Virgin draws on cruise hospitality model for planned cross-Channel rail service
Virgin Group plans to apply elements of its travel and hotel brands to new European train services targeted for 2030.
Virgin said the customer experience for its planned cross-Channel rail operation would take cues from Virgin Voyages, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Hotels. The group intends to use the approach developed across those businesses as it seeks to reshape the experience of travelling between Britain and continental Europe by train.
Virgin Group has ordered 12 trains from French manufacturer Alstom for the proposed operation. It aims to launch 20 daily return services in 2030, connecting London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
According to the group’s plans, the new rail services would add 7.5 million passenger seats annually. Virgin has not set out further details in the supplied information about how features associated with its cruise, airline and hotel businesses would be adapted for rail passengers.
