Virgin gets 2030 track access for Eurostar rival

Virgin has been granted track access from 2030 to the high-speed rail line linking London to the Channel Tunnel, moving it closer to launching a rival service to Eurostar, Britain's Office of Rail and Road said on August 17.

The regulator said the agreement could allow Virgin Trains to operate up to 20 daily return services between London and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam from October 1, 2030 to the end of 2040.

Virgin, founded by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, is seeking to challenge Eurostar, which has held a monopoly on passenger services through the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France since it opened in 1994.

Martin Jones, deputy director of access and international at the Office of Rail and Road, called the decision an important next step for competition and growth in international rail services, while saying more work remained.

Before services can run, Virgin still needs to procure rail carriages, gain access to continental rail networks and obtain safety approvals from British and European Union authorities. Virgin was granted access last year to the Temple Mills International site for maintaining and storing trains.

A Virgin Group spokesperson welcomed the regulator's pre-approval of its track access agreement and said the group's plans for a new London-Europe rail service from 2030 were moving ahead.

The Channel Tunnel is used at about 50 percent capacity, but previous rival bids have faced hurdles including regulation and restricted station capacity. Several companies have announced plans for competing Channel Tunnel services, with Italy's Trenitalia planning to start a rival service by 2029.

Eurostar said it transported a record 20 million passengers last year.