All Aboard: Virgin Group Cleared to Launch Cross-Channel Rail Rival

Virgin Group has been given the regulatory go-ahead to move forward with plans to operate a new international train service through the Channel Tunnel, paving the way for the first serious competition on the route in three decades.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) confirmed on Thursday that Virgin can proceed with its bid to use the Temple Mills International rail depot in East London — a key piece of infrastructure for maintaining and servicing trains operating to continental Europe. The landmark decision removes one of the final barriers to entry and puts Virgin firmly on track to challenge Eurostar’s long-standing monopoly on cross-Channel travel.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, welcomed the ruling as a win for passengers and for competition. “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,” he said. “Virgin is no stranger to delivering award-winning rail services, and just as we have successfully challenged incumbents in air, cruise and rail, we’re ready to do it again. We’re going to shake up the cross-Channel route for good and give consumers the choice they deserve.”

Virgin has also unveiled its investment partners for the new venture, confirming Equitix and Azzurra Capital as part of the funding consortium. Equitix, one of Europe’s leading infrastructure investors with a strong track record in rolling stock financing, will fund the train fleet. Virgin Group will lead funding for the operating company alongside Equitix and Azzurra Capital, the private equity firm founded by Stefano Marsaglia and Jorge Delclaux, known for backing high-growth companies in partnership with leading entrepreneurs.

Earlier this year, Virgin signed an exclusive deal with Alstom to purchase 12 Avelia Stream trains, marking a renewal of the partnership that produced the Pendolino fleet once synonymous with Virgin Trains on the UK’s West Coast Main Line. The Avelia Stream model, already in operation across parts of Europe, promises greater energy efficiency, passenger comfort and speed than previous designs.

Andrew DeLeone, Alstom’s President for Europe, said the partnership was a natural next step. “Virgin and Alstom have a history of driving innovation and change in the rail industry, and delivering for passengers,” he said. “This collaboration strengthens our longstanding relationship and reinforces our shared commitment to sustainability, customer experience and technological excellence.”

Virgin plans to launch services from London St. Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord, Brussels-Midi, and Amsterdam Centraal by 2030, with ambitions to expand into Germany, Switzerland, and further into France. The company has also pledged to include Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International in Kent on its route map if either station is reopened, and is already in discussions with Kent County Council and local stakeholders to make this possible.

Phil Whittingham, former Managing Director of Virgin Trains, is leading the project for Virgin Group. He said the ORR’s decision on depot access represented “a significant milestone for Virgin and a pivotal turning point for international rail”.

“Temple Mills has been a critical bottleneck in the process to launching a new cross-Channel service,” Whittingham explained. “Building on the great success of Virgin Trains, Virgin will deliver a first-class cross-Channel service that will create hundreds of jobs and support the modal shift of short-haul journeys from air to rail.”

Virgin Group CEO Josh Bayliss said the consortium’s aim was to expand consumer choice and reshape the market. “The cross-Channel market is underserved and represents a fantastic opportunity for Virgin to bring greater value and service to customers, not just in the UK and France, but across the wider European network too,” he said. “Together with Equitix and Azzurra Capital, this consortium will build a new business that does what Virgin does best – disrupt and challenge the status quo.”

With depot access approved, funding secured, and train procurement underway, Virgin is now entering the final stages of planning before full service launch. The company expects to finalise its depot access agreement and complete financing for its train fleet in the coming months.

If all goes to plan, passengers could be boarding Virgin’s first cross-Channel trains within five years — ushering in a new era of competition, innovation, and choice on one of Europe’s most iconic transport routes.

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All Aboard: Virgin Group Cleared to Launch Cross-Channel Rail Rival