A new challenger to Eurostar’s Channel Tunnel monopoly has entered the race, with Gemini unveiling plans to run high-speed passenger trains between London, Paris and Brussels.
According to London's Evening Standard, the company, chaired by Labour peer Lord Berkeley, the company said it has been developing its proposal for two years and has applied for access to Eurostar’s maintenance depot at Temple Mills in east London.
Gemini joins Spanish start-up Evolyn and Richard Branson’s Virgin Group in exploring rival services on the lucrative international route.
Eurostar has had exclusive use of the tunnel for passenger trains since it opened in 1994, but France's Getlink, which owns the tunnel, and London St Pancras Highspeed, which owns the tracks and the London terminal, signed a deal a February to improve access, opening the door to new operators.
"The high-speed line connecting London and the continent through the Channel Tunnel is one of the great rail routes," said Gemini boss Adrian Quine in a statement.
"With a whole new generation now choosing trains over planes, there is a great opportunity to bring real entrepreneurial flair and dynamism with competitive fares to Europe's premier route."