An Italian rail operator is looking to end Eurostar’s control over the Channel Tunnel.
Ferrovie dello State Italiane (FS Group) has signed an agreement with Hitachi Rail for the supply of 19 new high-speed trains.
The €2 billion (£1.7 billion) fleet, which has been ordered by FS Group subsidiary Trenitalia France, will be used for the London to Paris route, scheduled to launch in 2029.
Each vehicle will bring “next-generation” Wi-Fi connectivity, an on-board bistro, and “an even more comfortable travel experience.”
The company added its new fleet will also strengthen existing routes from Paris to Lyon, Milan and Marseille.
For three-decades, Eurostar has been the only operator to offer passengers the route across the Channel.
Several operators, such as Evolyn in Spain and Virgin in the UK, have been seeking to compete with Eurostar. The tunnel has only been operating at 50% capacity, meaning the goal was wide open for a competitor to join.
State-owned rail operator FS Group revealed it would partner with US private investment firm Certares to develop the high-speed rail route in January.
Around the same time, the group also found a way around having to use UK train storage facilities by announcing plans to build an €80 million storage facility just outside of Paris.
It looked likely that Virgin would be the first to compete alongside Eurostar after it secured permission to store trains at the Temple Mill International depot ahead of other bids made by other applicants.
Virgin still plans on launching its route from London to continental Europe from 2030.
Gianpiero Strisciuglio, CEO of FS Italiane Group, told Time Out that the new trains and the maintenance hub are “fundamental elements for the launch of the Paris–London connection, a project that is central to our vision of the ‘Metro of Europe’, the integrated high-speed network that will increasingly connect Europe’s major cities”.
