Room for ‘at most’ one more Eurostar rival, says regulator June 5, 2025 There is space for “at most” one more rail operator at Eurostar’s key east London train depot, the UK’s railways watchdog has said. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has been assessing capacity at Temple Mills International depot after Eurostar claimed it was “basically full.” It said on Thursday there was room for “at [...]
Uber unveils tie-up with Eurostar challenger May 21, 2025 Uber is planning a partnership deal with one of the firms seeking to oust Eurostar as the sole operator of the Channel Tunnel. Gemini Trains, spearheaded by the Labour peer Lord Berkeley, is one of several competitors looking to break Eurostar’s 30-year monopoly on cross-channel services. Passengers will be able to book tickets via the [...]
Eurostar routes could see double-decker trains May 14, 2025 Double-decker trains could be running through the Channel Tunnel in the coming years as part of proposals from the French rolling stock giant Alstom alongside Eurostar. Chief executive Henri Poupart-Lafarge told the Financial Times the trains would increase traffic on routes between London and Europe, which are traditionally operated by Eurostar. “The double-decker train has [...]
Eurostar tells rivals to put their money where their mouths are April 28, 2025 Eurostar has called on its rivals to invest in the UK’s capacity for international rail as it insisted it welcomed increased competition. The Temple Mills depot in East London is currently the only place in the UK that can host high-speed, cross-channel trains to and from Europe. It has become a central part of the [...]
Avanti West Coast co-owner to launch €1bn Eurostar rival April 8, 2025 A co-owner of Avanti West Coast has confirmed plans to launch a €1bn (£856.6m) rival Eurostar which would run services between London and Paris. FS Italiane Group is looking to run a high-speed rail service between the two capitals by 2029. The group, which co-owns Avanti West Coast alongside FirstGroup, has put aside €1bn for [...]
Third Eurostar challenger steps up March 24, 2025 A third operator seeking to challenge Eurostar’s monopoly on Channel Tunnel services has been announced. Gemini said on Monday it had submitted an application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) regulator for access to Eurostar’s Temple Mills depot, which is the only place in the UK to park and maintain high-speed, cross-Channel trains. [...]
Amsterdam city break: Where to stay and what to do March 7, 2025 Amsterdam is about to have its moment. This year marks the Dutch capital’s 750th birthday, with a year of celebratory events scheduled, while Eurostar has just restarted its fast direct London-Amsterdam service following the completion of a new terminal in Amsterdam, making it easier and quicker than ever to reach the Dutch capital. Where to [...]
Eurostar halts London-Paris trains for rest of day after unexploded bomb found March 7, 2025 Eurostar has suspended services between London and Paris for the rest of Friday after the discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb near tracks in the French capital. Thousands of passengers are disrupted as the cross-Channel operator was scheduled to run 32 trains in either direction throughout the day. A large crowd of people [...]
London St Pancras owner inks new partnership as it eyes services to Italy and Germany February 21, 2025 The company in charge of St Pancras International is luring in competition for Eurostar by nearly tripling passenger capacity and launching a range of new European routes. A tie-up between London St Pancras High Speed and Eurotunnel will “lay the foundations for increased cross-Channel rail traffic” alongside faster journey times, the companies said in a [...]
British wine industry calls on Eurostar to bring back Kent services January 22, 2025 Britain’s wine industry has called for Eurostar to restart services from two Kent stations to boost the South East of England’s vineyards. The high-speed operator suspended operations from Ashford International and Ebbsfleet in the early stages of the pandemic. But it has faced mounting pressure to bring back the popular routes over the last year [...]