Virgin has shared what it says is a "first glimpse" of plans for its proposed cross-Channel train services to compete with Eurostar. The train operator previously secured an agreement with French rail group Alstom for a fleet of 12 Avelia Stream trains, which Virgin says will be capable of travelling at speeds of up to 300km/h (around 186mph) with customised interiors designed for cross-Channel travel.
Planned services and capacity
The company is planning to introduce 20 daily return services between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam from 2030, which it says will add nearly 7.5 million seats to the cross-Channel route per year and create up to 1,000 new jobs. Eurostar is the only operator with passenger services currently, and Virgin still needs to pass some regulatory hurdles before it can run its own services on the route.
However, Virgin says it has signed an agreement with Eurostar to maintain its trains at the Temple Mills International depot in east London and is the only prospective new operator through the Channel Tunnel to have secured track access in the UK which it will have until at least 2040.
Design and customer experience
On Friday, October 9, it released an image of a black and red Virgin train to give a sense of what customers can expect, as well as some clues about what the service will look like. The company says pre-departure and onboard social spaces will be inspired by its commercial flight arm Virgin Atlantic's Clubhouses with passengers given "more flexibility to work, relax or socialise in style".
The onboard dining options will be inspired by the offering on its cruise line Virgin Voyages', with seating and onboard spaces informed by while "Virgin Hotels' focus on comfort and design". Passengers will also be able to earn Virgin Points on its loyalty platform Virgin Red and spend them on future journeys, flights, hotel stays, cruises and experiences, the firm said.
Leadership and partnership comments
Virgin Group CEO Josh Bayliss 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."
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."
Future integration and details
Virgin says it will also "explore how its rail and airline networks could work more closely together, making it easier for international customers arriving in London with Virgin Atlantic to continue to France and other European destinations, while connecting passengers from France into Virgin Atlantic's global network".
The company added that it will share further details about the proposed services, trains and customer experience in the coming months.
