Spain’s national rail operator is looking to expand into the London to Paris cross-Channel route and is in talks with the tunnel’s owner.
The move by Renfe would put it into direct competition with Eurostar, a unit of French state-owned rail operator SNCF that currently holds a monopoly on the tunnel route.
Eurostar has had the monopoly on transporting passengers through the tunnel since 1994, but new players are now looking at the route as France eases competition restrictions on its domestic rail industry.
State-owned Renfe said it has started talks with Getlink, which operates the cross-Channel tunnel, to run high-speed trains through it.
“At the moment, there are available slots and capacity to operate on the high-speed line,” Renfe said in a statement.
“This high-speed corridor has high traffic and was growing until Covid-19 – a trend that is set to recover next year. According to demand analysis, it would be viable and profitable for Renfe to compete with Eurostar.”
About seven million travellers boarded Eurostar trains between Paris and London in 2019, Renfe said. The company said it is confident the demand, which collapsed with the pandemic, will recover in 2022, making the route “viable and profitable” for its service.
In a second phase, Renfe also plans services to “new French and international destinations”.
“Renfe’s aim is to operate its own product, meaning the first step would be the standardisation of trains,” the statement said.
“The business plan is built around the use of at least seven trains, and estimates suggest a return on the investment after four years.”
Spain’s decision to jump in, comes days before the start of the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, where environmental groups are pressing demands for governments to boost rail services, eliminate short-haul flights and help lower the cost of train travel.
“The tunnel has always offered open access to rail operators and provides an attractive and low-carbon route for travel and trade to many destinations,” Getlink said, but declined further comment on Renfe’s plans.
“We have been ready to see a new operator arriving on one of our routes for a long time, according to the railway competition regulation,” Eurostar said.
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
On racial profiling at airports
Pots for the Asian Qualifiers
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
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