The Channel Tunnel is preparing for a decade of growth, with multiple new rail services and destinations planned, offering more options for travellers and a potential reduction in carbon emissions. The tunnel operating company says the line has capacity for additional operators, signaling opportunities for more frequent and potentially cheaper connections between the UK and continental Europe.
Italy’s state railway group, Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), plans to develop high-speed rail services across France and other European countries. With a €1 billion investment in partnership with US firm Certares, FS aims to support Trenitalia France’s bid to launch direct Paris-London services through the Channel Tunnel by 2029. Trenitalia France currently operates high-speed routes from Paris to Lyon, Marseille, and Milan, and the joint venture will also increase frequencies on existing lines, offering up to 28 daily trips on the Paris-Lyon route.
New competitors are also targeting Eurostar’s cross-Channel monopoly. Spanish-owned rail operator Evolyn announced plans to purchase 12 trains to serve the London-Paris route, originally aiming to launch in 2025, though the project is still under development. The Virgin Group is reportedly planning services from London to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam starting in 2029. Start-up Gemini Trains, led by Lord Tony Berkeley, a former Eurotunnel engineer, has applied for an operator license to serve Paris, Strasbourg, Cologne, and Geneva with a fleet of 10 trains by 2029.
Dutch operator Heuro is also preparing an alternative to Eurostar between Amsterdam, Paris, and London by 2028. The company plans 16 daily services from Amsterdam to Paris and 15 from Amsterdam to London. “We just want lower prices and [to get] more people off planes and on trains,” said Heuro founder Roemer van den Biggelaar.
Eurotunnel is promising new destinations from London by 2030, including Cologne, Frankfurt, and Geneva. Yann Leriche, chief executive of Eurotunnel’s parent company Getlink, said the firm plans to “double” the number of connections between London and the continent within ten years. Eurotunnel has set aside €50 million in financial assistance for new entrants between 2025 and 2030, prioritising cities that are currently major flight destinations but reachable in under six hours by train.
Recent agreements between Deutsche Bahn and Eurostar aim to simplify regulations and facilitate long-distance services between London and Frankfurt. Additional connections under discussion include Basel and Zurich, with Swiss Railways (SBB) planning a new five-hour service from St Pancras to Basel, reducing the current journey from seven hours across three trains.
The expansion of Channel Tunnel services reflects a growing appetite for rail travel as a faster, greener alternative to short-haul flights, while offering travellers more routes and competitive pricing.
