Virgin Trains is advancing with plans to operate high-speed rail services between Paris and London through the Channel Tunnel, aiming to launch its service by 2030. The company, which seeks to compete with Eurostar on high-speed connections between the two cities, is overcoming obstacles and today provides more details about its future service it intends to launch in 2030. After raising funds, obtaining access to the essential maintenance center at Temple Mills near London and approval to access the high-speed line HS1, which connects London to the tunnel, the operator is taking a new step with a firm order of 12 high-speed trains signed in September with Alstom for 650-700 million euros. These Avelia Stream trains are capable of traveling at 300 km/h, but it remains to be seen whether they will be delivered on time. There is also the question of the certification of the trains, which traditionally takes a lot of time, even more so when it comes to crossing the Channel. "We are really confident to launch in 2030 even though everything is twice as difficult in the tunnel. We will receive one train per month starting in 2030," assures Josh Bayliss, CEO of Virgin Group, to BFM Business. These trains will be leased by the operator to an entity owned 50/50 by Virgin and an Italian investment fund. Larger windows, perhaps Starlink on board. Unlike Eurostar, these trains will have only a single level "because no one wants to buy a seat at the upper level," estimates the manager. "We have been working on its design for a long time, we have specified a lot of things, the windows will be larger, there will be more capacity for luggage, we hope to be able to offer Elon Musk's Starlink connectivity service on board," continues the executive. Specifically, Virgin plans to provide 13 daily round trips between Paris and London starting in 2030, which will add, according to the company, 4.75 million seats per year on this route. In the long term, it will also be about connecting Amsterdam and Brussels to the British capital, bringing the total number of rotations to 20 per day, or "7.5 million seats on the cross-Channel network each year." Direct connections are planned, as well as trips with intermediate stops at Calais, Ashford, and Ebbsfleet in England. "We want to do better than Eurostar," says the young executive who is close to Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, "very involved in this project." "We want to create a new experience at all levels. In the train, of course, with an approach for all targets: business people and leisure travelers," continues Josh Bayliss. "It is not about taking shares from Eurostar," tempers the CEO, "but to grow the rail cake against the airplane." Strong in its activities in tourism with Virgin Voyages, aviation with Virgin Atlantic, trains (in Great Britain) and in hospitality, Virgin wants to apply its proven recipes to the train. On board, "the award-winning expertise of Virgin Voyages will inspire the catering offer, while the comfort and design of the seats and spaces will be inspired by Virgin Hotels," explains the group. "Virgin has always distinguished itself by its ability to challenge the status quo, to create exceptional moments for its customers and to simplify their journey. We will apply the same philosophy to the cross-Channel connection, reinventing the customer experience to make travel as attractive as the destination itself," notes Josh Bayliss. "The North Station does not offer a superb experience." This new experience will not stop at the train itself. "The North Station does not offer a superb experience, we will improve things," announces the CEO. "We will rebuild the station before 2029 in partnership with Gares et Connexions (an entity of the SNCF that manages French stations, note)." The executive plays a bit the provocation card because the idea is to redevelop spaces on the ground floor "because there is a lot of unused space" to avoid passengers having to go up for customs operations and then go back down to the platform as is the case with Eurostar today. "We want to make it as if Brexit had never existed," adds Josh Bayliss.