Travel between London and Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris could become cheaper in the next few years if Virgin Trains is successful in its bid to launch a new rail service and challenge the monopoly currently held by Eurostar.
Regulatory Approval So Far
Britain’s Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved Virgin’s request to run services between London’s St. Pancras Station and the entrance to the Channel Tunnel from 2030 to 2040. This approval is not the final hurdle, however — Virgin must still secure approval from the Channel Tunnel operator and the rail networks in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
If ultimately successful, Virgin’s bid would end the 32-year monopoly Eurostar has held on passenger rail service through the tunnel. Eurostar has been the only approved operator for passenger services through the tunnel since it opened in 1994 (a separate operator holds the license to transport vehicles). Formerly owned by private British corporations and the British government, a majority stake was later sold to French rail operator SNCF.
About Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains was a brand name used on a pair of rail networks in the U.K. until 2019. The company does not currently operate any rail services in the U.K. or Europe, but the introduction of a competitor to Eurostar’s monopoly service is likely to have an impact on fares.
Virgin had planned to rebrand the Florida-based Brightline service as Virgin Trains in the United States in 2018, but Brightline canceled the deal in 2020 following the end of Virgin Trains services in the U.K. and the Covid-era capital restructuring of Virgin Atlantic Airways. Brightline reasoned that Virgin had “ceased to constitute a brand of international high repute, largely because of matters related to the pandemic.” Virgin sued for damages and won $115 million from Brightline.
Current Eurostar Routes and Performance
Eurostar currently operates from London St. Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord in two hours and 16 minutes. The service to Brussels-Midi takes one hour and 53 minutes, while the service to Amsterdam Centraal takes just over four hours. Other lines also operate to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy for Disneyland Paris, and to Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Dortmund, Germany.
A study from late 2024 found Eurostar to be one of the worst-performing rail services in Europe when measured by fare levels, on-time reliability, and ease of getting refunds. Eurostar disputed the results of that study.
Virgin’s Plans for Trains and Infrastructure
Virgin has not yet acquired trainsets. Its previous U.K. rail services were operated under a licensing agreement. In October 2025, Virgin Group owner Richard Branson told Politico the company had plans to acquire 12 trainsets from French rail manufacturer Alstom. Alstom manufactures high-speed rail equipment for many operators, including France’s SNCF, Eurostar, Italy’s Trenitalia, and Amtrak’s new Next Gen Acela trains. Virgin’s journey times are estimated to be similar to Eurostar’s current services, though that will depend on the rail access it ultimately secures.
Last year, Virgin was also granted access to a rail depot currently used by Eurostar to maintain and store trains operating on the route between St. Pancras and the Channel Tunnel.
Channel Tunnel Facts
Access to the Channel Tunnel is managed and operated by the company Getlink. A binational safety authority between France and the United Kingdom monitors safety and operational regulations inside the nearly 31.5-mile underground tunnel beneath the English Channel. More than 18 million passengers traveled via the Channel Tunnel in 2024, roughly the same number that made the crossing by sea.
Correction, August 21, 2026: An earlier version of this story erroneously claimed Virgin Atlantic entered bankruptcy in 2020. The company entered a private-only solvent recapitalization to support a restructuring plan.
