Eurostar and rivals all claim Temple Mills capacity report supports their arguments

Eurostar and it potential rivals have all claimed the independent report into capacity at Temple Mills International (TMI) supports their arguments.

The report, carried out by Ipex on behalf of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), found some space is available at the site.

The regulator noted that changes to operational and maintenance arrangements, as well as infrastructure alterations, would be needed if Evolyn, Gemini Trains or Virgin (all of whom to rival Eurostar) were successful in their formal depot access applications.

Eurostar has argued there is no space for a second operator as things currently stand.

In a statement, it said: “(The report) confirms what Eurostar has said all along: the Temple Mills depot is effectively almost full today for major maintenance work and would require investment to meet the growing demands of international rail.

“The options presented in the report could help create some capacity, but this would not be enough to accommodate the stated ambitions of any single operator. This includes the three organisations who have applied to the regulator and the needs of Eurostar itself.”

Virgin, the most vocal of the three potential operators, said the report was a “green signal for competition”.

A spokesperson said: “The Temple Mills depot is the only facility in the UK which can accommodate European-style trains and claims suggesting it was at capacity have been blocking Virgin from coming to the line,” adding that the report will “unlock competition” through the Channel Tunnel.

“There are no more major hurdles to overcome, and Virgin is ready to take up the challenge,” they added.

Meanwhile, Gemini Trains, which only announced its plans last week, also said it was pleased the report “demonstrated that there is capacity available”.

Andrew Meaney, an adviser to the firm, said: “Gemini welcomes that the ORR's transparent process has determined there is available capacity at Temple Mills International depot and we look forward to working with them as they use their duties to allocate this capacity."

Campaign for Better Transport’s Chief Executive, Ben Plowden, also welcomed the report, saying: “Much of the great potential of the Channel Tunnel is currently untapped, so while there are further hurdles to clear, we are very glad that the reality of new services is closer than ever."