Virgin Trains may be able to operate train service through the “Chunnel” that links the U.K. with continental Europe as early as 2030, after the U.K. regulator approved its application to share a depot with Eurostar.

BBC News reports that the decision by the U.K. Office of Rail and Road (ORR) means that Eurostar's monopoly on passenger services is set to be broken for the first time since the tunnel opened in 1994.

Temple Mills railway storehouse in east London is the only depot in the U.K. able to accommodate the larger trains used in continental Europe, and already linked to the cross-Channel line.

Virgin says it aims to start running services from 2030. Eurostar said it was reviewing the decision and "considering our next steps to ensure we can continue to grow."

Previously, the ORR had said the Temple Mills depot had enough space to either house an expanded Eurostar fleet or accommodate a rival company's trains – but not both.

"Our priority is to deliver for passengers the benefits of the investments in a new fleet, jobs, and depot facilities that we recently announced," a Eurostar spokesperson said.

Virgin will first need to enter into a commercial agreement with Eurostar, and will have to secure finance, access to track and stations, and get safety approvals from U.K. and EU authorities.

The Channel Tunnel is also a conduit for freight. Since 1994 LeShuttle (formerly known as Eurotunnel Le Shuttle) has run daily services through the Tunnel, taking passengers and freight from Folkestone to Calais in a journey time of 35 minutes.