Evolyn, the new train operator under the English Channel and a mythomaniac?

The startup Evolyn aims to compete with Eurostar to connect France and England by announcing the purchase of trains from Alstom… which denies it.

The situation is almost humorous. In an era of hyper-communication, no one has heard of the Spanish company Evolyn that plans to challenge Eurostar on the Channel rail sector. No website, no social media, but already boasting about purchasing 12 high-speed trains from Alstom…

The story began on October 11th, with the announcement that the startup Evolyn would take advantage of the opening of the market to competition to shake up the monopoly of Eurostar starting in 2026. There’s nothing wrong with the principle; the sector has already hosted Trenitalia and Renfe in France to connect Italy and Spain respectively.

The prices haven’t really dropped, but the offer is simply more generous, which benefits the customer.

The problem with Evolyn is that Alstom issued a denial regarding the information circulated on October 11th:

“Following the publication of Evolyn’s press release on October 11th, which suggests an agreement has been reached between Evolyn and Alstom for the acquisition of twelve (12) high-speed trains, Alstom wishes to provide important clarifying information and emphasize the following points :

Alstom and Evolyn have entered into a short-term agreement to initiate preliminary train system engineering work, with the goal of continuing this work if both companies sign a contract for the purchase and delivery of a certain number of trains, provided that Evolyn is able to secure project funding.

Regarding the potential delivery dates of the new trains, at this stage the definitive delivery dates cannot be confirmed until a firm and final agreement is reached and a contract is signed.

This makes things quite clear. Alstom does not want to be associated with a new entrant whose financial stability is still uncertain. Its initial clients, such as SNCF, can only applaud this caution, which could impact the credibility of the French train giant.

Evolyn has remained silent since this clarification from Alstom. Stay tuned for the next episode.

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