ORR Approves Virgin to Share Temple Mills Depot

The Office of Rail and Road has approved Virgin Trains to share Eurostar’s Temple Mills International depot in east London, clearing a major barrier to a new cross‑Channel operator and ending Eurostar’s effective monopoly since 1994. The regulator said Temple Mills is the only UK depot able to accommodate continental‑size trains and that it rejected rival bids from Trenitalia, Evolyn and Gemini because Virgin’s proposal was the most financially and operationally robust and showed clear investor backing. The ORR said the decision unlocks roughly £700 million of private investment and the creation of about 400 jobs, and Virgin aims to begin services around 2030 to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Virgin has indicated agreements in principle for appropriate rolling stock and investor funding, while Eurostar said it was reviewing the ruling and warned that Temple Mills’ limited capacity could prompt further disputes over depot access and scheduling. The ORR stressed its approval only grants depot access; Virgin still needs track access, safety and other regulatory sign‑offs before services can begin.