channel Tunnel infrastructure. The company has argued that the tunnel has considerable unused capacity, with the infrastructure capable of handling significantly more trains than it currently does.
More choice for passengers
The arrival of additional operators could eventually give passengers more choice and put downward pressure on fares. Cross-Channel rail tickets, particularly between London and Paris, can currently cost considerably more than comparable air fares, although actual prices vary widely depending on the date and time of travel.
The ORR said increased competition would provide significant benefits for passengers travelling between London and continental Europe.
Eurostar has nevertheless welcomed the prospect of a larger international rail market. The company said there was substantial potential for growth and that it intended to contribute to that expansion through its own investment plans, including a target of carrying 30 million passengers a year.
For Virgin, the ORR decision is therefore an important milestone rather than the final approval. The company still has four years of rolling-stock procurement, infrastructure access negotiations and safety certification ahead of it before the first trains can potentially cross the Channel.
ORR deputy director of access and international Martin Jones said the decision marked an important next step in bringing competition and growth to the international rail market, while stressing that further work remained before Virgin’s services could begin.
Virgin has said its plans for a new London-Europe rail service from 2030 are moving at pace and that it wants to bring competition and its customer experience to the Channel Tunnel market.
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