By Guy Taylor
Eurostar will keep its monopoly on the Channel Tunnel for at least the next four years as Brexit red tape delays the launch of a rival service.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, the Spanish rail firm Evolyn and the newly established Dutch operator Heuro are are all plotting a high-speed challenger service.
Getlink, the Paris-based firm which manages the Tunnel’s infrastructure, has seen strong interest from a number of other unnamed companies, with at least five understood to be interested.
Evolyn was expected to launch its service as early as next year, but corporate filings from Eurostar say this is “not feasible,” with “2028 considered to be the earliest possible timing of market entry.”
Sources told the Sunday Times the delays were down to increased regulatory burden on the Channel Tunnel since Brexit.
Operations were previously governed by a single regulator, the French-UK Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), but Brexit means the system will be split.
The French watchdog EPSF is reportedly ready for the arrangement but the UK side, handled by the Office of Rail and Road, is not thought to be ready until next year at the earliest, the Sunday Times reported.
Another hurdle to any competitor is capacity at London St Pancras, which would need some work to be able to host the added trains and passenger numbers.
Many in the rail industry believe a Eurostar challenger is overdue. Prior to a recent turnaround, the French-owned operator struggled financially for years, and the combination of Brexit and the pandemic impacted services,
Eurostar’s network has shrunk from 9 year-round stations before Brexit to six, if you include a six month pause to its Amsterdam service from June this year. A challenger could encourage improved performance and lower fares on High Speed One, through to the continent.
There have been a number of attempts to break Eurostar’s monopoly over the years but with little success. The most high-profile move came from Deutsche Bahn in 2010, although the project ran out of steam due to regulatory barriers and difficulty approving new rolling stock.
Eurostar and Virgin Group declined to comment. Evolyn was approached for comment.
