Jump to content

High Speed 1

Route map:
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

High Speed 1
High Speed 1 approaching the Medway Viaducts
Overview
OwnerUK Government
under concession to: HICL Infrastructure, Equitix, National Pension Service (until 2040)
Locale
Termini
Stations4
Websitehighspeed1.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata
Service
TypeHigh-speed rail
Heavy rail
SystemNational Rail
Operator(s)DB Cargo UK, Eurostar, Southeastern
History
Opened
  • 2003 (Section 1)
  • 2007 (Section 2)
Technical
Line length109.9 km (68.3 mi)
Number of tracksDouble track throughout
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Loading gaugeUIC GC
ElectrificationOverhead line25 kV 50 Hz AC
Operating speed300 km/h (190 mph)
SignallingTVM-430, KVB, AWS, TPWS
Route map

(Click to expand)
0 km
0 mi
London St Pancras
International
National Rail London Underground Eurostar
London King's Cross National Rail London Underground
London Tunnel 1
7.5 km
4.7 mi
9 km
6 mi
Stratford International National Rail Docklands Light Railway
London Tunnel 2
10 km
6 mi
21 km
13 mi
Ripple Lane freight connection
Rainham viaduct
0.5 km
0.3 mi
27 km
17 mi
Aveley viaduct
over LT&S
1.0 km
0.6 mi
30 km
19 mi
Thurrock viaduct A282
1.2 km
0.7 mi
32 km
20 mi
Thames Tunnel
2.5 km
1.6 mi
37 km
23 mi
Ebbsfleet International National Rail Eurostar
Section 1
Section 2
boundary
39 km
24 mi
Fawkham Junction link line
50 km
31 mi
1.2 km
0.7 mi
54 km
34 mi
3.2 km
2 mi
Lenham Heath passing loop
88 km
55 mi
1.5 km
0.9 mi
90 km
56 mi
Ashford International National Rail Eurostar
Ashford CTRL-DS Depot
91 km
57 mi
Ashford Flyover
1.5 km
0.9 mi
106 km
66 mi
108 km
67 mi
High Speed 1 / Network Rail
Getlink
Cheriton Shuttle Terminal
110 km
68 mi

High Speed 1 (HS1), legally the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), is a 109.9-kilometre (68.3-mile) high-speed railway linking London with the Channel Tunnel.

It is part of the line carrying international passenger traffic between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe; it also carries domestic passenger traffic to and from stations in Kent and east London, and continental European loading gauge freight traffic. From the Channel Tunnel, the line crosses the River Medway, and tunnels under the River Thames, terminating at London St Pancras International station on the north side of central London. It cost £6.84 billion to build and opened on 14 November 2007.[1] Trains run at speeds of up to 300 km/h (190 mph) on HS1.[2][3][4] Intermediate stations are at Stratford International in London, Ebbsfleet International in northern Kent and Ashford International in southern Kent.

International passenger services are provided by Eurostar International, with journey times from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord in 2 hours 15 minutes, and London St Pancras International to Brussels South/Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel Zuid in 1 hour and 51 minutes.[5] As of November 2015, Eurostar uses a fleet of 27 Class 373/1 multi-system trains capable of 300 km/h (190 mph) and 320 km/h (200 mph) Class 374 trains. Domestic high-speed commuter services serving the intermediate stations and beyond began on 13 December 2009. The fleet of 29 Class 395 passenger trains reach speeds of 225 km/h (140 mph).[6] DB Cargo UK run freight services on High Speed 1 using adapted Class 92 locomotives, enabling flat wagons carrying continental-size swap body containers to reach London for the first time.[7]

The CTRL project saw new bridges and tunnels built, with a combined length nearly as long as the Channel Tunnel itself, and significant archaeological research undertaken.[8] In 2002, the CTRL project was awarded the Major Project Award at the British Construction Industry Awards.[9] The line was transferred to government ownership in 2009, with a 30-year concession for its operation awarded to a consortium of Borealis Infrastructure (part of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System) and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in November 2010.[10]

Early history

[edit]

A high-speed rail line, LGV Nord, has been in operation between the Channel Tunnel and the outskirts of Paris since the Tunnel's opening in 1994.[11] This has enabled Eurostar rail services to travel at 300 km/h (186 mph) for this part of their journey. A similar high-speed line in Belgium, from the French border to Brussels, HSL 1, opened in 1997.[12][13] In Britain, Eurostar trains had to run at a maximum of 160 km/h (100 mph) on existing tracks between London Waterloo International and the Channel Tunnel.[14] These tracks were shared with local traffic, limiting the number of services that could be run, and jeopardising reliability.[15] The case for a high-speed line similar to the continental part of the route was recognised by policymakers,[16] and the construction of the line was authorised by Parliament with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996,[17] which was amended by the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Act 2008.[18][19]

An early plan conceived by British Rail in the early 1970s for a route passing through Tonbridge met considerable opposition on environmental and social grounds, especially from the Leigh Action Group and Surrey & Kent Action on Rail (SKAR). A committee was set up to examine the proposal under Sir Alexander Cairncross; but in due course environment minister Anthony Crosland announced that the project had been cancelled,[20] together with the plan for the tunnel itself.

The next plan for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link involved a tunnel reaching London from the south-east, and an underground terminus in the vicinity of London King's Cross station. A late change in the plans, principally driven by Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine's desire for urban regeneration in East London, led to a change of route, with the new line approaching London from the east. This opened the possibility of reusing the underused St Pancras railway station as the terminus, with access via the North London Line that crosses the throat of the station.[21]

The idea of using the North London line proved illusory, and it was rejected in 1994 by the then Transport Secretary, John MacGregor, as too difficult to construct and environmentally damaging.[22] The idea of using St Pancras station as the core of the new terminus was retained, albeit now linked by 20 kilometres (12 miles) of specially built tunnels to Dagenham via Stratford.[21]

London & Continental Railways (LCR) was chosen by the UK government in 1996 to build the line and to reconstruct St Pancras station as its terminus, and to take over the British share of the Eurostar operation, Eurostar (UK). The original LCR consortium members were National Express, Virgin Group, SG Warburg & Co, Bechtel and London Electric.[23][24] While the project was under development by British Rail it was managed by Union Railways, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of LCR. On 14 November 2006, LCR adopted High Speed 1 as the brand name for the completed railway.[25] Official legislation, documentation and line-side signage have continued to refer to "CTRL".

