Virgin Atlantic

VIRGIN has revealed a first look at their new trains that will take on Eurostar.

The new routes will connect the UK to Europe, with trains to Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels.

They hope to launch by 2030, with 20 daily return services – working out to as many as 7.5million seats a year.

The fleet will be made up of 12 trains, with top speeds of 300km/h.

And the new image show the new look, with the famous black and red Virgin designs.

A hint at what to expect onboard has also been revealed.

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First look at the new Virgin Trains that will take Brits from UK to Europe

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The menu will be influenced by the food and drink offered on Virgin Voyages, while seating will be inspired by Virgin Hotels.

Before and after boarding will also have spaces inspired by Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses.

Josh Bayliss, CEO of Virgin Group, said: “Virgin has a proud history in UK rail.  With our latest venture we are drawing on more than four decades of experience across travel and hospitality to create something genuinely new.  

“This time, we’ll be connecting London with some of Europe’s greatest cities and giving passengers a distinctive new choice in cross-Channel travel. 

“We’re confident that more journeys between the UK and Europe will be made by train.

“We’re adding capacity for millions more international rail journeys each year, growing the market as a whole. We’re looking forward to seeing our distinctive red and black trains travelling across Europe.” 

Virgin has signed an agreement with Eurostar to maintain its trains at the Temple Mills International depot in east London with access until at least 2040.  

More details are to be revealed later this year.

Virgin previously ran Virgin Trains for more than 20 years, before they ended in 2019.

And once they launch, they will be the first competitor to take on Eurostar since they launched in 1992.

And Eurostar has announced some exciting new changes too, including double decker trains.

New routes will launch too, to Switzerland and Germany.

THE world’s best airlines have been revealed – including the best budget carries in Europe.

Often dubbed the ‘Oscars of the aviation industry’, each year The Skytrax World Airline Awards awards the best airlines in each region and the world.

Around 300 airlines are included in the awards, which are voted on by millions of travellers from over 100 nationalities each year.

Coming out on top of the European list was Turkish Airlines.

The airline operates direct routes from six UK airports including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

Flights head to destinations including Istanbul and Lagos, costing from £177 return.

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Coming in second place was Air France, which connects the UK to Paris, while Lufthansa came in third, who has flights from the UK to Germany from eight airports.

When it comes to budget airlines, Vueling was named the best in Europe with Wizz Air taking the top spot for the best low-cost airline in Central Europe.

As for UK airlines, they didn’t fair as well sadly.

Virgin Atlantic was named fifth in Europe and 18th in the world whereas British Airways was named seventh in Europe and 23rd overall.

Ryanair was then named the best low-cost airline in the UK while TUI Airways was named the best leisure airline in the UK.

The airline that came out on top across the whole globe was Singapore Airlines.

Singapore Airlines operates from London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester airports.

The airline flies direct to Singapore Changi Airport, which is a major hub for connections to a number of destinations including Australia.