Train ticket prices to Europe could drop by a third
Train ticket prices to Europe are set to fall by a third and international stations in Kent could reopen as Eurostar faces competition.
Italy's state railway has become the latest operator to announce plans to run trains through the Channel tunnel from 2029. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS), which has a 30 per cent stake in Avanti West Coast, is exploring running trains direct to Lyons and Marseilles in France as well as Milan in northern Italy.
The operator is also evaluating stops at Ashford International, which was previously served by Eurostar. Services at Ashford and Ebbsfleet International were suspended in 2020 when the pandemic halted travel but they never returned to the schedule, with Eurostar blaming post-Brexit red tape.
There are now three operators
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