Project

[edit]

As the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 made government funding for a Channel Tunnel rail link unlawful,[26] construction did not take place, as it was not financially viable. Construction was delayed until the passage of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996,[17] which provided construction powers that would run for ten years. The chief executive, Rob Holden, stated that it was the "largest land acquisition programme since the Second World War".[27]

The whole route was to have been built as a single project, but in 1998, serious financial difficulties arose, and extensive changes came with a British government rescue plan.[28] To reduce risk, the line was split into two separate phases,[29] to be managed by Union Railways (South) and Union Railways (North). A recovery programme was agreed whereby LCR sold government-backed bonds worth £1.6 billion to pay for the construction of section 1, with the future of section 2 still not settled.

The original intention had been for the new railway, once completed, to be run by Union Railways as a separate line from the rest of the British railway network. As part of the 1998 rescue it was agreed that following completion, section 1 would be purchased by Railtrack with an option to purchase section 2. In return, Railtrack was committed to operate the whole route as well as London St Pancras International, which, unlike all other former British Rail stations, had been transferred to LCR/Union Railways in 1996.[30]

In 2001, Railtrack announced that because of its own financial problems, it would not undertake to purchase section 2,[31][32][33] triggering a second restructuring.[34] The 2002 plan agreed that the two sections would have different owners (Railtrack for section 1, LCR for section 2) but with common Railtrack management. Following further financial problems at Railtrack,[35] its interest was sold back to LCR, which then sold the operating rights for the completed line to Network Rail, Railtrack's successor. Under this arrangement LCR became the sole owner of both sections of the CTRL and the St Pancras property, as per the original 1996 plan.[citation needed] Amendments were made in 2001 for the new station at Stratford International and connections to the West Coast Main Line.

As a consequence of the restructuring, the LCR consortium in 2001 consisted of engineering consultants and construction firms Arup, Bechtel, Halcrow and Systra (which form Rail Link Engineering (RLE)); transport operators National Express and SNCF (which operates the Eurostar (UK) share of the Eurostar service with the National Railway Company of Belgium and British Airways), the electricity company EDF and UBS.

There were several deaths of employees working on the CTRL over the construction period. One occurred on 28 March 2003 near Folkestone when a worker came into contact with the energised power supply.[36] Another death occurred two months later, in May 2003, when a scaffolder fell seven metres at Thurrock, Essex.[37] Three companies were found guilty of breaching health and safety legislation by omitting to provide barriers, resulting in Deverson Direct Ltd. being ordered to pay a fine of £50,000, J.Murphy & Sons Ltd. £25,000, and Hochtief AG £25,000.[37] Two more deaths resulted from a fire on board a train carrying wires, one mile (1.6 km) inside a tunnel under the Thames between Swanscombe, Kent, and Thurrock, Essex on 16 August 2005. The train shunter died at the scene[38] and the train driver later died in hospital.[39] It has been suggested that a large amount of blame for accidents throughout the project lay with individual behaviour, becoming such a problem that an internal programme was launched to tackle problem behaviour during the construction.[40]

On completion of section 1 by RLE, the line was handed over to Union Railways (South), which then handed it over to London & Continental Stations and Property (LCSP), the line's long-term owners. Once section 2 of the line had been completed, it was handed over to Union Railways (North), which handed it over to LCSP. The entire line, including St Pancras, is managed, operated and maintained by Network Rail (CTRL).

In February 2006, there were rumours that a 'third party' (believed to be a consortium headed by banker Sir Adrian Montague) had expressed an interest in buying out the present partners in the project.[41] LCR shareholders rejected the proposal,[42] and the government, which could effectively overrule shareholders' decisions as a result of LCR's reclassification as a state-owned body,[43] decided that discussions with shareholders would not take place imminently, which effectively backed shareholders' views on the proposed takeover.[42]

By May 2009, LCR had become insolvent, and the government received an agreement to use state aid to purchase the line and to open it up to competition to allow other services to use it apart from Eurostar.[44] LCR's wholly owned subsidiary, HS1 Ltd, thus became the property of the Secretary of State for Transport.[45] On 12 October 2009 a proposal was announced to sell £16 billion of state assets including HS1 Ltd in the following two years to cut UK public debt.[46] The government announced on 5 November 2010 that a concession to operate the line for thirty years had been sold for £2.1 billion to a consortium of Canadian investors.[47] Under the concession, HS1 Ltd has the rights to sell access to track and to the four international stations (St Pancras, Stratford, Ebbsfleet and Ashford) on a commercial basis, under the scrutiny of the Office of Rail & Road. At the end of thirty years, ownership of the assets will revert to the government.[45]

Building cost

[edit]

The cost of construction was £6.84 billion. At £51 million per mile, this was higher than other projects in many other countries.[1] The French LGV Est, a line built largely through near-flat fields (save for the Saverne Tunnel) and which terminates outside its urban centres (Vaires-sur-Marne for Paris and Vendenheim for Strasbourg) cost £22 million per mile.[1] Its phase one was completed in 2007 and phase two in 2016.[1]

Route

[edit]
HS1 within the United Kingdom, with the Channel Tunnel and LGV Nord also shown
Train 3313/3314 served as a laboratory train, reaching 300 km/h (190 mph) during Section 1 testing in 2003
A Eurostar train on the CTRL, near Ashford

The high-speed railway operates as a "seven-day railway", with full availability on all days. Heavy maintenance is performed overnight.[48][49][50]: 21  As of 2008, track access charges were capped at approximately £71.35 per minute. In 2008, the cost of running a train along the full length of the line between St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel was £2,244; with lower costs of £2,192 for a domestic service to Ashford International, or £1,044 for St Pancras to Ebbsfleet International.[50]: 6  A discounted rate of £4.00 per kilometre was made available for night-time-only railfreight operation until 31 March 2015.[51]

Section 1

[edit]

Section 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, opened on 28 September 2003, is a 74 km (46-mile) section of high-speed track from the Channel Tunnel to Fawkham Junction in north Kent with a maximum speed of 300 km/h (190 mph). Its completion cut the London–Paris journey time by around 21 minutes, to 2 hours 35 minutes. The line includes the Medway Viaduct, a 1.2 km (0.75-mile) bridge over the River Medway,[52] and the North Downs Tunnel, a 3.2 km (2.0-mile) long, 12 m (39-foot) diameter tunnel.[53] In safety testing on the section prior to opening, a new UK rail speed record of 334.7 km/h (208 mph) was set.[54] Much of the new line runs alongside the M2 and M20 motorways through Kent. After its completion, Eurostar trains continued to use suburban lines to enter London, arriving at Waterloo International.

