Eurostar Could Face New London–Paris Rival by 2029
Eurostar could face a new rival on its London–Paris route after Italy’s FS Group ordered 19 high-speed trains for Trenitalia France. The Hitachi Rail fleet will support expansion in France and the planned cross-Channel service, which FS says is still targeted for 2029. The order turns a long-discussed challenge to Eurostar into a more concrete plan, although approvals and operating arrangements still lie ahead.
Key Details of Trenitalia’s London–Paris Plan
- Operator: Trenitalia France, part of FS Group
- Planned route: London–Paris
- Target launch: 2029
- New fleet: 19 high-speed trains
- Manufacturer: Hitachi Rail
- Investment: Around €2 billion, including trains, long-term maintenance and technical support
- Other routes: Paris–Lyon, Paris–Milan and Paris–Marseille
- Maintenance: New facility at Maisons-Alfort Pompadour near Paris
The 19 trains will not be reserved solely for London–Paris. Trenitalia France plans to use them to strengthen its existing Paris–Lyon, Paris–Milan and Paris–Marseille services, adding frequencies and improving capacity. FS is also developing a maintenance hub outside Paris to support the larger fleet and future international operations. The company says the trains are being designed for use across major European high-speed networks.
If the London–Paris launch goes ahead, passengers would gain another operator for cross-Channel rail journeys. Paris could also become a more useful interchange for trips continuing to Lyon, Marseille and Milan on Trenitalia services. That would give people more ways to combine Britain, France and Italy by train, particularly on multi-city trips that currently require bookings across several different rail operators.
“The new trains and the new maintenance hub at Maisons-Alfort Pompadour are also key elements for the launch of the Paris-London link, a central project in the vision of the ‘European Metro’, the integrated high-speed network that will increasingly connect Europe's major cities."
The 2029 launch is still three years away, and key passenger details have not been published. FS has not yet announced fares, a timetable or which London station the service would use. Even so, ordering the fleet and planning a Paris maintenance base moves the project beyond an early proposal. If approvals follow, the London–Paris market would gain its first direct competitor to Eurostar in decades.