goahead

VIRGIN Trains has been given the green light to launch European train services from the UK.

The operator will run routes from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

The announcement comes as the Office of Rail and Road pre-approved the outline for track access via St Pancras and HS1, right up to the entrance of the Channel Tunnel.

This access would contribute to Virgin Trains operating 20 daily return services between the UK’s capital and the three European cities.

The agreement for services will be from October 1, 2030 to December 31, 2040.

Next, Virgin Trains and London St Pancras High Speed will look to make an agreement on services by September 4.

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Then Virgin Trains will need to purchase trains, gain access to other rail networks and make sure safety measures are met.

The operator then hopes to get services up and running in 2030.

While there are no announcements on prices, the launch could see cheaper tickets what with more competition.

Martin Jones, deputy director, access & international, said: “This is an important next step in bringing competition and growth to the market for international rail services, and we welcome the progress Virgin Trains and London St Pancras High Speed have made.

“While there is still more work to do, we are supporting Virgin and the wider industry to grow international services.”

Back in October, the Office of Rail and Road approved Virgin Trains’ application for access to Temple Mills International depot – which will help them to launch international services.

Other operators’ applications including Evolyn, Gemini and Trenitalia, were rejected.

At the time, Jones said: “With this decision we are backing customer choice and competition in international rail, unlocking up to £700million in private sector investment and stimulating growth.

“While there is still some way to go before the first new services can run, we stand ready to work with Virgin Trains as their plans develop.”

A HUGE new attraction set to open in a trending seaside town has finally been given the green light.

Morecambe was named the fastest-rising place for Brits going on a staycation last month, according to Booking.com.

And the new Eden Project Morecambe in Lancashire is set to go ahead after securing planning permission.

It comes as the £100million attraction in the often overlooked town created new designs that needed approval from Lancaster City Council.

As for the attraction itself, everything will be centred around the Realm of the Sun, Realm of the Moon and an area called Metronome.

In the Realm of the Sun, visitors can expect a tropical landscape that adapts to both hot and cold seasons, with vertical plants, hanging mini gardens, a multi-sensory area and a waterfall.

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Then in the Realm of the Moon, the space will be darker with a “hyper-real rock pool” that has sped-up cycles of tides.

Outside, there will be a number of landscaped gardens and an arena to explore too.

And of course, there will be shops and restaurants for the visitors as well.

In the most recent announcement, there will be a £4.5million immersive experience called The Elder Tree.

The tree will stretch nearly 20 metres and take visitors on a journey from its roots to its hollows.

The attraction is expected to get around 585,000 visitors a year, with a capacity of up to 740,000.

Outside, in the arena, the capacity will be 6,000 people.

Parts of the attraction are expected to open in 2027, with other parts opening at a later date.

Plans originally approved in 2022 included four domes, but in the most recent plans this was reduced to two domes.