Unlike most LGV stations in France, the through tracks for Ashford International station are off to one side rather than going through, partly because the station pre-dates the line.[55] High Speed 1 approaches Ashford International from the north in a cut-and-cover "box"; the southbound line rises out of this cutting and crosses over the main tracks to enter the station. The main tracks then rise out of the cutting and over a flyover. On leaving Ashford, southbound Eurostars return to the high-speed line by travelling under this flyover and joining from the outside.[56] The international platforms at Ashford are supplied with both overhead 25 kV AC and third-rail 750 V DC power, avoiding the need to switch power supplies. Within Ashford, the speed limit on High Speed 1 is 270 km/h (170 mph).

Section 2

[edit]

Section 2 of the project opened on 14 November 2007, and is a 39.4-kilometre (24.5-mile) stretch of track from the newly built Ebbsfleet station in Kent to London St Pancras. Completion of the section cut journey times by a further 20 minutes (London–Paris in 2 hours 15 minutes; London–Brussels in 1 hour 51 minutes). The route starts with a 3.1-kilometre (1.9-mile) tunnel which dives under the Thames on the edge of Swanscombe,[57] then runs alongside the London, Tilbury and Southend line as far as Dagenham, where it enters two long tunnels to reach St Pancras. The two tunnels (much of which is directly under the North London Line) are 10.1-kilometre (6.3-mile) and the 7.5-kilometre (4.7-mile) in length, split by a 1-kilometre (0.62-mile) stretch that runs close to the surface to serve Stratford International and the Temple Mills Depot.[58][59] The new depot, to the north of Stratford, replaced the North Pole depot in the west of London.[60] In testing, the first Eurostar train ran into St Pancras on 6 March 2007.[61] All CTRL connections are fully grade-separated.

Stations

[edit]

Ashford International

[edit]

This station was rebuilt as Ashford International during the early 1990s for international services from mainland Europe; this included the addition of two platforms to the north of station (the original down island platform had been taken over by international services). Unlike normal LGV stations in France, the through tracks for Ashford International railway station are off to one side rather than going through.[55] The number of services was reduced after the opening of the Ebbsfleet station. A high-speed domestic service operated by Southeastern to London St Pancras began on 29 June 2009. Eurostar has not served the station since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and services will not return until at least 2025.[62][63]

Ebbsfleet International

[edit]

Ebbsfleet International railway station in the borough of Dartford, Kent is 10 mi (16 km) outside the eastern boundary of Greater London and opened to the public on 19 November 2007.[64] It became Eurostar's main station in Kent.[65][66][67] Two of the platforms are designed for international passenger trains and four for high-speed domestic services.[68] A high-speed domestic service operated by Southeastern to London St Pancras began on 29 June 2009. Eurostar has not served the station since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and services will not return until at least 2025.[62][63]

St Pancras International

[edit]
Eurostar trains at St Pancras International

The terminus for the high-speed line in London is St Pancras railway station. During the 2000s, towards the end of the construction of the CTRL, the entire station complex was renovated, expanded and renamed as St Pancras International,[69][70] with a new security-sealed terminal area for Eurostar trains to continental Europe.[71] In addition, it retained traditional domestic connections to the north and south of England. The new extension doubled the length of the central platforms now used for Eurostar services; new platforms have been provided for existing domestic East Midlands Trains and the Southeastern high-speed services that run along High Speed 1 to Kent.[72] New platforms on the Thameslink line across London were built beneath the western margins of the station, and the station at King's Cross Thameslink was closed.

A complex junction has been built north of St Pancras with connections to the East Coast Main Line, North London Line (for West Coast Main Line) and Midland Main Line, allowing for a wide variety of potential destinations albeit on conventional rails. As part of the works, tunnels connecting the East Coast Main Line to the Thameslink route were also built in readiness for the forthcoming Thameslink Programme.[73]

Stratford International

[edit]

Stratford International railway station was not part of the original government plans for the CTRL.[74] Despite its name, no international services call there. Completed in April 2006, it opened on 30 November 2009 when the domestic preview Southeastern highspeed services started calling there.[75] An extension of the Docklands Light Railway opened to Stratford International in August 2011.[76] It forms part of the complex of railway stations for the main site where the 2012 Summer Olympics were held.[77]

Temple Mills Depot in Leyton is used for storage and servicing of Eurostar trains and off-peak berthing of Class 395 Southeastern high-speed trains.

Infrastructure

[edit]
A high-speed tunnel and flyover take non-stopping trains past Ashford International at 270 km/h (170 mph)

The railway is maintained from Singlewell Infrastructure Maintenance Depot.[78]

The construction work of the line was complex, and many contractors were involved in delivering them.[79] The CTRL Section 2 construction works had caused considerable disruption around the Kings Cross area of London; in their wake redevelopment was stimulated.[80][81] The large redevelopment area includes the run-down areas of post-industrial and ex-railway land close to King's Cross and St Pancras, a conservation area with many listed buildings; this was promoted as one of the benefits for building the CTRL.[82] It has been postulated that this development was actually suppressed by the construction project,[83] and some affected districts were said still to be in a poor state in 2005.[84]

Track

[edit]

Both track and signalling technology (TVM-430 + KVB) are based on or identical to the standards used on the French LGV high-speed lines. The areas around St Pancras and Gare du Nord use colour light and KVB signalling[85] with the whole of the high-speed route to Paris (CTRL, Channel Tunnel, LGV Nord) using TVM-430. Traffic between London and the Channel Tunnel is controlled from the Ashford signalling centre. Signalling tests before opening were performed by the SNCF-owned "Lucie" test car.[86]

The track is 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge[87] cleared to a larger modern European GC loading gauge[87] enabling GC gauge freight as far as the yards at Barking.[88][89] The line is electrified entirely using overhead lines with 25 kV AC railway electrification.

