The rail regulator has approved Virgin Trains to operate up to 20 daily return services between London and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam from 1 October 2030.
The approval by rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) will, for the first time, bring competition to the Channel Tunnel route. Until now, Eurostar has had exclusive use of the Channel Tunnel, with around 400 trains passing through each day.
With the track access agreement between London St. Pancras Highspeed and Virgin now granted, the latter can move towards securing the next steps required for running the services. This includes procuring rolling stock, securing access to other rail networks and obtaining safety approvals from ORR and the relevant authorities in the EU.
ORR’s approval follows its October 2025 decision to allow Virgin access to Temple Mills International depot. This east London repair depot, which will be shared with Eurostar, is the only accessible facility of its type on the Channel Tunnel line.
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