Decision date for Eurostar rivals' depot requests set as ORR confirms next steps of process

Decisions on the four depot applications made by firms that want to rival Eurostar will be made by the end of October.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has announced the date as part of the next steps of the process to decide if another operator can use Temple Mills International Depot (TMI).

Announcing the timeline, the regulator said: "Taken together with Eurostar and applicants’ initial plans, the assessment suggests there is room for at most one new operator, or for Eurostar to grow."

This has come with the publication of responses to the Ipex capacity study of TMI (commissioned by ORR) which was published in March.

That study reported there was some latent capacity available, some of which could be made without any operational changes with others made through investment and changing working practicses.

Evolyn, Gemini Trains, Trenitalia France (FS Italiane Group) and Virgin have all submitted formal requests to use the depot as part of their plans to rival Eurostar on international services.

ORR said it is inviting all applicants, Eurostar and interested parties to submit further information, clarifications and representations by July 3 and replies to those representations by July 31.

The regulator will then consider if further clarifications are required and assess applications by September 30 before issuing its decisions by the end of October.

“ORR believes that the growing appetite to invest in the provision of more international services will be welcomed by passengers,” ORR told operators in a letter from Martin Jones, Deputy Director, Access and International.

“Depot capacity is critical to realising this opportunity. We are now entering the concluding phase of considering applications to access TMI.

“We need operators to set out more detail on their proposals at pace and we will work as quickly and as thoroughly as possible to reach a decision on the applications for directions.”

Eurostar has contested that the application process, which involves bids being made through Section 17 of the Railways Act 1993, is not appropriate for TMI.

But ORR has said that having received applications and further information from Evolyn and Virgin last year (the first two firms to request depot access) it “could proceed with the applications”. Gemini and Trenitalia France then submitted its requests earlier this year.

“Making a decision demands greater detail and evidence from Eurostar and the applicants, so we are now launching this concluding phase of the process of considering the section 17 applications,” ORR said.

As part of the process ORR will consider:

Availability of capacity - examining evidence that the planned use is justified by service plans and sufficient to support delivery.

Performance - operators must demonstrate their plans will not negatively impact operational performance.

Operational readiness and viability - delivery plans that demonstrate intent and ability to use capacity promptly and explain progress towards securing other necessary access agreements and regulatory approvals.

Financial viability - business plans, suitable expertise and a reasonable expectation of securing investment and rolling stock.

Economic and societal benefits - explain the benefits of new services and anticipated financial impact on existing operators.

Views of stakeholders - responses to issues raised by others.