North Downs Tunnel, northern portal under Blue Bell Hill

Tunnels

[edit]

After local protests,[90][91] early plans were modified to put more of the route into tunnels up until a point approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from St Pancras. Previously the CTRL was planned to run on an elevated section alongside the North London Line on approach into the line's terminus. The twin tunnels bored under London were driven from Stratford westwards towards St Pancras, eastwards towards Dagenham and from Dagenham westwards to connect with the tunnel from Stratford. The tunnel boring machines were 120 metres (394 ft) long and weighed 1,100 tonnes (1,083 long tons; 1,213 short tons). The depth of the tunnels varies from 24 to 50 metres (79 to 164 ft). The two London tunnels are 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) and 10.1 kilometres (6.3 mi) in length, split by Stratford International station.[58][59]

Other major tunnels along the route include a 3.1 km (1.93-mile) tunnel underneath the River Thames at Thurrock in Essex[57] and the 3.2 km (1.99-mile) North Downs Tunnel near Maidstone in Kent.[53]

Viaducts

[edit]

Several major viaducts are present on the route, with three viaducts over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in length. The Medway Viaduct takes the line over the River Medway adjacent to the M2 motorway,[52] the Thurrock Viaduct takes the line over the A282 Dartford Crossing[92] and the Ashford Viaduct takes the fast lines over Ashford International station.[56]

Connection line to Waterloo

[edit]

A four-kilometre (2.5 mi) connecting line providing access for Waterloo International leaves High Speed 1 at Southfleet Junction using a grade-separated junction; the main CTRL tracks continue uninterrupted through to CTRL Section 2 underneath the southbound flyover. The connection joins the Chatham Main Line at Fawkham Junction with a flat crossing. The retention of Eurostar services to Waterloo after the line to St Pancras opened was ruled out on cost grounds.[93] Waterloo International closed upon opening of the section two of the CTRL in November 2007; Eurostar now serves the refurbished St Pancras as its only London terminal, so this connecting line is no longer used in regular service,[94][95] but can be used by Class 395 passenger trains.[96]

Services

[edit]

International passenger services on this line are operated by Eurostar, with maximum speed 300 km/h (190 mph), while domestic passenger services are operated by Southeastern as far as Ashford International, with maximum speed 225 km/h (140 mph).

High Speed 1 was built to allow eight trains per hour through to the Channel Tunnel.[97] As of May 2014, Eurostar runs two to three trains per hour in each direction between London and the Channel Tunnel.[98] Southeastern runs in the high peak eight trains per hour between London and Ebbsfleet, two of these continuing to Ashford.[99] During the 2012 Olympic Games, Southeastern provided the Olympic Javelin service with up to twelve trains per hour from Stratford into London.[100]

Freight

[edit]

The route was built with freight provision from the beginning. It has spurs leading to and from the freight terminal at Dollands Moor (Folkestone) and the freight depot at Barking (Ripple Lane), north of the River Thames. Long passing loops to hold freight trains while passenger trains overtake them were built at Lenham Heath and Singlewell.

Freight trains operated by EWS first ran over CTRL Section 1, on the consecutive evenings of 3–4 April 2004. Five freight trains that would have run via the classic lines were diverted to run over the Channel Tunnel Rail Link instead: three southbound intermodal trains on 3 April 2004 and two northbound intermodal trains on 4 April 2004.[101]

Ownership

[edit]

In November 2010, the HS1 concession was awarded for a duration of thirty years to an investment consortium bringing together two Canadian public pension funds: Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (through its subsidiary Borealis Infrastructure), and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for £2.1 billion.[47] At the time, UK pension investors had generally limited interest in such long-term, illiquid, 'infrastructure assets'.[102]

In 2017, the sale of the 30 year HS1 concession was announced to funds advised and managed by InfraRed Capital Partners and Equitix Investment Management; participants include HICL Infrastructure (35%), Equitix (35%) and South Korea's National Pension Service (30%), for an enterprise value of £3 billion.[103][104]

The private operator does not hold the freehold or rights to any of the associated land.[105]

Operators

[edit]

The railway is operated on an open access basis. Trains are operated by several organisations all operating over the same track. HS1 Ltd. is the network manager for the line, stations, and other infrastructure.[106]

Network Rail (High Speed) Ltd

[edit]
HS1 near the village of Hothfield in Kent.

HS1 Ltd is responsible for overall managing and running of the line – along with the international railway stations at St Pancras, Stratford, Ashford and Ebbsfleet[107] – with responsibility for the infrastructure itself sub-contracted to Network Rail (High Speed) Ltd (formerly known as Network Rail (CTRL) acting as the controller and infrastructure manager.[108] Network Rail (CTRL) Limited was created as a subsidiary of Network Rail on 26 September 2003 for £57 million to take over the assets of the CTRL renewal and maintenance operations.[109] Network Rail (High Speed) operates engineering, track maintenance machines, rescue locomotives, and infrastructure- and test trains.[110] Eurotunnel's subsidiary Europorte 2 operates its Eurotunnel Class 0001 (Krupp/MaK 6400) rescue locomotives on the line when required.[111]

Various track recording trains run as necessary, including visits by the New Measurement Train. On the night of 4/5 May 2011 the SNCF TGV Iris 320 laboratory train took over, being hauled from Coquelles to St Pancras and back, towed by Eurotunnel Krupp locomotives numbers 4 and 5.[112] The Iris 320 runs for Network Rail (High Speed) are an extension of the 100 km/h (62 mph) monitoring cycle already undertaken by SNCF International since December 2010 for Eurotunnel every two months.[113][114]

Eurostar

[edit]
A Eurostar train in the original livery passing Strood, on approach to the Medway bridge

The Eurostar service uses about 40% of the capacity of High Speed 1,[115] which in November 2007 became the company's route for all its services prior to the merger with Thalys.[116] Eurostar trains are for international traffic only, passing along the high-speed line from London St Pancras railway station to the Channel Tunnel, with the majority[117] terminating at either Paris Gare du Nord in France or Brussels-South railway station in Belgium.[118][119] A Eurostar train was used to set a new British rail speed record of 334.7 km/h (208 mph) on 30 July 2003.[120][121] Prior to the formation of Eurostar International Limited, the British component of the Eurostar grouping was owned by London & Continental Railways, which had also previously owned the High Speed 1 infrastructure.[122]

