Parliamentary debate on Ashford international services
A parliamentary debate took place at Westminster on “the merits of returning international rail services to Ashford”. The debate, which happened on 14th October at 9.30, was fronted by Helena Dollimore MP (Hastings and Rye) who had requested it. Cheap… Read More >
Some musings as we await the ORR’s decision on Temple Mills
The rail commentator Jon Worth has offered some more thoughts on Eurostar and its potential rivals. Is your bid entirely dead if you don’t get space in Temple Mills? Temple Mills, the only maintenance depot capable of handling international trains,… Read More >
Gemini ready to order from Siemens
Gemini, one of the companies hoping to provide a rival service to Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel, has said that it is ready to order a new fleet of trains. This announcement comes as the ORR prepares to announce which… Read More >
Call for return of service to Calais-Fréthun
The mayors of Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer have called for the urgent return of Eurostar services to Calais-Fréthun station in northern France. Like at Ashford and Ebbsfleet, the service at Calais-Fréthun was suspended during the pandemic and never returned. Natacha Bouchart… Read More >
Rivals to Eurostar: what are their chances of success?
The rail podcast channel Green Signals has interviewed Jon Worth, the European railway policy commentator, about Eurostar’s rival hopefuls. The resulting discussion is posted on Jon’s website and on YouTube. The video is a must-watch for anyone who is following… Read More >
Re-open Ashford International, says the Good Growth Foundation
Growth think tank The Good Growth Foundation says the Government should prioritises the re-opening of Ashford’s international station to drive prosperity in Kent and the south east. Their recent report, The Light at End of the Tunnel, forwarded by five… Read More >
Virgin getting ready for cross-Channel services
Virgin Trains has announced that it is firming up plans to order new rolling stock that will ply the cross-Channel route by 2030. The company stands ready to sign a deal with train manufacturer Alstom by end of October, as… Read More >
ORR to allocate depot capacity to Eurostar rivals
The rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), has rejected Eurostar’s criticisms of its initial report indicating that the train depot at Temple Mills has capacity for more international train operators. It has concluded that the report is… Read More >
Uber to team up with Gemini for cross-Channel trains
The rail start-up Gemini, which plans to run cross-Channel trains stopping at Ebbsfleet International, has announced that it will run its ticket booking service through Uber. Uber has signed an agreement to co-brand the trains and enable passengers to book… Read More >
Cross-border train services need to improve says Italian Railway boss
The head of the Italian FS Group, Stefano Donnarumma, has spoken out in the Financial Times to deplore the lack of cross-border train connectivity on the European continent. In a (probably unconscious) echo of last year’s Greenpeace analysis of city-to-city… Read More >