Spain's Renfe plans to run high-speed trains between Paris and London
MADRID, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Spanish state-owned railway operator Renfe said on Wednesday it plans service on the Paris-London high-speed link and has started talks with Getlink which operates the cross-Channel tunnel.
Renfe said slots are available to run high-speed trains though the tunnel to compete with Eurostar, a unit of French state-owned rail operator SNCF.
The monopoly enjoyed by Eurostar on transporting passengers through the tunnel linking Britain and the continent since 1994 is set the end as France is gradually opening its rail industry to competition.
Some 7 million travellers boarded Eurostar trains between Paris and London in 2019, Renfe said, adding it is confident the demand, which collapsed with the pandemic, will recover in 2022 making the route "viable and profitable" for its service.
In a second phase, Renfe also plans service to "new French and international destinations", (Reporting by Corina Pons; editing by Jason Neely)