The fastest regular-service Eurostar journeys on record are 2 hours, 3 minutes and 39 seconds from Paris Gare du Nord to St Pancras, set on 4 September 2007;[123] and 1 hour 43 minutes from Brussels South to St Pancras, set on 19 September 2007.[124]

Class Image Type Top speed Num­ber  Routes operated   Built 
mph km/h
Class 373
Eurostar e300
EMU 186 300 28 1992–1996
Class 374
Eurostar e320
EMU 200 320 17 2011–2018

Southeastern

[edit]
A Southeastern Class 395 train departing from London St Pancras railway station on a preview domestic service

Domestic high-speed services on High Speed 1 are operated by Southeastern. Having been in planning since 2004,[125] a preview service of the British Rail Class 395 trains, popularly known as Javelins, started in June 2009,[68] and regular services began on 13 December 2009. The quickest journey time from Ashford to London St Pancras is 35 minutes,[126] compared with 80 minutes for the service to London Charing Cross via Tonbridge.[127] This service on Section 2 of the CTRL, known previously as CTRL-DS, was a factor in London's successful 2012 Olympic Bid, promising a seven-minute journey time from the Olympic Park at Stratford to the London terminus at St Pancras.[128]

 Class  Image  Type   Top speed   Number   Routes operated   Built 
 mph  km/h 
Class 395 Electric multiple unit 140 225 29 2007–2009

DB Cargo UK

[edit]
DB Cargo UK Class 92s haul freights over High Speed 1

DB Cargo is a global freight operator with a large interest in freight over rail in Europe.[129] While High Speed 1 was constructed with freight loops, no freight traffic had run upon the line since opening in 2003.[130] On 16 April 2009 DB Schenker signed an agreement with HS1 Ltd, the owner of High Speed 1, for a partnership to develop TVM modifications for class 92 freight locomotives to run on the line.[131] On 25 March 2011 for the first time a modified class 92 locomotive travelled from Dollands Moor to Singlewell using the TVM430 signalling system.[132] A loaded container train ran for the first time on 27 May 2011, to Novara in Italy. Following further trials with loaded wagons[133][134] DB is to upgrade five Class 92 locomotives to allow them to run on High Speed 1.[135] From 11 November 2011 a weekly service using European-sized swap body containers has run between London and Poland using High Speed 1.

 Class  Image  Type   Top speed   Number   Built   Notes 
 mph  km/h 
Class 92 Electric locomotive 87 140 46 1993–1996

Future operations

[edit]

At present, only Deutsche Bahn (DB) has applied for use of the line and in 2009, regulations were relaxed to allow its trains to use the Channel Tunnel. Other proposals are yet to be formalised.

Deutsche Bahn

[edit]
Deutsche Bahn planned services using Siemens Velaro D trains

In November 2007, it was reported that DB, Germany's national train company, had applied to use the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1 into London. This was denied by Deutsche Bahn, and the bi-national Channel Tunnel Safety Authority confirmed that it had not received such an application.[136] The plan was delayed by safety regulations as Deutsche Bahn's fleet of ICE 3M high-speed trains could not be divided in the tunnel in an emergency.[137]

In December 2008, it was reported that DB was interested in buying the British share in Eurostar,[138] which in practice meant buying Eurostar (UK) Ltd., the 100% subsidiary of London & Continental Railways (LCR), which the British government intended to break up and sell just as it did the other rail-related subsidiary of L&CR, HS1 Ltd.[139][140] The buyer of EUKL would become the owner of the 11 British "Three Capitals" Class 373 trainsets plus all seven "North of London" sets, and would also be responsible for the operations of Eurostar traffic within Britain once the management contract with ICRR expires in 2010. Guillaume Pépy, the president of SNCF, who held a press conference the same day, described DB's interest as "premature, presumptuous and arrogant".[141] SNCF claims to own 62% of the shares of Eurostar Group Ltd. Hartmut Mehdorn, then CEO of Deutsche Bahn, confirmed DB's interest but insisted in a letter to Pépy that DB had only informally requested information and not made any official requests to Britain's Department for Transport.[142]

In 2009, Eurotunnel (the owners of the Channel Tunnel) announced that it was prepared to start relaxing the fire safety regulations, in order to permit other operators, such as Deutsche Bahn, to transport passengers via the Tunnel using other forms of rolling stock.[143] Under the deregulation of European railway service, high-speed lines were opened up to access by other operators on 1 January 2010; the Inter-Governmental Commission on the Channel Tunnel (IGC) announced that it was considering relaxing the safety requirements concerning train splitting. LCR suggested that high-speed rail services between London and Cologne could commence before the 2012 Olympics.[144]

In March 2010, Eurotunnel, HS1 Ltd, DB and other interested train operators formed a working group to discuss changes to the safety rules, including allowing 200-metre trains. The Intergovernmental Commission currently requires trains to be 400 m long.[145] Deutsche Bahn carried out evacuation trials in the tunnel on 17 October 2010 with two 200m-long ICE3 trains, and displayed one of them at St Pancras station on 19 October.[146] The current Velaro ICE3 sets do not meet the fire safety requirements for passenger services through the tunnel, but the Siemens Velaro D sets on order include the necessary additional fire-proofing.[147] In March 2011, the European Rail Agency decided to allow trains with distributed traction to operate in the Channel Tunnel.[148] DB is planning three services a day to Frankfurt (5h from London), Rotterdam (3h) and Amsterdam (4h) via Brussels[146][149] from 2015. This had originally planned to be 2013, but has been delayed due to the availability of the Channel Tunnel version of the Siemens Velaro D trains, high rental costs of the French rail network and border controls in their stations.[150] As of 2016, nothing yet has come to fruition, but the High Speed One website continues to state that "HS1 Ltd are working with Deutsche Bahn on plans to incorporate three additional international return journeys, between Frankfurt and London via Cologne, Brussels and Lille. This will include connections from Amsterdam via Rotterdam to London."[151]

