B.There’s not much reason to be hopeful in these times, between environmental destruction, economic crises and Donald Trump. How about this as a reason for optimism: Italian state rail company, Trenitalia is experiencing a boom. planning to run trains By the end of the decade, the Channel Tunnel will be completed. The study is looking at the possibility of direct trains to the UK to Italy, too. The reader with keen eyes may have noticed that this is two separate propositions.
Trenitalia already has a track record in the British rail network, having operated the C2C franchise. which connects London Fenchurch Street to Southend via South Essex Last week, the company revealed a €1bn (£860m) plan Launching a new, high-speed service between London and Paris in 2029 as a direct rival to the well-established Eurostar. The company is also said to be “studying” whether to extend the route to Lyon Marseille and Milan. These cities could be reached in eight hours by train from London. (Trenitalia currently runs from Milan-Paris in just over seven hours.)
It’s not surprising that some of the information above sounds familiar. Train operators compete for the rights to new routes that are potentially profitable across Europe. Last month, Richard Branson’s Virgin group announced it was trying to raise £700m to fund a “high-frequency” new cross-Channel route. The Swiss SBB is a Dutch company. startup named HeuroThe British version named Gemini You can also find out more about the following: Spain’s Evolyn It now appears that the symphony has been halted teamed up with the ItaliansAll of them have expressed an interest. On some days, I considered trying to do it myself for attention.
All this sounds good for consumers. This could still be true. It’s much easier to announce the launch of a new cross Channel service than it is to start operating any trains. In 2010, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn announced plans It was planned to run trains to Brussels from London, and then to Amsterdam. The other half would go to Cologne, Frankfurt, and Cologne. It never happened. The same is true for the proposed daily commuter stopping service from London to Lille – a pity, since it might have dealt with the absurd situation in which London’s Stratford International station has never seen a train going further than Kent.
In fact, the number of tunnel routes has decreased. Eurostar trains have been available from London direct for many years. to Lyon, Avignon and MarseilleIt felt like the greatest achievement of civilization to be able board a train in the rainy Euston Road, and exit with the Med as a backdrop. This route was stopped during the pandemic and never returned.
Why is it so difficult? As one would assume, the issue is not platform capacity at St Pancras International nor tunnel space: both are capable of accommodating more trains. There are other practical difficulties – a UK shortage of depot space; a Europe-wide shortage of trains – but these would surely not be barriers to a really committed operator, either. The Office of Rail Regulation states that there is room for more trains to be stationed at the Temple Mills depot in Leyton(Eurostar says otherwise but, well, it would.) Eurostar insists otherwise, but, well, that’s what it would be. Even though there aren’t any 400m trains available that can meet the fire safety standards required for the tunnel to be used, it isn’t impossible: Just pair up two 200m ones. Trenitalia has a fleet of trains that are “almost ready for the tunnel” and says there is no obstacle.
The biggest challenge for these ambitious operators is border policies. Even before Brexit the UK wasn’t in the Schengen areaThe Home Office has insisted that passport checks must be performed before boarding Eurostar trains, not onboard or at the station. In order to serve cross-Channel train stations, they need both passport control facilities as well as a cordoned-off area beyond. Where these are not available, passengers from entire trains have been sent off to Lille in order for them do their paperwork. It is also complicated by the need to check luggage for potential security threats.
This also leads to a bottleneck in St Pancras. The space may be there for more trains but not for more passengers. They all have to go through airport security checks before boarding. And since Brexit, the capacity has been reduced by a third. Trenitalia claims that it is working on a solution to this problem.an advanced stage“, but it won’t be easy – the station is a Grade I-listed building. All these problems and the associated costs and disruptions are why there is a constant announcement of new services.
Maybe this time it will be different. Trenitalia/Evolyn’s tie-up is the most likely competitor, barring SBB. Switzerland is a country with many flights to London, but limited airport space. Eurostar It promises expansion, indicating that it does not think capacity problems are insurmountable. Europe is under pressure to replace planes with trains.
The most likely result is a little bit more competition for the existing routes between London and Paris, Brussels, and Lille. It could result in a decrease in ticket costs or an increase in the standard of service. Both would be positive. But that may be the end of it. Trains to northern Italy – or even southern France – may be technically feasible, but that doesn’t make them economically viable. We can still hope. We all want to see a better tomorrow.
