ANOTHER rival to Eurostar and Virgin has revealed they will be launching new trains between the UK and Europe.
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Group) are Italy‘s state-owned railway operator, and previously bid to launch trains from London to Paris.
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FS Group could take on Eurostar and Virgin in new plansCredit: AFP
However, they were beaten by Virgin to become the first rival to Eurostar since it launched back in the 1990s.
Despite this, new plans revealed by The Telegraph has shown that they still plan to run routes between the two European capitals.
Instead of keeping trains at the UK Temple Mills International depot used by Eurostar and soon by Virgin, they will instead build a new £87million facility just outside Paris.
This will allow them to keep 10 Channel Tunnel trains there, without facing problems of capacity in the UK.
The initial direct routes will be to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, which Eurostar currently operates to and from.
However, there are future plans for trains to France, Germany and Switzerland.
Both Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International stations would also get Virgin trains, with both having Eurostar trains until the pandemic.
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson said: It’s time to end this 30-year monopoly and bring some Virgin magic to the cross-Channel route.
“Virgin is no stranger to delivering award-winning rail services, and just as we have successfully challenged incumbents in air, cruise and rail, we’re ready to do it again.
“We’re going to shake-up the cross-Channel route for good and give consumers the choice they deserve.”
Holidaymakers will be able to fly from Birmingham to Rome Fiumicino to explore one of the world’s most popular capital cities.
Flights start from March 5, 2026, and run four times a week.
The new route from Edinburgh to Ljubljana in Slovenia will be Scotland’s only direct connection to the country.
Ljubljana is a fairytale-like city with castle views and pretty cafe-lined riverbanks.
Flights will start on the Easter weekend of April 4 and operate twice a week.
Travellers from Bristol will be able to fly to Reus, Spain and Thessaloniki, Greece.
Reus is an overlooked Spanish city with modern buildings and golden sand beaches.
Ljubljana is a pretty city straight out of a storybookCredit: Alamy
Flights will operate twice a week, beginning June 25.
Thessaloniki is a port city packed with historical ruins, markets and a busy nightlife scene.
The airline has also introduced 11 new routes from Newcastle Airport.
easyJet will now fly to destinations such as Nice, Corfu and Rhodes from its Northern base.
Reus is an often overlooked seaside Spanish cityCredit: Alamy
Jet2 – La Palma, Samos and Sicily
The airline flies from 13 airports across the UK to over 75 destinations.
And Jet2 are adding three new destinations for 2026: La Palma, Samos and Sicily.
La Palma is one of Spain’s Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa, known for their luscious landscapes and year-round warmth.
It’s a lesser-known island which is visited less frequently than its neighbours Tenerife and Lanzarote.
The landscape of La Palma is stunning with its volcanoes and black rock sandsCredit: GettyLa Palma is full of hidden beaches and coves under the cliffsCredit: Getty
Passengers can fly to the island from London Stansted or Manchester airport from April 2026, with twice weekly flights taking off on Mondays and Fridays.
Samos on the other hand is a dreamy Greek island, with the new flights from May 2026.
It’s a laid-back spot with quiet villages and unspoilt beaches, and will be Jet2’s 15th new Greek destination airport.
Flights will run from Manchester and London Stansted twice weekly.
The airline will also be flying to Palermo, Sicily from May 2026.
Sicily’s capital is known for its glittering mosaics, street food culture and pretty Arab architecture.
Flights to Palermo will depart from Manchester and Newcastle, as well as Birmingham.
The Mediterranean waters in Sicily are warm and crystal clearCredit: AFP
Long-haul
British Airways – St Louis, US
In April 2026, British Airways will begin flying to St. Louis in Missouri.
The new route will become the only direct flight to the city from the UK.
St. Louis is known for its blues, jazz and baseball culture – providing a real slice of Americana for UK travellers visiting the states.
The launch of the route even coincides with the 100th anniversary of Route 66 – the legendary highway which St. Louis sits on.
The flight will run four times a week throughout the airline’s summer season.
St. Louis is a fantastic city for watching American sportsCredit: British AirwaysSt. Louis is on the map of Routich starts in Chicago and ends in CaliforniaCredit: British Airways
Virgin Atlantic – Phuket and Seoul
Virgin Atlantic is expanding their destinations with new routes to Phuket in Thailand and Seoul in South Korea.