In March 2017, it was announced that Deutsche Bahn had revived plans for a London to Frankfurt train service with the service beginning as early as 2020. The service would take around five hours and could rival airlines and become the first competitor for Eurostar.[152] In June 2018, Deutsche Bahn stated the plans have been shelved due to a "significantly changed economic environment".[153]

Veolia

[edit]
Veolia's planned use of the AGV train would cut journey times to London

In 2009, Veolia announced that it would begin working on new proposals in co-operation with Trenitalia to run services from Paris to Strasbourg, London and Brussels.[154]

Renfe

[edit]
Spanish AVE train

Spanish railway operator Renfe said in 2009 that it was interested in running AVE services from Spain to London via Paris,[155] Lyon, Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon (using the Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line) once its AVE network was connected to France via the Barcelona to Figueres and Perpignan to Figueres lines in 2012.[156]

In October 2021, Renfe announced that It intends to operate high-speed trains between Paris and London using the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1. A Renfe spokesperson has said that there are possible options available on the high-speed route for additional trains to operate. “According to the demand analyses carried out, it would be viable and profitable for Renfe to compete with Eurostar.”[157] The rail company claims it had already received support from Getlink – the European company that operates the Channel tunnel – and from HS1, which owns, runs and maintains the 109 km rail line between the Channel tunnel and London.[158]

[edit]

In August 2018, Bloomberg Businessweek reported that Getlink is interested in setting up an Ouigo-style low cost high speed rail service between London and Paris, travelling between the railway stations of Stratford International and Charles-de-Gaulle.[159]

Services to Bordeaux

[edit]

