Eurostar

Branson’s Bold Move: Virgin Trains Poised to End Eurostar’s 30-Year Channel Tunnel Monopoly

Breaking the Monopoly For the first time since 1994, a train company other than Eurostar will be allowed to run passenger services through the Channel Tunnel. On 30 October 2025 the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) announced it had approved Virgin Trains Europe’s depot access application orr.gov.uk. Temple Mills International depot (Leyton, London) – the only UK facility capable of servicing large high-speed trains – had been used exclusively by Eurostar until now. The ORR press release explains that this move “unlocks plans for around £700 mn of investment in new services and the creation of 400 new jobs” orr.gov.uk.

30 October 2025

Eurostar’s €2B Train Order: 50 New Double-Deck TGVs to Revolutionize European Rail

Eurostar’s Growth Strategy and New Routes Europe’s rail giants see strong demand. Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave noted that “customers want to go further by rail than ever” and that the new trains will open “direct trains between London and Germany, and between London and Switzerland for the first time” mediacentre.eurostar.com. Indeed, Eurostar – coming off a record 19.5 million passengers in 2024 – is investing €2 billion to buy up to 50 new TGV units, a 30% capacity hike. These will supplement the existing 17 e320 trains, growing the fleet to 67 units mediacentre.eurostar.com tourmag.com. Eurostar is explicitly targeting routes that were

22 October 2025

European Transport · High-Speed Trains · Industry Updates · Rail News · Train Technology