First look at Virgin's new Eurostar rival – what we know so far

As someone who loves nothing more than a quick hop between Paris and London, the idea that we are going to have more trains, more often – and hopefully more budget-friendly options – between two of the best capitals in the world makes me ecstatic.

It's been more than 30 years since the first Eurostar whizzed through the Channel Tunnel, transporting travellers metres under the seabed between London, Paris and beyond into the continent.

There has been word on the rails that rivals have sought to end Eurostar’s monopoly over the tracks for many years, and finally, plans were given the green light last summer. On 13 August 2026, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) rail regulator announced the approval of a new framework track access agreement between HS1 Limited (trading as London St. Pancras Highspeed) and VTE OPCO Limited (Virgin Trains).

The agreement means Virgin Trains are permitted to run up to 20 new daily return services between London and Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam. Furthermore, the head-turning approval grants access to cross-border rail services between 1 October 2030 and 31 December 2040.

Following the announcement of Virgin Trains’ bid to run competitor services last year and the ORR’s approval for the group to use Temple Mills International rail depot in East London, founder Sir Richard Branson said, “It’s time to end this 30-year monopoly and bring some Virgin magic to the cross-Channel route. Virgin is no stranger to delivering award-winning rail services, and just as we have successfully challenged incumbents in air, cruise and rail, we’re ready to do it again. We’re going to shake up the cross-Channel route for good and give consumers the choice they deserve.”

Virgin's plans are starting to take shape. Computer-generated images of the proposed trains have now been released, but the interiors remain under wraps. All we know so far is that the “pre-departure and onboard social spaces” will be inspired by Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouses, with the goal of “giving passengers more flexibility to work, relax or socialise in style.” The food and drink offering is expected to draw inspiration from Virgin Voyages, the group's cruise line, and the overall design will remind travellers of Virgin Hotels.

Josh Bayliss, CEO of Virgin Group, said: “Virgin has a proud history in UK rail. With our latest venture we are drawing on more than four decades of experience across travel and hospitality to create something genuinely new. This time, we’ll be connecting London with some of Europe’s greatest cities and giving passengers a distinctive new choice in cross-Channel travel. Virgin has always thrived on challenging the status quo and aimed to provide our customers with a great experience. We’ll bring the same approach to the cross-Channel route, making the journey something to look forward to as much as the destination. We’re confident that more journeys between the UK and Europe will be made by train. We’re adding capacity for millions more international rail journeys each year, growing the market as a whole. We’re looking forward to seeing our distinctive red and black trains travelling across Europe.”

Virgin is also planning to integrate its new rail services into Virgin Red, the group's existing rewards programme, allowing passengers to collect Virgin Points when booking train journeys. The points can then be redeemed across the wider Virgin network, including Virgin Atlantic flights, Virgin Hotels stays and other experiences.

Italian rail operator Trenitalia also has plans to enter the cross-Channel market, and I for one cannot wait to see how some healthy competition might improve travellers' experience.