Virgin hopes to run direct trains from London to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport

Virgin Trains hopes to introduce the UK’s first direct train services to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, after overcoming the main barrier to launching international services through the Channel Tunnel.

Sir Richard Branson’s company said it is focused on running trains between London’s St Pancras station and the city centres of Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam in 2030, but is in discussions with France’s busiest airport about the possibility of new services there.

On Thursday, regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) granted access to Virgin Trains to share Eurostar’s Temple Mills depot in east London to maintain and store trains.

In an interview with the PA news agency, Sir Richard described this as “the big hurdle that we had to get through”, although Virgin Trains will require additional regulatory approvals covering issues such as track access and safety before it can start international services.

The ORR rejected rival applications from Evolyn, Gemini Trains and Trenitalia to use the depot, and Eurostar was unsuccessful in seeking permission to use the site’s spare capacity to grow.

Temple Mills is the only depot that can be accessed from High Speed 1, the line that runs between London and the tunnel.

Sir Richard described the regulator’s decision as “fantastic” for Virgin Atlantic, the airline he founded, as it is in a partnership with Air France, which is headquartered at Charles de Gaulle.

Virgin Atlantic does not have enough slots at London’s Heathrow airport to operate short-haul flights in competition with British Airways (BA).

Sir Richard said: “BA won’t have trains going into Europe. This will help us in a competitive sense.”

Sir Richard, 75, also expressed hope that Virgin Trains will resume services between St Pancras and Disneyland Paris on a limited basis.

He said: “I’d like to go. I was just (thinking) I’d like to bring my grandkids, but by the time we’re there, they’ll be bringing me, they’ll be teenagers.

“But anyway, we should definitely do a day or two in Disneyland, even if it’s not a regular service.”

Eurostar stopped serving Disneyland Paris in June 2023 to focus on its core routes.

Asked whether Virgin Trains would offer cheaper tickets than Eurostar, Sir Richard replied: “If you don’t have competition, you’re obviously going to have high fares all the time.

“People have no choice if they want to go by train, to pay whatever Eurostar charges.

“If you have competition, then fares will inevitably come down.

“If we’ve got seats that need selling, we will reduce the cost of them.”

Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services through the tunnel since it opened in 1994.

Sir Richard said: “It’s time to end this 30-year monopoly and bring some Virgin magic to the cross-Channel route.”

The tunnel is only used at about 50% capacity, despite also accommodating LeShuttle vehicle-carrying trains between Folkestone in Kent and Calais in northern France.

Virgin Trains plans to run services between St Pancras and the same stations in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam used by Eurostar, and it has “ambitions” to expand “further across France, and into Germany and Switzerland”.

The company added: “If either Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International station are reopened in Kent, then Virgin will stop there, and it is working with Kent County Council and other local stakeholders to explore how to make this happen.”

Eurostar stopped serving the stations in March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Virgin Trains has an agreement with manufacturer Alstom to purchase 12 Avelia Stream trains.

It said on Thursday they will be funded by infrastructure investor Equitix.

Virgin Group will lead the funding of the operating company, alongside Equitix and private equity firm Azzurra Capital.

The ORR said: “Virgin Trains’ plans were more financially and operationally robust than those of other applicants, and it provided clear evidence of investor backing and an agreement in principle to deliver the necessary and appropriate rolling stock.”

Rail minister Lord Hendy said depot capacity “should not be a barrier to greater competition and growth”, and the Government is “exploring plans” to establish more facilities.

Eurostar said it is “considering our next steps to ensure we can continue to grow”.

Virgin Group has not been involved in operating trains in the UK since Virgin Trains’ contract for the West Coast Main Line (WCML) expired in December 2019.

In July, the ORR rejected the company’s application to run open access services on the WCML, serving cities such as London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.