Trenitalia Outlines Plans for London-Paris Service
Trenitalia, the Italian national railway company, has outlined plans to operate high-speed trains through the Channel Tunnel between London and Paris, with the service expected to begin in 2029.
Trenitalia’s London to Paris plans
Eurostar is likely to face serious competition on its cross-Channel route from London to Paris, as Trenitalia has announced plans to run high-speed trains between the two capitals.
According to the British newspaper The Independent, Trenitalia is aiming for a 2029 launch as part of a €1 billion (£860 million) investment in services from London through the Channel Tunnel to Paris and beyond.
The railway company, which is familiar with operating in the UK through its stake in Avanti West Coast and by running the c2c franchise between London and Essex, plans to use its flagship Frecciarossa high-speed trains on its cross-Channel services.
Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed train. ©AndyBTravels
Competition
Stefano Antonio Donnarumma, CEO of the Italian State Railways, which manages Trenitalia, said that “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”.
Mr Donnarumma added that “more competition will help to create a more efficient and customer-oriented industry, offering a real alternative to air travel”.
He said: “Greater competition will offer more choice for passengers, lower fares, and access to new destinations, all of which support a shift to more sustainable travel.”
Routes
Trenitalia will focus on the London to Paris route, although it is also exploring options to operate other routes.
The Italian railway company is exploring the possibility of running trains from London as far as Lyon, Marseille, and even Milan.
Trenitalia is also exploring the potential reopening of Ashford International and allowing trains between London and Paris to stop there, which would be welcome news for international rail travellers from Kent.
At present, Trenitalia already operates high-speed trains from Paris to Lyon and from Paris to Milan, with a new Paris to Marseille service set to begin this summer.
Even if Trenitalia doesn’t launch direct trains from London to Milan or other destinations in France apart from Paris, it will at least be able to offer train connections on a single ticket, providing passengers with protection in case they miss their connection due to a delay.
Eurostar will likely face some serious competition in the next decade on its London to Paris route. ©AndyBTravels
Potential challenges
Before Trenitalia can launch its cross-Channel high-speed train services from London to the European continent, it must overcome a few challenges.
First and foremost, the Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed train that Trenitalia plans to use must meet all the stringent additional requirements to be permitted to run through the Channel Tunnel.
It is currently unclear and not publicly known to what extent these trains might require modifications or what the timeline for this would be.
If Trenitalia wants to run direct train services from other French cities or Milan to London, the stations would need to be equipped with a special terminal for security screening and passport control.
I have previously outlined these and other challenges that railway companies face if they want to run direct international trains from London to the European continent.
Conclusion
Trenitalia plans to launch a high-speed train service from London to Paris through the Channel Tunnel, competing with Eurostar.
The Italian railway company plans to use its Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains on the route, which it aims to launch by 2029.
Trenitalia is also actively exploring the possibility of running trains from London to destinations beyond Paris, such as Lyon, Marseille, and even Milan, and is researching the option to reopen Ashford International, which would be great news for people living in Kent.
