Competition for Eurostar, long talked-of and recently talked of a lot more, may be moving a bit closer to reality with moves by British authorities and potential competitors. A ‘bit closer’ in this case means emerging solutions, but not likely actual trains for another 4-5 years.
London St Pancras Highspeed, Ltd, which owns and operates the St Pancras station in London and the rail line that connects it to the Channel Tunnel, is offering incentive rates to new rail operators, including a reduction of up to 50% of its charges during the first year of operation. LSPH also says they have worked out ways to fit more trains into St Pancras, and how to reduce border delays.
And, the Office of Road and Rail has a solution for another obstacle to new service—where to put the trains between runs and where to service them if needed. ORR says there is enough available space at the Temple Mills depot to accommodate newcomers. Temple Mills is the only UK facility that can handle European-style trains.
On the competitor front, a formidable bid is shaping up from FS Italiane, a subsidiary of the Italian state railway system. It is a co-owner of Avanti West, a British operator that has talked of entering the market, and has signed a deal with Spanish company Evolyn, which has also been preparing to make a bid. FS, which also operates in France, has a big plus over other possible entrants: It already owns trains that are suitable for Channel Tunnel service. All the other would-bes would have to order and wait for trains to be built. Evolyn had been furthest along in that process.
Other companies that have been talking of entering the market include Richard Branson’s Virgin and Germany’s DB. The Italian bid has its eyes on more than Eurostar’s current routes, with talk of routes making direct connections between London and Italian cities such as Milan and Rome.