Phuket is Thailand’s biggest island, known for its beautiful white sand beaches with turquoise waters.
It’s also popular with young travellers and backpackers, with plenty of beach parties, temples and jungles to explore.
Flights to Phuket will operate three times a week seasonally from London Heathrow – and will begin running from October 2026.
In contrast, Seoul is an ultra-modern city known for its neon nightlife and futuristic skyscrapers.
Seoul is paradise for fans of K-Pop and K-Dramas – home to megastar bands like BTS and Blackpink.
Daily direct flights will launch on March 29, 2026.
Phuket is full of Buddhist statues, symbols and templesCredit: Virgin AtlanticPhuket is one of Thailand’s most popular islands to visitCredit: Virgin AtlanticSeoul is an ultra-modern city with a mountain-framed backdropCredit: Alamy
Each station will have two platforms for six-carriage trains, bike parking, ticket machines, information screens and lifts.
There will also be pick up and drop off zones at Moseley Village and Pineapple Road stations.
This also means that the stations will gain services for the first time since World War II.
The services will call at each of the stations every 30 minutes, with destinations including Birmingham New Street and Kings Norton.
It is estimated that the reopened stations will cut journey times to Birmingham New Street by between nine and 31 minutes.
As for the two stations between Wolverhampton and Walsall – Darlaston and Willenhall – there will be train services for the first time since 1965 when the stations were both closed.
To begin with, there will be two services an hour between Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
A direct service to Walsall town centre, known as the ‘leather capital of the world’ due to its leatherworking history, is also being discussed with the Department for Transport and Walsall Council.
In total, the two stations have cost £85million to reopen.
Walsall Council hopes that the stations will better connect local residents to the wider region, as well as create more opportunities for people to travel, whether that be for holidays or for work.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “For some communities, this is the first time in more than 80 years they’ve had their own train service.
“That changes everyday life. Getting to work, college or seeing family becomes simpler and quicker.
“It also means more people coming into town centres. More footfall for shops and cafés. More confidence for local businesses to invest and grow.
“This is what delivery looks like – backing places that have waited far too long for decent connections.”
A BUDGET train operator is launching more cheap tickets between some major UK cities.
The Lumo train service between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh is being extended to Glasgow Queen Street.
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Lumo is extending its route from London Euston to Edinburgh, to GlasgowCredit: Alamy
The train will still run via Edinburgh, as well as Falkirk High, on the East Coast Main Line.
Passengers will be able to use two northbound services each weekday and one southbound service.
There will then be one service in each direction at the weekend.
As a result of the announcement, it is thought more people will head to the Commonwealth Games too, which will take place in Glasgow in July next year.
Tickets for the route with the low-cost operator will cost from £33.10 between London and Glasgow.
If travelling between Newcastle and Glasgow, tickets will be as little as £10.90.
Stuart Jones, managing director of First Rail Open Access, said: “This is a landmark moment which will boost connectivity between Scotland and England, offering a sustainable travel option whilst also boosting economic growth.
Paul Tetlaw, Director of Policy at Transform Scotland, said: “We welcome the new Lumo services from Glasgow and Falkirk via the East Coast Main Line.
“There is a significant market of people who currently drive or fly to the North East of England and London who now have the opportunity to switch to the train.
“The new services soon to be launched from Stirling will help to build on that modal shift to rail.”
Lumo is also launching a new route which will connect Stirling with London Euston, in May 2026.
It comes as FirstGroup, which owns Lumo, revealed in November that it has submitted applications to launch new direct routes between Cardiff and York, as well as Rochdale and London Euston.
The Cardiff to York route would also include stops in Birmingham, Derby and Sheffield.
This service would run six times a day throughout the week.
And the stops on the Rochdale to London Euston route would include Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay.
A single fare for the route will cost from £33.10Credit: Getty
This route would feature three return services on weekdays and Sundays, and four services each Saturday.
The company is aiming for the route to operate by December 2028.
Lumo trains are electric and on board feature no first-class seating option, fitting in with their budget offering.
Seats do have tray tables though and USB sockets, as well as free Wi-Fi.
