Virgin Trains has been granted permission to use Eurostar’s east London train depot, paving the way for it to launch international services through the Channel Tunnel
Virgin Trains’ bid to share Eurostar’s east London train depot has been given the green light by the Office of Rail and Road, setting the stage for the company to roll out international services via the Channel Tunnel.
This move will shatter Eurostar’s exclusive hold on Channel services, a monopoly that has stood unchallenged since its inception in 1994. The rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), has granted Sir Richard Branson’s firm permission to utilise the Temple Mills site for train maintenance and storage.
Since Virgin Trains’ contract for the West Coast Main Line ran its course in December 2019, the Virgin Group has not been involved in running trains in the UK. The ORR turned down the company’s application to operate access services on the line, which serves major cities such as London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.
Martin Jones from the ORR stated: “With this decision we are backing customer choice and competition in international rail, unlocking up to £700mn in private sector investment and stimulating growth.
“While there is still some way to go before the first new services can run, we stand ready to work with Virgin Trains as their plans develop.”
Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, said: “The ORR’s decision is the right one for consumers – it’s time to end this 30-year monopoly and bring some Virgin magic to the cross-Channel route.”, reports the Mirror.
Rail minister Lord Hendy declared he was “incredibly pleased” with the ORR’s ruling, stating it would “give passengers greater choice, better value and improve connectivity for millions”.
He continued: “Depot capacity should not be a barrier to greater competition and growth.
“We are therefore exploring plans to establish new depot capacity in the UK, supported by private investment, to meet the needs of the market and will set out further plans in due course.”
The Channel Tunnel currently operates at just 50% of its potential, despite simultaneously handling LeShuttle car-carrying services linking Folkestone in Kent with Calais in northern France.
The ORR turned down bids from Evolyn, Gemini Trains and Trenitalia to utilise the Temple Mills facility.
Eurostar also faced disappointment in its attempt to secure access to the site’s unused capacity for expansion purposes.
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