The Channel Tunnel's Passenger Train Service Faces a Troublesome Challenge: Is a Radical Overhaul Imminent?
Europe's high-speed rail revolution threatens Eurostar's monopoly on London-France travel A radical shakeup looms as Virgin eyes a rebirth, promising a superior experience, ten times nicer than flying
Demand for high-speed rail travel is booming in Europe. Travelers are desperate for a fast, sustainable alternative to short-haul air flights and congested highways.
But theres a problem.
There is a high demand for travel on many routes, leading to full trains and expensive ticket prices. This has caused many travelers to resort to less environmentally friendly modes of transport. However, Europeans are expressing a need for more routes and trains between major cities, but expansion is currently hindered by insufficient capacity, political issues, and lack of investment.
Contrary to airlines, who can establish new routes in a matter of months, the construction of new high-speed railways is a much lengthier and costlier process, particularly when they intersect international borders.
The Channel Tunnel, currently operated by Eurostar, is a major obstacle in the development of high-speed rail travel between Britain and France, linking London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. This undersea rail link requires billions of dollars and decades to build.
Harald Eisenberger/ÃBB
The night train revolution is being praised as a viable alternative to air travel. However, Eurostar faces challenges in meeting the potential demand due to station capacity issues in major cities and a shortage of border control staff in the UK.
Although there is ample space on the dedicated high-speed railways used in the UK, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, as well as through the Channel Tunnel, the border staff is unable to process enough passengers each hour to fill the 900-seat trains. As a result, some trains have been departing with empty seats. The addition of more trains would overwhelm the city center stations. Eurostar has announced the suspension of services between London and Amsterdam for six months from June 2024 due to upgrades being made to the terminal in the Netherlands.
Change may be imminent before the decade is over. Eurostar, which has held a monopoly for nearly 30 years, is now up against new competitors on its primary international routes. This competition brings the potential for increased train availability, more options for travelers, and reduced ticket prices.
Eurostar is halting services to Amsterdam for six months from June 2024.
Hollandse Hoogte/Shutterstock
Ten times nicer than by plane
A new startup called Heuro has announced ambitious plans to introduce additional high-speed trains from London to Belgium and the Netherlands. Founded by three Dutch entrepreneurs, Heuro aims to rival Eurostar on the Amsterdam-Paris/London routes by 2028, with the goal of offering up to 15 trips per day to London and 16 to Paris.
Taking inspiration from the achievements of the Italian private operator Italo as well as the high-speed rail competition in Spain and France, the founders of Heuros are determined to move travelers from air to rail on a number of Europe's busiest short-haul air routes.
"Our goal is simple: we want to offer lower prices and encourage more people to travel by train instead of planes," explains Heuro founder Roemer van den Biggelaar.
"There are still 55 flights [a day] from Amsterdam to London and back, which I think is a lot," he adds. "And thats while there is a very nice tunnel with a high-speed line.
WMXMG2 Stoos, Morschach, Schwyz, Switzerland, Europe
Joana Kruse/Alamy Stock Photo
Quirky and fascinating trains that defy conventions
"For me, there's just something about train travel that's ten times more enjoyable than flying. Admittedly, there are still ongoing capacity issues with passport control on routes to London, but that's a problem that can be resolved."
The Eurostar frequently operates at full capacity. Introducing additional train services to the route is a strategy aimed at lowering ticket prices. While Heuro has not disclosed its pricing, the company aims to offer lower fares than Eurostar and expand its network to include more cities. Eurostar has declined to comment on Heuro's plans, but remains committed to promoting eco-friendly travel options in Europe.
Competition in Italy and Spain's high-speed rail industry has led to increased service frequencies, a reduction of fares by up to 40%, and a market growth of up to 300% on certain routes in the past decade. These figures were published by ALLRail, the representative of non-state train operators in the European rail market.
Erich Forster, the President of ALLRail, welcomed the Heuro announcement, stating: "Competition in Italy has resulted in a wider range of choices and more trains. This is undoubtedly the solution for the high-speed rail market in northwest Europe as well."
"Simply put, companies like Heuro represent the future of passenger rail. We anticipate an alternative to the current state of affairs, where the market is consistently underserved due to the presence of only one operator [Eurostar]."
Unfinished business? Virgin's rail operations in the UK came to a halt four years ago.
Peter Byrne/PA Images/Getty Images
A Virgin rebirth?
Heuros announcement came mere three days following a report in The Daily Telegraph stating that Richard Bransons Virgin empire is looking to reenter the rail industry to rival Eurostar, marking its return after four years since its last UK contract.
Despite Virgin's dismissal of the story as mere speculation, the report hinted at the possibility of a former Virgin Trains executive being chosen to lead the new international rail project linking London and Paris. Branson has expressed his belief that there is unfinished business for him in the rail industry, and if the rumors turn out to be true, Virgin could pose a strong challenge to Eurostar.
