The Italian state railway wants to compete with the Eurostar between Paris and London. Train trips through the Eurotunnel could get cheaper – as soon as the last hurdles have been overcome.
The tunnel under the English Channel between Paris and London could drive from 2029 trains from the Italian railway company Ferrovie Dello Stato (FS). As the company announced today, one billion euros should be invested in the new connection. FS General Director Antonio Donnarumma spoke from an important step “to a better integrated European rail network”.
So far, only trains from Eurostar have been running on the Paris London route under the English Channel. In the past, several railway companies had already tried to drive the tunnel, including the Dutch company Heuro and the Spanish company Evolyn. In March, the British Virgin Group had also announced plans to have trains driven through the tunnel by 2029.
Getlink sees capacities for another 600 trains per day
The provider Eurostar, who mostly belongs to the French and Belgian railway and operated the traffic through the Canal tunnel since 1994, has so far repaid competitors with reference to the lack of capacity of an operations. At the end of March, however, the British railway supervisory authority found that in the Temple Mills operations used by Eurostar, there was still room for trains from other companies.
According to Getlink, the operator of the Eurotunnel, up to 1,000 trains could drive through the tunnel every day. At the moment there are only 400, including numerous goods and car trains. According to the Italian railway, the start of the company still depends on permits in terms of technology and infrastructure.
Tunnel operator wants to win more corporations for route
The tunnel operator Getlink has been striving for some time to gain further competing rail operators for high -speed connections through the tunnel in addition to Eurostar. There is no shortage of interested parties, but bureaucratic and technical hurdles have slowed down the railway companies. Deutsche Bahn also has plans for a direct connection Frankfurt-London through the Eurotunnel.
