European Railroad Discussion > Virgin Orders Alstom Trains for Channel Services

Eurostar may actually be facing some competition in the future.  From International
Railway Journal:

British-based passenger operator VTE Holdings (Virgin) has agreed to a deal with Alstom
to supply 12 Avelia Stream high-speed trains for its proposed cross-Channel services
from 2030.  In a submission to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) relating to an 
application for access to Temple Mills International depot (TMI) in east London, 
Virgin confirms that it has “secured binding exclusivity with Alstom” for the supply
of the 200m-long single-deck, tilting trains, with the deal expected to be concluded by
the end of the year. It adds that all trains will be approved and fitted with relevant 
safety and signalling systems for use in Britain, the Channel Tunnel, France, Belgium 
and the Netherlands.

No specifications for the new trains have been revealed and details of the maintenance
schedules have been redacted from the document submitted to ORR. Virgin is competing 
with other prospective operators including Evolyn and Gemini Trains to secure access
to Temple Mills, currently the only location in Britain capable of servicing 
cross-Channel trains.

Details of the planned services have been confirmed. Virgin expects to operate 20 daily
return services from London: 13 to Paris, four to Brussels, and three to Amsterdam. 
According to the company “services will follow a phased launch plan, with the full
timetable in place six months after initial launch in 2030.”

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No pantographs shown. Kind of a long tunnel for that. 

Virgin must have a lot of money to burn.

Before Virgin, or anyone else for that matter, can even consider placing an order for new trains the issue of depot space in London has to be addressed. Eurostar are saying there's no room at Temple Mills, the ORR (Office for Road & Rail - the regulator) is investigating. This announcement by Virgin is part of this process.