Group plans to launch services from London in 2030 and hopes to outshine competitor with design inspiration from its airline, cruise and hotel arms

Flash interiors, fancy food and maybe even a bar: Virgin has unveiled a mock-up of its future cross-Channel train, with a pledge to create “something genuinely new”.

The group is planning to launch rail services from London to the continent in 2030, with Eurostar facing competition for the first time since the opening of the Channel tunnel.