Trenitalia eyes Channel Tunnel route
Another week, another competitor announcement for Eurostar. This time, the Italian state railway Trenitalia has vowed to start running trains between London and Paris by 2029, by teaming up with Evolyn who had already stated their intention to ply the route. According to The Independent, Trenitalia are studying the route all the way to Milan, taking in Lyon and Marseille.
Despite this announcement coming later than the others, a response by rail expert Jon Worth sets out why Trenitalia-Evolyn’s intervention may put them at the front of the queue. Trenitalia is already in possession of a fleet of Hitachi Frecciarossa trains that have the required compatibilities with the high-speed lines either side of the tunnel and, crucially, with the tunnel’s own strict fire safety regulations. More of these are about to be delivered, making the aim of 2029 more achievable than for any of the other declared competitors.
And this time, there could be good news for Kent: Trenitalia are looking to re-open Ashford.
Jon Worth visited Ashford’s international terminal recently as part of a tour of stations connected with the Channel Tunnel. In his article he praises Trenitalia’s intention to re-open the Kent station as “a clever call”, as it has, he says, “the largest terminal of all the interim stations on the core routes”. A stop there would be, he insists, “the most obvious way to reduce pressure on St Pancras”.
Worth also draw attention to Trenitalia’s own maintenance facilities in Milan, which would add capacity to the limited space at the UK’s Temple Mills. However, Milan station would require investment in secure platforms if it were to handle passport control.
All this is good news for the UK’s international rail network in general, and for the south east region in particular if Ashford is earmarked for re-opening. With any luck, the days of Eurostar’s monopoly are definitely numbered.
Category: General News
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