Virgin Trains wins Channel Tunnel access, opening path to Switzerland

Virgin Trains is one step closer to running international trains between Amsterdam and London, paving the way to potential routes to Switzerland in the future.

Virgin approved to run trains through Channel Tunnel

Eurostar’s monopoly of being the sole company to run trains through the Channel Tunnel is coming to an end. The British railway authority ORR has given Virgin Trains permission to operate through the Channel Tunnel. The company founded by billionaire Richard Branson will be allowed to operate on the tracks from October 2030 until the end of 2040, reports Dutch news outlet AD. 

In earlier announcements, Virgin spoke of plans for an international train route connecting London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. The train company could soon expand further into Switzerland and Germany after the Swiss Transport Minister and British Transport Secretary also signed an agreement last year committing to a Switzerland-to-UK train connection.

SBB followed suit in early 2026, signing a memorandum of understanding with SNCF Voyageurs and Eurostar. 

Companies compete for Channel Tunnel access

The move comes after Virgin Trains gained access to a major maintenance depot in London last year, and has subsequently secured rights to run trains on the international rail network. However, this is just the next step of many that the company still needs to take.

Virgin Trains still needs to order trains, receive the necessary safety approvals from British and European authorities, and be granted access to the rail networks of destination countries. At the same time, there will be other competition on the Channel Tunnel with Trenitalia also planning to launch trains on the route from 2029. 

This article originally appeared on IamExpat the Netherlands.