UK regulator grants Virgin Trains track access, ending Eurostar's cross-Channel monopoly from 2030

The UK's Office of Rail and Road has approved Virgin Trains to run up to 20 daily return services from London St Pancras to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam from October 2030 through 2040. Eurostar has held a monopoly on Channel Tunnel passenger services since 1994. Virgin must still secure continental network access and EU safety approvals before services begin.