It was revealed in March 2020 that High Speed 1 Ltd, along with SNCF and Lisea, are looking for an operator for a future London St Pancras–Bordeaux St Jean train service.[160]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Aecom and Atkins, First Interim Evaluation of the Impacts of High Speed 1 (PDF), archived (PDF) from the original on 8 May 2019, retrieved 8 May 2019
  2. ^ "Channel Tunnel Rail Link Visit" (PDF). Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 July 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2013. Section 2, which has a line speed of 225 km/h
  3. ^ "Building Britain's first high speed line". Railway Gazette International. London. 1 May 1999. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2011. Speed will be reduced to 225 km/h (140 mph) between Ebbsfleet and St Pancras, primarily for aerodynamic reasons in the tunnels.
  4. ^ "HS1 (Section 2) Register of Infrastructure" (PDF). HS1 Ltd. para. 1.4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013. Maximum allowable speed; Maximum speed of any (interoperable or otherwise) operating on Section 2 of the HS2: Passenger 225 km/h, Freight 140 km/h
  5. ^ "Eurostar to launch passenger services at St Pancras International on Wednesday 14 November 2007" (Press release). Eurostar. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 28 February 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2006.
  6. ^ "Southeastern Highspeed". Southeastern Railway. 1 December 2009. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  7. ^ Haigh, Philip (10 August 2011). "DB a step closer to European freight into London via HS1". Rail. Peterborough. p. 15.
  8. ^ Matthews, Roger (2003). The archaeology of Mesopotamia: theories and approaches. London: Routledge. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-415-25317-8. The development of this new railway resulted in the largest archaeological project to date in the United Kingdom
  9. ^ Mylius, Andrew (2 November 2006). "CTRL team scoops BCI Major Project Award". New Civil Engineer. London. Archived from the original on 5 December 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  10. ^ "High Speed 1 concession awarded to Canadian pension consortium". Railway Gazette International. London. 5 November 2010. Archived from the original on 8 November 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  11. ^ "Bilan LOTI de la LGV Nord Rapport" (PDF) (in French). Cgedd Developpement. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  12. ^ "Infrabel celebrates 10 years of the High Speed Line in Belgium" (Press release). Infrabel. 14 December 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  13. ^ "Detailed map layout of Belgian railway transportation network" (PDF). Infrabel. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  14. ^ Harper, Keith (18 January 2001). "French attack Railtrack". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  15. ^ "How the need for a CTRL developed". Department for Transport. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  16. ^ Harrison, Michael (18 June 1993). "2001: a rail odyssey drags on: Plans for a Channel tunnel link are finally gathering speed". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  17. ^ a b "Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996 c61". 1996. Archived from the original on 7 December 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  18. ^ "Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Act 2008 c5". 2008. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  19. ^ "HC Hansard Volume 467 Part 3 Column 259". Hansard. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 8 November 2007. Archived from the original on 4 June 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2008.
  20. ^ Hansard 20 January 1975
  21. ^ a b Timpson, Trevor (14 November 2007). "How St Pancras was chosen". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  22. ^ Goodwin, Stephen (21 January 1994). "Inside Parliament: Euro-sceptic derides 'white elephant' line". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  23. ^ "Britain's Channel Tunnel rail link (four contract contenders named)". Railway Age. accessmylibrary.com. 1 September 1995. Retrieved 1 August 2009.[dead link] (subscription required)
  24. ^ Wolmar, Christian (4 July 1995). "Branson in last round of rail link fight". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  25. ^ "High-speed rail link open in year". BBC News. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  26. ^ "Channel Tunnel Oral Answers to Questions: Transport, House of Commons debates". theyworkforyou dot com. 23 April 1990. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  27. ^ "Eastern approach". New Civil Engineer. 23 March 2000. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  28. ^ "The Channel Tunnel Rail Link: Report by the Controller and Auditor General". National Audit Office. Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  29. ^ "Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions: The Channel Tunnel Rail Link" (Press release). National Audit Office. 28 March 2001. Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  30. ^ "About St Pancras". HS 1 Limited. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  31. ^ Harper, Keith (30 May 2000). "Railtrack funding of Channel rail link in doubt again". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  32. ^ Harrison, Michael (16 January 2001). "Railtrack could ditch new Channel rail link". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 December 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  33. ^ Brown, Colin (1 April 2001). "Railtrack to lose its new-line monopoly". The Independent. London. Retrieved 1 August 2009.[dead link]
  34. ^ Harrison, Michael (17 January 2001). "Phase two of tunnel link need not be built by Railtrack, says Eurostar". The Independent. London. Retrieved 1 August 2009.[dead link]
  35. ^ Walters, Joanna (21 October 2001). "Rail's shattered dream". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 25 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  36. ^ "Engineer electrocuted on rail link". BBC News. 30 March 2003. Archived from the original on 13 March 2004. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  37. ^ a b "Firms fined over rail link death". BBC News. 4 October 2004. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  38. ^ "Man killed in rail tunnel blaze". BBC News. 17 August 2005. Archived from the original on 5 February 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  39. ^ "Channel Tunnel burns victim dies". BBC News. 21 August 2005. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  40. ^ "Case study: Channel Tunnel Rail Link". New Civil Engineer. London. 22 February 2001. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  41. ^ Boles, Tracey (19 February 2006). "City grandee tries to grab tunnel link firm". The Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2006.(subscription required)
  42. ^ a b "LCR rejects takeover bid". RailwayPeople. Ashby-de-la-Zouch. 31 March 2006. Archived from the original on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 15 November 2006.
  43. ^ Clark, Andrew; Seager, Ashley (21 February 2006). "Debt-laden Channel tunnel rail link is 'nationalised'". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2006.
  44. ^ Owen, Ed (8 June 2009). "Government takes control of London and Continental". New Civil Engineer. London. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  45. ^ a b "HS1 concession sold". Modern Railways. London. December 2010. p. 6.
  46. ^ "British state assets selloff". The Straits Times. Singapore. 12 October 2009. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  47. ^ a b "High Speed 1 concession awarded to Canadian pension consortium". Railway Gazette International. London. 5 November 2010. Archived from the original on 8 November 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  48. ^ Roberts (29 October 2007). "TOC and FOC aspirations for a 7 day railway" (PDF). Seven Day Railway. Network Rail October 2007 Strategic Business Plan (Report). Archived from the original (Supporting document) on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2012. "7 day railway will operate on new high speed line. Inspections carried out during daytime white period & maintenance done at night.
  49. ^ "High speed preview services announced". 1 June 2009. Archived from the original on 12 June 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2012. Daylight HS1 track inspection... Currently track engineers inspect high speed infrastructure during daylight hours.
  50. ^ a b sxmarcel (17 November 2008). "Possessions allowance" (PDF). Second Consultation on Prospective Levels and Principles of Track Access Charging for the High Speed 1 Railway. p. 6,21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  51. ^ Coart, François (5 July 2011). "HS1 Ltd Freight Avoidable Costs Review" (letter). p. 1. Retrieved 25 May 2012.[permanent dead link]
  52. ^ a b "HS1 Sectional Appendix" (PDF). High Speed 1. May 2013. p. A18. Retrieved 6 January 2023. Medway Viaduct (1261m)
  53. ^ a b "HS1 Sectional Appendix" (PDF). High Speed 1. May 2013. p. A19. Retrieved 6 January 2023. NORTH DOWNS TUNNEL (3199m)
  54. ^ "Eurostar breaks high speed record". Erik's Rail News. 30 July 2003. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2007.
  55. ^ a b "Eurostar celebrates 10 years at Ashford International" (Press release). Eurostar. 9 January 2006. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  56. ^ a b "HS1 Sectional Appendix" (PDF). High Speed 1. May 2013. p. A23. Retrieved 6 January 2023. ASHFORD VIADUCT (1430m)
  57. ^ a b "HS1 Sectional Appendix" (PDF). High Speed 1. May 2013. pp. A14. Retrieved 17 November 2021. THAMES TUNNEL (3115m)
  58. ^ a b "HS1 Sectional Appendix" (PDF). High Speed 1. May 2013. p. A10. Retrieved 17 November 2021. LONDON TUNNEL 1 (7538m)
  59. ^ a b "HS1 Sectional Appendix" (PDF). High Speed 1. May 2013. p. A12. Retrieved 17 November 2021. LONDON TUNNEL 2 (10120m)
  60. ^ "Depot mark 2 promises faster maintenance of faster trains". Railway Gazette International. 31 October 2007. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016.
