In January, Eurostar’s monopoly on using the channel tunnel was meant to have expired. expired, with the possibility of new Eurostar deals with alternative train operators. With its London to Paris flights suffering, Air France realised “if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em” and in 2008 announced a competing high-speed rail service between London and Paris to start in late 2010. The economic downturn however, may have put that deal on hold. Air France would use the same tracks, but says its trains could run faster than Eurostar’s, a claim that Eurostar disputed.

Meanwhile in Brussels, The European Commission has ow taken action to break the monopoly on a high-speed rail networks operating between France, Belgium and Britain. They won a pledge from existing market incumbents Eurostar and Thalys etc to drop any existing barriers to outside competitors, leaving the way clear for new Eurostar deals across Europe in the near future.

The European Union’s executive arm had been asked to approve the creation of “New Eurostar” – a joint venture between the French, Belgian and British state railway companies, which also control the Eurostar service between London, Paris and Brussels.

The commission gave the New Eurostar project a green light, but only after the three companies committed themselves to facilitating “the entry of new rail operators on the London-Brussels and London-Paris routes,” a statement said.

Joaquin Almunia EU Competition Commissioner wants more varied Eurostar Deals

A spokeswoman for Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said the action was taken in light of the EU’s decision to liberalise international rail services as of January 1, 2010.

Amelia Torres said.

In the future, we expect more diversification of services, more choice for consumers, more innovation and lower prices as a result of greater competition

Eurostar Deals to Frankfurt and Madrid

As an example, she raised the prospect of “passengers being able to travel from Frankfurt to London or from Madrid to London without changing trains.”

The commission specifically insisted that potential newcomers to the Eurostar rail network should be able to use station infrastructure and access passenger information currently in the hands of the “New Eurostar” joint venture.

The incumbent companies also pledged to be ready to make space for rivals in their Eurostar timetables.