FS Italiane Group said it is proposing to use trains inspired by its Frecciarossa high-speed rolling stock to link UK train stations with destinations including Lyon, Marseille and Milan
An Italian train operator has unveiled plans to link the UK with major cities in Europe.
There’s a new contender eyeing up the London to Paris train route through the Channel Tunnel, and it’s none other than Avanti West Coast co-owner FS Italiane Group. The firm has thrown its hat into the ring with grand plans of kicking off services by 2029. FS Italiane Group has said it would pour one billion euros (£857 million) into ramping up its European operations.
The group, which has a 30 per cent stake in Avanti West Coast and runs the C2C franchise between London and south Essex, is looking at possible extensions of the new service to Lyon, Marseille and Milan, and is also evaluating a possible reopening of Ashford International.
The company is thinking of rolling in with high-speed trains that echo its sleek Frecciarossa stock. FS Italiana Group has inked a memorandum of understanding with Spanish firm Evolyn. This would make them Eurostar’s biggest challenger yet, joining the fray along with big names like Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Gemini, steered by Labour grandee Lord Berkeley, who have already announced their bids for a slice of the UK to Continental Europe action.
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FS Italiane Group’s top boss Stefano Antonio Donnarumma said “High-speed rail networks are the backbone of efficient and environmentally friendly mobility, and by expanding our presence on key corridors, we are not just investing in infrastructure and innovation, but also in the future of European transport. More competition will help to create a more efficient and customer-oriented industry, offering a real alternative to air travel.”
Any train company wanting to zip through the Channel Tunnel has to get the green light from regulators. FS Italiane Group is also teasing the possibility that these new ventures could grace Ashford, Kent with a stopover, a spot Eurostar has not run since the coronavirus lockdown began in March 2020.
Last month, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) regulator suggested that some capacity at Eurostar’s Temple Mills maintenance depot in north-east London could be opened up to other operators. The industry has identified access to a suitable depot for maintaining and storing trains as a crucial factor for operators looking to compete with Eurostar.
Since the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994, Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services. Earlier this month, London St Pancras Highspeed – the owner of the capital’s station and the high-speed tracks leading to the tunnel – announced it will offer reduced charges to operators running additional international services.
Virgin Group, known for its previous Virgin Trains operation on the West Coast Main Line, is now eyeing the Channel Tunnel for a new venture. Virgin aims to break Eurostar’s long-standing monopoly on passenger services through the Channel Tunnel, with plans to launch a high-speed service connecting London with Paris and Brussels.
