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Eurostar and potential competitors

Eurostar is an open access operator which runs train services from London St Pancras International to destinations in Europe. There has been a concerted push by MPs and local stakeholders for it to resume serving Ebbsfleet and Ashford International stations in Kent. In addition, a number of potential competitors have announced proposals to operate international services linking London and mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel.

International services at Ebbsfleet and Ashford International stations

For a number of years, Eurostar stopped at Kent’s Ebbsfleet and Ashford International stations, but these services were stopped in 2020. Since then, there has been uncertainty as to if, and when, services to either station will be reinstated. Local stakeholders are pushing for services to resume, citing potential significant economic benefits to the area.

Potential competitors to Eurostar

Eurostar services began operating in 1994. Since then, it has been the only international passenger train operator to use the Channel Tunnel. In August 2026, the Office of Rail and Road announced that it had approved a track access agreement between Virgin Trains’ and HS1 Limited, the operator of the channel tunnel rail line. This followed the Office of Rail and Road granting Virgin Trains access to Temple Mills depot in October 2025. This is the only depot in Great Britain which can accommodate channel tunnel trains.

Virgin Trains proposes to operate 20 daily return services between London St Pancras and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam by 2030. It will still need to agree access for the rail networks it plans to use in Europe, and for the channel tunnel itself.

Three other potential competitors also announced their intention to operate international services between London and Europe via the Channel Tunnel and applied to the Office of Rail and Road for access to Temple Mills depot:

• Trenitalia France, which proposed to operate ten daily return services between London and Paris from 2029
• Evolyn, which proposed to operate trains between London and Paris
• Gemini Trains, which proposed to operate ten daily return journeys between Stratford International railway station and Paris, and eight daily return services between Stratford International and Brussels from 2029.

Following the announcement that Virgin Trains has been granted access to Temple Mills depot, Trenitalia France ordered 19 high-speed trains and announced plans to construct a maintenance facility near Paris, and Gemini Trains announced it was investigating building its own depot near Ashford in Kent.

Challenges for competitors to overcome

Limited capacity at Temple Mills depot was identified as a potential barrier for train operators wishing to compete with Eurostar, and also potentially for Eurostar’s own expansion plans. The Office of Rail and Road commissioned an independent study, which found that the depot would be able to accommodate additional trains. However, this would be insufficient to accommodate all of the potential operators in addition to Eurostar’s plans to expand its fleet.

Other challenges for new international train operators include purchasing or leasing rolling stock (trains) that meet the requirements for use in the Channel Tunnel, and, if they are proposing to operate international services from Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International, funding infrastructure for border controls.

Impact of international train services on south east England

International train services have been estimated to contribute over £400 million to annual trade between south east England and Europe, and to support more than £2 billion of tourist expenditure per year [PDF, p4].

Regulation of international train services

The Office of Rail and Road is the economic and safety regulator for railways in Great Britain, including High Speed 1 (HS1) the railway between London St Pancras International and the Channel Tunnel. London St Pancras Highspeed, a private limited company, has a 30-year concession to operate and manage HS1.

An open access operator must have a track access agreement with the relevant railway infrastructure manager which has been approved by the Office of Rail and Road. Appeals can also be made to the Office of Rail and Road where agreements on track access cannot be reached between the relevant parties.

All train operators in Great Britain (including open-access operators) require a valid train operating licence, or an exemption. Most mainline train operators are also required to maintain a safety management system and hold a safety certificate or safety authorisation indicating that this has been accepted by the Office of Rail and Road.

International services are also subject to similar safety regulation in the countries outside Great Britain in which they operate.