A co-owner of Avanti West Coast has confirmed plans to launch a €1bn (£856.6m) rival Eurostar which would run services between London and Paris.
FS Italiane Group is looking to run a high-speed rail service between the two capitals by 2029.
The group, which co-owns Avanti West Coast alongside FirstGroup, has put aside €1bn for the project and has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spanish mobility company Evolyn.
If it goes ahead, the new service would use trains made in Italy.
In a statement, FS Italiane Group said it is aiming to “enhance rail competitiveness on the Paris-London route, providing an alternative to air travel while contributing to a more environmentally friendly, customer-centric mobility sector”.
FS Italiane Group has been operating in France since 2021 and also owns the c2c rail service.
The group added that it is also planning for additional capacity at London St. Pancras station and exploring funding options to support the project.
Stefano Antonio Donnarumma, FS Group chief executive and general manager, said: “This investment is a decisive step forward in FS Group’s vision of building a more integrated, competitive and sustainable European rail network, in line with the objectives of the 2025-2029 strategic plan, which places an increasing focus on passenger transport abroad to accelerate FS Group’s international development.
“High-speed rail networks are the backbone of efficient and environmentally friendly mobility, and by expanding our presence on key corridors, we are not just investing in infrastructure and innovation, but also in the future of European transport.
“More competition will help to create a more efficient and customer-oriented industry, offering a real alternative to air travel.”
Eurostar rivals line up
The announcement comes after the latest operator seeking to challenge Eurostar’s monopoly on Channel Tunnel services was announced in March.
Gemini said last month that it had submitted an application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) regulator for access to Eurostar’s Temple Mills depot, which is the only place in the UK to park and maintain high-speed, cross-Channel trains.
Services would initially run between London and Paris/Brussels, but additional destinations are currently in the pipeline.
At the time the company, which is chaired by industry veteran Lord Tony Berkeley, said it had attracted a “highly experienced team of rail executives and creative thinkers” who are committed to bring open access services to the cross-channel route.
Eurostar has held a monopoly on the Channel Tunnel route since its opening in 1994. However, a number of open-access challengers have emerged in recent years, promising competitive fares and more frequent services.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Evolyn, a Spanish firm backed by the largest shareholder of Mobico, have also submitted applications to the ORR.
There are rumoured to be at least five companies interested in the route and the Channel Tunnel’s operator Getlink has said it would like to see spare capacity filled.
Troubles continue at Avanti West Coast
In December 2024, City AM reported that turnover at Avanti West Coast had jumped past £1bn even as it was named as one of the least reliable rail operators in Britain.
The train operator posted a turnover of £1.01bn for the 12 months to 31 March, 2024, up from £967.4m.
Accounts with Companies House also revealed that Avanti West Coast’s pre-tax profit slipped from £12.8m to £12.3m over the same period.
Avanti took over the running of the west coast mainline from Virgin Trains in December 2019 and is 70 per cent owned by FirstGroup and 30 per cent owned by Trenitalia.
Avanti West Coast operates train services Between London Euston and Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Holyhead, Chester, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and Glasgow.
According to figures from the Office of Rail and Road, Avanti West Coast had the third worst reliability of all operators in Britain in the year to 31 March, 2024.
The equivalent of one in 15 trains (6.9 per cent) were cancelled in the 12 months – including services being scrapped before 10pm the night before due to crew shortages.