Virgin takes step towards running Channel Tunnel rail services

Virgin's plans to run rail services between London and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam have moved closer after it was granted track access by the UK regulator.

The company has been given approval to run up to 20 daily return services through the Channel Tunnel by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), with the agreement running from 1 October 2030 to 31 December 2040.

The ORR said , external it was "a significant step forward" in introducing competition on the route, where Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services since the tunnel opened in 1994.

However, the regulator said Virgin still had to secure rolling stock for the services and get safety approval from UK and EU authorities.

The approval from the ORR only covers the track from London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel at Dover and the regulator said Virgin still needed to secure access to rail networks in mainland Europe.

The ORR's deputy director of access and international, Martin Jones, said: "This is an important next step in bringing competition and growth to the market for international rail services.

"While there is still more work to do, we are supporting Virgin and the wider industry to grow international services."

The ORR said increasing competition on the route would provide "significant benefits" for passengers.