By Pierre Bertrand
Evolyn said it has agreed to purchase 12 high-speed trains from French manufacturer Alstom as part of its ambition to offer a Channel Tunnel rail service connecting the U.K. with mainland Europe in 2026.
The company, a new rail service operator led by the Spanish Cosmen family and backed by British and French industrial and financial partners, said it has an option to increase its order to 16 of the Avelia-type trains.
Evolyn said it is planning for its trains to be operational by 2025, with its full service up and running a year later.
The acquisition agreement comes after three years of development for the company, which aims to “offer a competitive alternative in terms of service and price on a strategic and high-demand connection that currently has only one operator,” it said in a statement Wednesday.
An estimated 1 billion pounds ($1.23 billion) have gone into the development of the company, Evolyn said.
Eurostar is the only operator to date of passenger train services in the Channel Tunnel.
Write to Pierre Bertrand at [email protected]
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