Virgin Trains has been granted permission by the Office of Rail and Road to utilize Eurostar’s train depot in east London. This approval sets the stage for Virgin Trains to introduce international services through the Channel Tunnel, breaking Eurostar’s long-standing monopoly on Channel services. The decision by the regulator, Office of Rail and Road (ORR), allows Sir Richard Branson’s company access to the Temple Mills site for train maintenance and storage.
Virgin Group, which had not been actively operating trains in the UK since the expiration of its contract for the West Coast Main Line in December 2019, faced a rejection from ORR for running access services on key routes like London, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester.
In response to the decision, Martin Jones from the ORR emphasized the importance of promoting customer choice and competition in the international rail sector. This move is expected to unlock significant private sector investment amounting to around £700 million and drive growth. While the launch of new services will require further development, the ORR expressed readiness to collaborate with Virgin Trains as their plans progress.
Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson, hailed the ORR’s decision as a positive step for consumers, signaling the end of a three-decade monopoly and heralding a new era of competition on the cross-Channel route.
Rail minister, Lord Hendy, lauded the ORR’s approval, highlighting the benefits it will bring to passengers in terms of increased choice, better value, and enhanced connectivity. Plans are underway to explore establishing new depot capacity in the UK with private investment support to meet market demands and foster competition and growth.
Despite the Channel Tunnel currently operating at only 50% capacity, accommodating LeShuttle vehicle-carrying trains between Folkestone in Kent and Calais in France, applications from other companies like Evolyn, Gemini Trains, and Trenitalia to use the Temple Mills depot were rejected by the ORR. Eurostar also failed in its bid to secure permission to utilize the site’s spare capacity for expansion purposes.