Virgin will order trains for Eurotunnel services

In January 2025, Virgin Group announced that it planned to order “a dozen high-speed trains to challenge Eurostar’s monopoly in the Channel Tunnel” (which is also why Eurostar is planning to buy new high-speed trains). The group, owned by Sir Richard Branson and previously a strong franchised operator in the UK, wants to invest over 700 million GBP in these trains, gaining a head start over Spanish company Evolyn, which is also planning to start operating through the Eurotunnel. Another interested party is Gemini Trains.

Virgin Group said at the time that it was evaluating offers from Siemens, Alstom, Hitachi and Talgo and hoped to start operations in 2029. Now, Virgin has announced that it has agreed the main terms with Alstom for an order for 12 high-speed Avelia Stream trains, with which it wants to offer the cross-Channel passenger transport from 2030. The 200 m long units will have bodyshell tilting and will be approved for operation in the UK, Eurotunnel, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The contract for them should be signed by the end of this year.

Virgin plans to operate 20 train pairs daily, which will be introduced gradually: 13 pairs on the London - Paris route, four on the London - Brussels route and three London-Amsterdam. The issue of securing access to the Temple Mills International (TMI) depot in east London, which is currently the only one in the UK capable of maintaining trains with a wider European loading gauge, is also being addressed.