Italian rail group moves forward with challenge to Virgin’s rival Eurostar service

The FS Group aims to develop a high-speed rail connection to the UK by 2029

Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane plans to expand the Trenitalia France fleet to at least 19 trains (Getty/iStock)

An Italian rail group has revealed plans to operate trains between Paris and London, challenging Virgin’s rival Eurostar bid.

On Monday (December 29), Italy’s state-owned railway, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Group), announced a partnership with Certares, a US private investment firm, to develop a high-speed rail connection to the UK by 2029.

The group will focus on Trenitalia France services under a €1bn investment plan to strengthen international services through the Channel Tunnel following the Certares deal.

The move rivals Virgin’s plans to challenge Eurostar’s decades-long monopoly after the UK rail regulator awarded Sir Richard Branson’s rail group space to operate from an east London train depot in October.

Trenitalia France, based in Paris, already operates high-speed passenger routes from the French capital to Lyon, Marseille and Milan.

The partnership plans to expand the Trenitalia France fleet to at least 19 trains and develop a new maintenance facility near Paris for up to 28 daily trips on the existing Paris to Lyon line.

An additional international FS Group service from Paris to London aims to use the Channel Tunnel by 2029, one year ahead of Virgin’s plans to begin running trains by 2030.

A fleet of 10 Channel Tunnel trains would be stationed at the new £87m Paris facility, removing the need to store trains at a UK depot, reported The Telegraph.

The plan to operate directly from France could mean that just one train must stay in London overnight ahead of the first morning departure.

“The company intends to further expand its network with the addition of the Paris–London route and the launch of additional cross-border services,” said the FS Group.

New York-based Certares has several travel-related investments, including across American Express Global Business Travel, Tripadvisor, Hertz car rentals and G Adventures.

According to the companies, a contribution of around €300 million from Certares will support an expansion of the FS Group international sector, which currently generates approximately €3bn in revenue, with 12,000 employees.

Trenitalia France plans to collaborate with Certares' portfolio companies to “support business customers in switching to high-speed rail as a more environmentally friendly, reliable, and cost-effective alternative to air travel”.

The FS Group said: “The partnership aims to position France, the Paris-London corridor and the future areas included in the joint venture as showcases for the future of sustainable European transport, for the benefit of French, UK and European customers.”

Read more: As Virgin Trains eye Eurostar’s throne, what does the future of Channel Tunnel rail look like?