Virgin has agreed terms with Alstom covering 12 Avelia Stream high-speed trainsets and long-term maintenance for planned cross-Channel services from 2030. The fleet is intended to support up to 20 daily return services linking London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, adding almost 7.5 million seats a year and introducing a new competitor to Eurostar on Channel Tunnel routes.
The trains will be designed and built at Alstom’s Savigliano facility in Italy, with maintenance provided in the UK. Capable of speeds of up to 300 km/h, they will feature Virgin-specific interiors and a black-and-red exterior design.
Virgin has also secured access to Eurostar’s Temple Mills International depot in east London for maintenance. The operator says UK track access is secured until at least 2040, while further service and onboard details are expected in the coming months.
The programme remains subject to regulatory approval and financial close. Alstom’s train booking is expected to proceed once those conditions are met, so the agreements do not yet represent an unconditional completed order. Virgin has not disclosed fares, final timetables, service classes or a precise launch date.