Virgin unveils its future cross-Channel train as it gears up to take on Eurostar

Group plans to launch services from London in 2030 and hopes to outshine competitor with design inspiration from its airline, cruise and hotel arms

Flash interiors, fancy food and maybe even a bar: Virgin has unveiled a mock-up of its future cross-Channel train, with a pledge to create “something genuinely new”.

Virgin has ordered 12 trains from the manufacturer Alstom, and will hope to outshine Eurostar on design and customer experience as it fits them out.

Although details are being kept firmly under wraps, it said it would draw on Virgin Atlantic’s airport lounges, or Clubhouses, for “pre-departure and onboard social spaces” with “more flexibility to work, relax or socialise in style”. Food will be influenced by its cruise line menu and the design by its Virgin Hotels brand.

“We’re confident that more journeys between the UK and Europe will be made by train. We’re adding capacity for millions more international rail journeys each year, growing the market as a whole. We’re looking forward to seeing our distinctive red and black trains travelling across Europe.”

The Office of Rail and Road on Thursday published an agreement with Eurostar for Virgin to maintain its trains at the Temple Mills international depot in east London, with track access in the UK confirmed until at least 2040.

Italy’s state-owned Trenitalia is also expected to launch cross-Channel high-speed services. It already runs international trains as far as Paris and recently announced its own €2bn order for 19 new trains from Hitachi, some of which are expected to be based in France and run through the tunnel to London.