Trains to Europe Are lower fares and more trains coming?

For thirty years, High Speed services between London, Paris and Brussels have been in the hands of single operator – Eurostar. Things may be about to change. On 13th August 2026, the ORR announced the pre-approval of Virgin Train’s Track Access Agreement for High Speed 1. Other operators are keen to join them.

Not before time some would say. The rest of Europe is liberalising access to its high-speed network at an accelerating pace and the benefits have been dramatic. In Spain, prices between Madrid and Barcelona have fallen 44%. Between Madrid and Malaga, 52%. Across available routes, 85% of travellers now choose train over plane on corridors where both air and rail are viable. It’s a similar story in Italy and France.

Trainline, Europe’s leading independent train and coach ticket booking platform recently commissioned a report to look at the benefits of increased competition on high speed rail routes and to put some figures on the outcomes. And on Thursday 16th September 2026, their report entitled “Competition Delivers: What Europe’s high-speed lines reveal about the future of the Channel route” was published.

To mark the occasion, a special event was held at London St Pancras station hosted jointly by Trainline and London St. Pancras High Speed.
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Read the report here: https://www.trainlinegroup.com/media/p0rjjwx4/trainline-report-competition-delivers.pdf

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Credits:
Thumbnail image - Virgin
Presenters - Nigel Harris (@railnigel on X) & Richard Bowker CBE (@SRichardBowker). General Manager: Stef Foster (@stefatrail)

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