Virgin has released an initial image of the Alstom high-speed trains it plans to use for a new cross-Channel rail service connecting London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam from 2030.
The company plans to operate 20 daily return services, adding almost 7.5 million seats a year to international rail travel through the Channel Tunnel. It also expects the venture to create up to 1,000 jobs.
Virgin has signed an agreement with French rail manufacturer Alstom for 12 Avelia Stream high-speed trains. The trains will be customised for cross-Channel operations and capable of reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h. Alstom will also maintain the fleet under a 30-year contract.
The newly released image shows a train in Virgin’s proposed red and black livery. The company has also outlined its plans for onboard services, drawing on its existing businesses in aviation, hospitality and travel.
Andrew DeLeone, Europe Region President at Alstom, said:We are incredibly excited to be working with Virgin once again, a brand we greatly admire for its commitment to innovation, customer experience and growing sustainable rail travel. Across Europe, passengers are increasingly looking for more seamless cross-border high-speed rail connections, and this project will help deliver exactly that.
Our Avelia Stream platform combines proven high-speed performance with outstanding energy efficiency, passenger comfort and operational flexibility. As both the train supplier and fleet maintainer, Alstom will support Virgin throughout the full lifecycle of the project – from delivery into service through to long-term operations – helping to ensure a reliable, high-quality service for decades to come.
Virgin Atlantic’s airport Clubhouses are expected to influence the design of social spaces, while Virgin Voyages’ dining offer and Virgin Hotels’ approach to comfort and interior design will inform the development of onboard facilities.
Passengers will also be able to earn and redeem Virgin Points through the Virgin Red loyalty platform. Virgin said accessibility would be incorporated into the train design from the outset.
The company will draw on its experience operating Virgin Trains in the UK, which it ran for around 20 years, as it develops the new international service.
Josh Bayliss, CEO of Virgin Group, said:Virgin has a proud history in UK rail. With our latest venture we are drawing on more than four decades of experience across travel and hospitality to create something genuinely new. This time, we’ll be connecting London with some of Europe’s greatest cities and giving passengers a distinctive new choice in cross-Channel travel.
Virgin has always thrived on challenging the status quo and aimed to provide our customers with a great experience. We’ll bring the same approach to the cross-Channel route, making the journey something to look forward to as much as the destination.
We’re confident that more journeys between the UK and Europe will be made by train. We’re adding capacity for millions more international rail journeys each year, growing the market as a whole. We’re looking forward to seeing our distinctive red and black trains travelling across Europe.
Virgin also intends to explore closer links between its rail and airline networks, including connections for Virgin Atlantic passengers travelling onwards from London to continental Europe and for passengers travelling from France to destinations served by the airline.
Virgin has signed an agreement with Eurostar to maintain its trains at the Temple Mills International depot in east London. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has published the signed agreement.
Virgin notes that it is the only prospective new operator through the Channel Tunnel to have secured UK track access, with that access confirmed until at least 2040.
The planned launch in 2030 would introduce a new competitor on routes currently served by Eurostar. Virgin expects the additional capacity to support growth in international rail travel, alongside business and leisure journeys between the UK and continental Europe.
Further details about the proposed services, trains and onboard experience are expected to be announced in the coming months.
