Gemini Trains targets Eurostar monopoly with Uber partnership and Siemens deal

Gemini, a dynamic new entrant in the rail sector, is set to challenge Eurostar’s longstanding dominance of high-speed passenger services through the Channel Tunnel. The company, chaired by Labour peer and transport veteran Lord Berkeley, has announced a collaboration with Uber and Siemens for the delivery of cutting-edge rolling stock. An initial order of ten trains will feature the Siemens Velaro Novo model—a next-generation upgrade of the popular Class e320 units currently operated by Eurostar. Some manufacturing and assembly work is anticipated to take place at Siemens’s facility in Goole, Yorkshire, underlining the project’s commitment to supporting UK industry.

Gemini’s ambition is to launch services on established Eurostar routes between London, Paris, and Brussels, as well as open up new cross-Channel connections to Cologne. The operator is proposing an alternative to the congested London St Pancras terminal by initiating services from Stratford in east London, and plans to revive operations at the international station in Ebbsfleet, Kent, which has lain dormant in recent years. The partnership with Uber is expected to be transformative for passengers, potentially incorporating branded Uber Trains and enabling seamless booking of tickets and onward travel via the Uber app.

Choosing Siemens as the principal supplier is a significant step for Gemini. The Velaro Novo sits as the advanced successor to the Class e320 and is already well received by passengers for its reliability and comfort. Meanwhile, Eurostar has commenced its own process of expanding and renewing its fleet, with speculation mounting that the operator will face political pressure to order equipment from the French manufacturer Alstom. Virgin Trains, another aspiring competitor, has confirmed it will use Alstom rolling stock, but the suitability of these latest designs for Channel Tunnel operations remains unproven. Elsewhere, the Italian FS and Spanish Cosmen family’s joint venture plans to operate the Alstom-built Frecciarossa trains.

Gemini’s rolling stock investment is to be financed by Rock Rail, an up-and-coming player in the train leasing market ready to challenge more established firms. With substantial spare capacity in the Channel Tunnel for additional services, the principal constraint facing new competitors is the limited maintenance and stabling infrastructure available at the Temple Mills depot in Stratford. Even with these hurdles, industry observers do not expect new entrants to begin operations before the end of the decade.

Adrian Quine, Gemini Trains chief executive, highlighted the strength of the company’s alliances: “Our collaboration with Uber, Siemens and Rock Rail creates a powerful partnership towards our goal of running competitively priced trains connecting the UK, France, Belgium and for the first time ever, Germany.” The sector now awaits the outcome of bids reviewed by the Office of Rail and Road, as Gemini and others look to reshape the landscape of European high-speed rail travel.