Virgin Group is one of several operators hoping to break Eurostar's 30-year monopoly on the route, but Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill warned that proposals focused solely on London St Pancras risk falling short. Speaking at an event in Ashford, Kent, Lord Hendy said bidders must show "the potential for services to be reinstated" at Stratford International, Ebbsfleet and Ashford stations - a move he said could add £500m a year to the visitor economy.
For a long time, the Eurostar has been the only passenger train ferrying Brits from London, under the Channel and onto the Continent. But not for long. In recent years cross-Channel ambitions have been revealed by the likes of Deutsche Bahn and Evolyn, while Virgin has announced a new service that will be a direct competitor with the OG London-Paris line, due to launch in 2029.