Costfoto/Barcroft Media/Getty Images
Flying without wings: The worlds fastest trains
Also backed by wealthy investors, Spanish startup Evolyn was the first to show its hand in October.
The company announced intentions to compete with Eurostar on the Paris-London route starting in 2025, with the full service set to launch in 2026. However, experts in the rail industry have cast doubt on the feasibility of this goal. Currently, the only train approved to operate in the Channel Tunnel is the Siemens-built e320, and with Siemens already busy fulfilling a large order for Germany's Deutsche Bahn, Evolyn is considering turning to the French transport company Alstom and the possibility of using trains similar to the latest generation TGV-M.
Alstom has said it is so far merely in discussions with the new company.
Trains similar to France's TGV-M could be used on Channel Tunnel routes.
Patrick Leveque/SIPA/AP
Alstom's factory in La Rochelle is scheduled to construct 100 TGV-Ms for French National Railway SNCF over the next decade. Given this commitment, the likelihood of Evolyns securing new trains designed, built, and authorized in under two years appears extremely slim. Additionally, all three challengers encounter the same obstacles in serving London.
All countries will be required to acquire high-speed trains that comply with the strict fire regulations of the Channel Tunnel, along with safety and power supply systems in as many as five different countries.
According to European rail commentator Jon Worth, ordering trains from Siemens may result in a new train being operational in the tunnel by 2028, but it is more probable to be completed by 2030.
There is no inherent obstacle to constructing a TGV-M that meets the Channel Tunnel fire regulations. However, this has not yet been accomplished, and approval for a redesign would take 12 months.
Spanish train-maker Talgo presents a potential solution with its new "Avril" high-speed train, currently in the final testing phase in Spain and France. The train is intended for international routes connecting Madrid and Barcelona with cities in France, garnering attention from French open access operators Le Train and Kevin Speed.
Night train interior from Austrian rail operator OBB - Mini-cabin.
OBB
Solo sleeping pods aim to revolutionize European train travel
Talgo is expected to be able to deliver high-speed trains that meet Channel Tunnel rules sooner than Alstom. However, this will require a redesign of the Avril train and approval from tunnel regulators and infrastructure owners in France and the UK. This process is expected to take years, meaning that the new train would likely be delivered towards the end of the decade, rather than in a few months.
Jon Worth adds that in addition to the existing complexity, new operators also struggle to find paths into busy stations like Paris Gare du Nord, and face terminal capacity issues due to post-Brexit border checks. He further explains that this is particularly challenging at London's St Pancras, which has limited space for passport and security facilities, although not impossible to overcome.
Italy's high-speed Frecciarossa trains have been deployed successfully in Italy, Spain and France.
Manuel Romano/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Bigger and better
Eurostar is facing a credible challenge on routes not affected by current issues, as Italian Railways subsidiary, QBuzz, has applied to the Dutch Competition Authority to operate Amsterdam-Brussels-Paris and Amsterdam-Cologne-Frankfurt using the successful Frecciarossa high-speed trains. This would compete with Germany's Deutsche Bahn.
QBuz plans to launch new routes starting in January 2027. Over the past two years, Trenitalia in Italy has significantly influenced the Paris-Milan and Paris-Lyon routes, with the Frecciarossa directly competing with TGV. As of December 2021, passenger numbers on the Milan route have increased by 58%, while fares have dropped by an average of 7%.
Nick Brooks, the secretary general of ALLRAIL, a pressure group representing non-state train operators, states that the competition between incumbents like SNCF and Trenitalia against Spanish Railways, is driving a shift to passenger rail for long-distance travel. In order to achieve Europe's goal of doubling high-speed rail use by 2030 and tripling it by 2050, a massive and accelerated expansion of the high-speed network is required.
France's new TGV-M trains are set to revolutionize the country's rail network.
Julien Goldstein
How one European country is planning a rail revolution
Expanding access to current high-speed railways for new operators will assist in generating additional space and drawing in more travelers with the addition of new routes, reduced expenses, and increased travel options. However, it is important to recognize the significant obstacles involved in this endeavor.
Alberto Mazzola, executive director of the Community of European Railways (CER), expressed the organization's desire for a high-speed rail network that links all major cities, urban hubs, and airports.
"He told CNN Travel that with affordable and comfortable trains, rail will become the preferred mode of transport, and emphasized the need for all 27 countries in the European Union to invest in high-speed rail. He also stated that our research shows the significant socio-economic and sustainability benefits of an EU-wide high-speed rail network, with estimated long-term economic benefits of $800 billion, surpassing the estimated costs of $587 billion. These connections would result in a substantial increase in rail ridership and market share."
Brooks from ALLRAIL emphasizes the need for high-speed trains with 1,000 seats connecting European destinations regularly. This will result in affordable fares and increased revenue. While other long distance transport modes are aiming for net zero emissions, Brooks believes that rail can achieve even greater success.
