{"id":2698,"date":"2026-08-27T08:09:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T08:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jvdbosch.com\/?p=2698"},"modified":"2026-08-27T09:12:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T09:12:04","slug":"eurostar-rivals-when-every-competitor-is-set-to-launch-uk-to-europe-trains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jvdbosch.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/27\/eurostar-rivals-when-every-competitor-is-set-to-launch-uk-to-europe-trains\/","title":{"rendered":"Eurostar rivals: When every competitor is set to launch UK to Europe trains"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Eurostar passenger train speeds towards the Channel Tunnel… it could soon have company (Picture: Sameer Al-Doumy\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s finally happening: Eurostar<\/a>\u2019s three-decade monopoly over the Channel Tunnel is about to come to an end.<\/p>\n

Eurostar, a French-controlled international rail operator, is the only company providing direct passenger services from London<\/a> to cities such as Amsterdam<\/a>, Brussels<\/a> and Paris<\/a> through the tunnel.<\/p>\n

From 2029, though, that could change.<\/p>\n

Several train operators across the UK and Europe<\/a> have been locked in a battle to be the first to compete with the cross-Channel service<\/a>. <\/p>\n

As it stands, it looks as though Italy’s state-owned railway company will come out on top<\/a>. But it’s all to play for. Let’s look at the contenders.<\/p>\n

FS Group<\/h2>\n

Italy\u2019s state-owned railway \u2014 Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Group) \u2014  is currently winning the race to launch its own London to Paris route by 2029.<\/p>\n

First, it found a way around using train storage facilities in the UK (which has historically been a major stumbling block). <\/p>\n

And now, it’s submitted a \u00a31.7 billion order for vehicles<\/a>: 19 high-speed trains, to be exact.<\/p>\n

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As is stands, Italy\u2019s state-owned rail group is winning the race (Picture: FS Group\/ FS Group train)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Those trains will be the core fleet for the group\u2019s London to Paris route, scheduled to launch in 2029.<\/p>\n

They see it becoming the ‘Metro of Europe’, which sounds pretty good to us.<\/p>\n

Virgin<\/h2>\n

Next, we have Virgin Trains. Richard Branson’s rail company is aiming to launch its own service in 2030. <\/p>\n

Last week, it moved closer to that goal<\/a> with the granting of track access by the rail regulator to enable it to run services between London and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

Virgin has cleared a big regulatory hurdle with this, but there’s a catch.<\/p>\n

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Amsterdam could benefit from new direct rail services to European cities if any challenger bids come off (Picture: Alexander Spatari\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The access only covers the HS1 route, and Virgin still needs to secure the same for the Channel Tunnel and rail networks in mainland Europe.<\/p>\n

Promising to sprinkle some Virgin magic, Branson has previously declared: \u2018We\u2019re going to shake-up the cross-Channel route for good and give consumers the choice they deserve\u2019.<\/p>\n

Gemini Trains<\/h2>\n

In December 2025, we reported that Eurostar had plans to launch high-speed rail routes<\/a> between London and Germany.<\/p>\n

If all goes to plan, we could see Eurostar trains pulling into Cologne and Frankfurt by the early 2030s.<\/p>\n

But Eurostar is not the only one with these big plans.<\/p>\n

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It’s been 32 years of glorious monopoly for Eurostar (Picture: Yoan Valat\/EPA\/Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gemini Trains is hoping to launch rival services to Cologne as early as 2030<\/a>, and to Paris and Brussels after that.<\/p>\n

The company, chaired by Lord Berkeley, 85, a veteran railway engineer and Labour minister, has said they will deliver 10 high-speed trains for services to Europe.<\/p>\n

Evolyn<\/h2>\n

Evolyn promised a new service from London to Paris back in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Spanish start-up bought 12 trains from French manufacturer Alstom for its new high-speed route, and promised to launch direct services by 2026. <\/p>\n

There was also talk of extending routes to Germany and Switzerland, but there hasn’t been much on any of that since.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tEuropean travel inspiration from Metro\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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