FRANCE–UK: FS Group has ordered 19 Hitachi high-speed trains in an approximately €2 billion programme that will support Trenitalia France’s planned Paris–London service, which the company says will launch in 2029.

Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed train at Paris Gare de Lyon
Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000 at Paris Gare de Lyon. Illustrative photo. Photo: Stig124, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The 19-train order is part of an approximately €2 billion investment covering train construction, long-term maintenance and technical support. Trenitalia France will use the expanded fleet on Paris–Lyon, Paris–Milan and Paris–Marseille as well as to support the future Paris–London connection, so the 19 trainsets should not be read as a fleet dedicated only to the UK route.

What FS has confirmed for Paris–London?

FS Group says the Paris–London service is confirmed for launch in 2029. Its April 2025 Paris–London plan placed London–Paris within the group’s 2025–2029 strategy and said technical assessments were under way for integration through Eurotunnel and the French and UK networks. FS also said planning for additional capacity at St Pancras was at an advanced stage, while the official launch would depend on completion of infrastructure works and technical authorisations.

St Pancras is the London station identified in FS Group’s planning. However, neither the current train-order announcement nor the April 2025 plan sets out a proposed daily frequency, end-to-end journey time, intermediate stops or the Paris terminal for Trenitalia France’s service.

The new trains are designed for Europe’s main high-speed networks. FS says the 19-unit fleet will also allow Trenitalia France to increase frequencies on existing routes, while the Maisons-Alfort Pompadour maintenance site outside Paris is being developed to support fleet growth and new international connections.

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UK access and Channel Tunnel approvals remain key

On the British side, international trains need access from St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel over HS1. The Office of Rail and Road says framework agreements reserve capacity and allow train operators access to HS1. The bi-national Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission is responsible for safety certification of operators using the Tunnel and authorisation to place rail vehicles into service there.

The UK depot picture also changed after FS Group’s original Paris–London announcement. In October 2025, ORR rejected Trenitalia France’s application for access to Temple Mills International while approving Virgin Trains. The regulator described depot access as an important first step towards operating cross-border Channel Tunnel services. The August 2026 train-order announcement highlights the new maintenance facility near Paris but does not identify a UK depot arrangement.

FS Group therefore has a firm rolling-stock order behind its stated 2029 launch plan, but its own earlier announcement and the UK regulatory record show that infrastructure, access and technical authorisations remain implementation steps before passenger service can begin.

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