Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is among challengers seeking to offer new rail service between UK and European mainland
Plans by operators including Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group to launch new cross-Channel rail services that would rival Eurostar have been held up by a dispute over access to an east London rail depot. Evolyn, a Spanish-led consortium backed by the largest shareholder in Mobico, formerly known as National Express, is also one of several companies exploring new services linking the UK and mainland Europe, in what would be the most significant challenge yet to Eurostar’s 30-year monopoly.
The company has spent 18 months trying to gain access to the depot, and Cosmen said its investors and lenders were demanding “clarity”. Phil Whittingham, head of Virgin Group’s trains business, said there was “no point” in the company buying trains without access to the maintenance depot. “We do believe there is capacity there,” he said.But Eurostar said it had “set out a process” to allow access to Temple Mills, although it also warned that this relied on capacity.
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