Virgin cleared to run Amsterdam-London trains from 2030

Virgin Trains has jumped another hurdle, bringing the British company one step closer to running international trains between Amsterdam and London.

Virgin gets access to Channel Tunnel, ending Eurostar monopoly

Eurostar’s monopoly of the Channel Tunnel is coming to an end as the British railway authority ORR has given Virgin Trains permission to run trains through the Channel Tunnel. The company founded by billionaire Richard Branson will be allowed to operate on the tracks from October 2030 until the end of 2040, reports AD. 

In earlier announcements, Virgin spoke of plans for an international train route connecting London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. There are also longer-term plans to expand further into Germany and Switzerland.

More competition for Channel Tunnel

Last year, Virgin Trains gained access to a major maintenance depot in London, and has now secured rights to run trains on the international rail network. However, this is just the next step of many that the company still needs to take.

Virgin Trains still needs to order trains, receive the necessary safety approvals from British and European authorities, and be granted access to the rail networks of destination countries. At the same time, there will be other competition on the Channel Tunnel with Trenitalia also planning to launch trains on the route from 2029.