Trenitalia owner FS Italiane Group has become the latest rail operator to unveil plans to launch services between London and Paris.
The Rome-based company said it could start competing with Eurostar on the lucrative London-Paris route by 2029 as part of a €1 billion investment, with plans to use trains “inspired” by Trenitalia’s existing high-speed Frecciarossa services.
FS Group is the latest rail operator to express interest in operating cross-Channel trains between the UK and the European mainland. Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and start-up Gemini Trains also want to take on Eurostar by running their own international services from London’s St Pancras station.
The move comes just days after the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), which regulates the UK’s railways, said that Eurostar’s London train depot at Temple Mills could accommodate additional trains for potential competitors.
FS Group said in a statement that it has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Spanish high-speed rail start-up Evolyn to work on the project.
Stefano Antonio Donnarumma, FS Group’s CEO 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.
"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".
Donnarumma said introducing London-Paris trains formed part of the group’s 2025-29 strategic plan, which focuses on “accelerating” its international development.
FS Group emphasised its experience of operating rail services in both France and the UK, which gave it an “important competitive advantage to enter this strategic corridor”.
“The group will be able to offer travellers a greater range of products, an increasingly high-quality service and simplified ticketing, taking advantage of an already well-known brand,” said the company in a statement.
Trenitalia already operates trains between Paris and Lyon and resumed Milan-Paris services on 1 April after a landslide blocked the route for nearly two years. It will also launch a new Paris-Marseille high-speed route on 15 June.
In the UK, Trenitalia has operated C2C rail services since 2017 but that network is due to return to public ownership in July, as part of the UK government’s renationalisation of the railways. It is also a co-owner in the Avanti West Coast service.
FS Group said it was now conducting technical assessments to “ensure an optimal integration of the new high-speed services through the Eurotunnel and the railway networks of France and the UK”.
As well as looking to launch London-Paris trains, the group is evaluating possible extensions of new cross-Channel services to Lille, Lyon, Marseilles and Milan.