Virgin Group confirms interest in running cross-Channel trains
The Virgin Group, owned by British businessman Richard Branson, is looking for investment to run trains between London, Brussels and Paris, the group confirmed following reports in the British media.
“Although Virgin has not yet committed to launching a train service, we are looking for investment from partners who share our ideas, and we are very pleased with the progress made so far,” a spokesperson said. “The connection is ripe for change and would benefit from competition.”
Virgin believes it can start running trains from 2029, initially from London to Paris and Brussels, and later to Amsterdam, according to a report in the Financial Times.
Currently, Eurostar – partly owned by the Belgian railway company SNCB – is the only company that transports passengers by train through the Channel Tunnel between London and the European mainland.
"We are very pleased with the progress made so far"
There has been talk of possible competition for Eurostar for some time. In recent years, many railway companies have indicated that they are looking into the possibilities of connections with London. They include the German railway company Deutsche Bahn, Spain’s Renfe, the Spanish initiative Evolyn and the Dutch Heurotrain.
Swiss railway company SBB has also expressed interest, confirming last week that it had conducted a study into the feasibility of a direct connection between Switzerland and London. “It shows that such a connection is technically feasible, but that it will be quite a challenge,” the company’s annual report states. “We will continue with the project, but it will not be realised before the 2030s.”
Getlink, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, said a year ago that it wants to see the number of direct high-speed train connections through the tunnel double in the next 10 years.
Passengers at St Pancras International station in London, 7 March 2025 © PHOTO STEVE TAYLOR/SOPA IMAGES VIA ZUMA PRESS WIRE
Related news
