- The Office of Rail and Road has granted Virgin Trains track access to operate services at London St Pancras and on High Speed 1, the line connecting the station with the Channel Tunnel.
- The approved agreement spans from October 2030 to December 2040 and is a big step towards Virgin operating planned routes between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
- This decision follows an October approval allowing Virgin Trains to share Eurostar's Temple Mills maintenance depot in east London.
- Eurostar has maintained a monopoly on cross-Channel passenger rail since 1994, though the tunnel currently operates at only 50 per cent capacity.
- Virgin Trains must still secure EU safety clearances and network access before launching its cross-border services in 2030.
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