Virgin has received regulatory approval to operate passenger rail services through the Channel Tunnel, a move that will end Eurostar's exclusive hold on the London-to-Brussels route, according to politico.eu.
The Office of Rail and Road, Britain's rail regulator, granted the green light for Virgin's international services, the agency confirmed in its own statement. The decision allows Richard Branson's Virgin to begin planning for up to 20 trains per day on the route, The Telegraph reported.
The approval marks a significant step for Virgin, which has been working toward entering the cross-Channel market for some time. The BBC and The Guardian both reported that Virgin is now closer than ever to launching services that would compete directly with Eurostar, which has been the sole operator on the London-Brussels corridor since high-speed rail services began.
Virgin's entry into the market is expected to give passengers a second choice for travel between the UK capital and Brussels, a route that has been dominated by Eurostar for years. The company will need to secure additional approvals and complete operational preparations before trains can begin running, but the regulatory clearance removes a major hurdle.
The Office of Rail and Road's approval does not specify a launch date for Virgin's services, and the company has not publicly confirmed a timeline for when tickets might go on sale or when the first trains would depart.
What to watch next: whether Virgin can secure the remaining operational agreements needed to start running trains through the Channel Tunnel, and how Eurostar responds to its first real competitor on the route.
