Eurostar Monopoly Challenged as Rival Operators Look to Enter Channel Tunnel Market

A thirty-year monopoly held by Eurostar on cross-Channel high-speed rail services faces a challenge as up to two competitors plan to make their entry onto the route. Gemini Trains, a new railway start-up chaired by transport veteran Lord Berkeley, has officially declared itself a contender, joining Virgin Trains and Evolyn in a bid to break Eurostar’s dominance.

Gemini Trains has submitted an application for a train operator’s licence and access to the rail infrastructure used for services running from London to Paris and beyond. The start-up, led by former broadcaster-turned-transport-entrepreneur Adrian Quine, proposes running high-speed trains between London St Pancras and Paris Gare du Nord by 2029. Its ambitions also extend to destinations such as Strasbourg, Cologne and Geneva.

Gemini expects to operate a fleet of ten high-speed trains, far smaller in scale compared to Eurostar’s current operations. Their proposed schedule involves bi-hourly services between major European cities. The feasibility of Gemini’s plan depends on resolving access to the international rolling stock depot at Temple Mills, currently occupied by Eurostar. Without access to this key depot, launching a new service would be challenging.

If access issues are cleared, the company intends to seek investment from both the UK and France and secure track usage agreements with High Speed 1, Getlink (the operator of the Channel Tunnel), and SNCF, the French state-owned railway operator. Gemini also plans to purchase trains from manufacturers such as Alstom, Siemens, Hitachi, or Talgo, each offering options for advanced, efficient, high-speed trains. Three of these companies manufacture rolling stock within the UK.

Virgin Trains, led by Sir Richard Branson, has similarly announced plans to challenge Eurostar with a target launch date of 2029. The firm is working to secure £700 million in funding and aims to provide a competitive service with dynamic pricing strategies. Evolyn, backed by National Express stakeholders, was initially aiming to begin operations by 2025 but has not provided recent updates on its progress. Both companies are vying to tap into substantial unmet demand for rail services connecting London to other major European cities.

Industry analysts believe capacity along the existing routes could allow two competitors to co-exist alongside Eurostar, though accommodating a third may prove difficult. Eurostar has maintained its monopoly for decades but rising demand among travellers choosing trains over planes underscores the potential for competitive newcomers to disrupt the market. With plans progressing from multiple parties, the landscape of cross-Channel travel could transform significantly within the next few years.