  61. ^ "Railway Herald on-line magazine, Issue 75" (PDF). 9 March 2007. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  62. ^ a b "Eurostar: Petition for return of Kent services backed by 30,000". BBC News. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  63. ^ a b Wright, Robert (5 July 2023). "Eurostar in recovery: is there light at the end of the tunnel?". Financial Times. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  64. ^ "Ebbsfleet open to Eurostar trains". BBC News. 19 November 2007. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  65. ^ "RailEurope". save-eurostar.org. Retrieved 14 May 2009. [dead link]
  66. ^ "New station means Eurostar change". BBC News. 12 September 2006. Archived from the original on 27 August 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2007.
  67. ^ "Save Ashford International (retrieved from archive.org)". saveashfordinternational.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  68. ^ a b "High speed timetable". Southeastern Railways. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  69. ^ Official name of the station according to the Department of Transport Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request at Whatdotheyknow.com. Retrieved 2 December 2008.
  70. ^ Official name of the station according to the London Borough of Camden Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request at Whatdotheyknow.com. Retrieved 2 December 2008.
  71. ^ Lydall, Ross (7 March 2006). "Security at heart of St Pancras revamp". London Evening Standard.[dead link]
  72. ^ "From concept to reality". Modern Railways. London: Ian Allan. November 2007. p. 51.
  73. ^ "Canal Tunnels - Thameslink Programme". www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  74. ^ Wolmar, Christian (31 August 1994). "Channel rail link to get one station". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  75. ^ "Southeastern Highspeed". Southeastern. 1 December 2009. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  76. ^ "Docklands Light Railway extension marks one year to go to the London 2012 Paralympic Games" (Press release). Retrieved 31 August 2011.[dead link]
  77. ^ Clark, Andrew (17 February 2005). "Decision makers go underground to ride the route of new rail link". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  78. ^ "High Speed 1 security". Railway Strategies. Schofield Publishing. 1 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013.
  79. ^ "Section 2 Major Contracts – Descriptions" (PDF). High Speed 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  80. ^ "The regeneration benefits of the CTRL". Department for Transport. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  81. ^ Griffiths, Emma (5 August 2005). "Developers see London's eastern promise". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  82. ^ "Final phase of Channel Tunnel Rail Link will be major regeneration boost – Prescott" (Press release). London and Continental Railways. 3 April 2001. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  83. ^ Plowden, Stephen (2 April 2001). "Special Report – Coming soon: the Dome on wheels". New Statesman. London. Archived from the original on 27 December 2006.
  84. ^ Glancey, Jonathan (27 May 2005). "Tunnel vision". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2009. Somers Town, on one side of St Pancras, remains little more than a slum, while King's Cross is still an unzipping ground for low-rent prostitution, a crack needle in the side of civilised London.
  85. ^ "07 099 DGN certificate" (PDF). Rail Safety and Standards Board. 24 August 2007. p. 2. Archived from the original (Certificate of Derogation from a Railway Group Standard) on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2012. The new CTRL St Pancras terminal station and approaches is fitted with colour light signalling. In addition, the continuous supervision KVB Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system is installed to comply with CTRL requirements for full ATP.
  86. ^ "Britain finally joins the high-speed club: the first section of CTRL opens on 28 September". International Railway Journal. August 2003. Certification of the TVM430 signalling system on the CTRL almost caused a delay in opening of section 1 in 2003.
  87. ^ a b "HS1 Network Statement" (PDF). HS1 Limited. 17 August 2009. pp. 17, 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 April 2014. 3.3.1.2 Track Gauge & Structure Gauge: The nominal track gauge is 1435 mm. ... 3.3.2.1 Loading Gauge: … UIC "GC" on HS1; and UIC "GB+" on Ashford connecting lines … Waterloo connection .. structure gauge (W6/W6A)
  88. ^ "Strategic Freight Network: The Longer-Term Vision" (PDF). Department for Transport. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2009. 20.5 European freight link (UIC GB+ Gauge): A European loading gauge freight link has been secured as far as Barking through Channel Tunnel
  89. ^ Cmsadmin (15 October 2007). "Eurostar Revamps High-Speed Service". Railway Technology. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  90. ^ "Britons protest tunnel rail routes". St Petersburg Times. 27 February 1989.[permanent dead link]
  91. ^ Tully, Shawn (20 November 1989). "Full Throttle towards a new era". CNN. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020. To put some steel into 1992, the Europeans are building a network of tunnels, bridges, and high speed railways
  92. ^ "HS1 Sectional Appendix" (PDF). High Speed 1. May 2013. p. A14. Retrieved 6 January 2023. THURROCK Viaduct (1024m)
  93. ^ Webster, Ben (14 November 2007). "Five Waterloo platforms left in limbo by Eurostar pullout". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2009.
  94. ^ Higham, Nick (6 November 2007). "The transformation of St Pancras". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2007.
  95. ^ Millward, David (3 November 2007). "Eurostar will cross London — in 15 hours". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  96. ^ Middleton, Peter (Producer) (2009). Eurostar: Brussels-Midi to London St Pancras International (DVD). Video 125 Ltd. Event occurs at 1hr 29min 35sec.
  97. ^ High Speed 1, United Kingdom Archived 11 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Railway Technology
  98. ^ "Timetable Core destinations 15 December 2013 to 24 May 2014" (PDF). Eurostar. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2015.
  99. ^ "Kent Route Utilisation Strategy" (PDF). Network Rail. January 2010. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  100. ^ Transport Plan for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Consultation report (PDF). Olympic Delivery Authority. October 2007. p. 94. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  101. ^ "Channel Tunnel Rail Link opens for freight services" (Press release). English, Welsh & Scottish Railway. 2 April 2004. Archived from the original on 1 October 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  102. ^ Firzli, M. Nicolas J. (2013). "Transportation Infrastructure and Country Attractiveness". Revue Analyse Financière. Paris. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  103. ^ "HS1 concession sold on". Railway Gazette International. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 24 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  104. ^ "HS1 railway line sold for EV of £3bn, below initial expectations". Financial Times. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  105. ^ Milmo, Dan (28 January 2011). "Highest bidder asks why it lost Channel tunnel rail link sale". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2011. [the] transport secretary … stressed that the deal did not include the railway's freehold or the land itself.
  106. ^ "High Speed One – What we do", highspeed1.co.uk, HS1 Limited, archived from the original on 29 August 2011, retrieved 29 August 2011
  107. ^ "High Speed One". HS1 Ltd. Archived from the original on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  108. ^ Stretton, Andrew G.W. (3 August 2010). "Exemption from the Fitment of an Automatic Train Protection System for Certain Types of Train on Network Rail (High Speed) Ltd Controlled Infrastructure" (PDF). Railway Safety Regulations 1999. Understanding the Meaning of Test Trains. Office of Rail Regulation. p. 3. Archived from the original (covering letter) on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2010. ... is controlled by Network Rail (High Speed) Ltd who, as infrastructure manager ...
  109. ^ Annual Report and Accounts (PDF) (Report). Network Rail Infrastructure Limited. 2004. p. 39. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  110. ^ Deputy Chief Inspector of Railways (4 June 2010). "Infrastructure Controller: Network Rail (High Speed) Ltd" (PDF). Office of Rail Regulation. Archived from the original (Certificate of Exemption) on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2012. Network Rail (High Speed) is exempt … in relation to the operation on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link of the following classes of trains: ...
  111. ^ Deputy Director of Railway Safety (8 February 2010). "Train Operators Certificate" (PDF). Office of Rail Regulation. p. 1. Archived from the original (Certificate of Exemption) on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  112. ^ Milner, Chris (2 June 2011). "TGV in secret visit to UK". The Railway Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  113. ^ "United Kingdom: Track Geometry Checks". SNCF International. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011. SNCF International … with Eurotunnel and .. Network-Rail (High Speed) are … carrying out Eurotunnel monitoring runs using the Iris 320 train and extending them as far as London St Pancras.
  114. ^ "Maintenance" (PDF). Inspecting the infrastructure at 100 km/h. Annual Report (Report). Eurotunnel Group. 2010. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011. IRIS 320 measuring train … since December 2010, … inspecting the Channel Tunnel, pulled by a Eurotunnel diesel locomotive at 100 km/h … every two months
  115. ^ "Overdue U.K. 'Bullet Train' Enters Service Amid Cuts". Bloomberg News. New York. 29 June 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  116. ^ Rudd, Matt (28 October 2007). "Eurostar to Brussels". The Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  117. ^ "Eurostar Destinations". Eurostar. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  118. ^ "Our history". Eurotunnel. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  119. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Waterloo Sunset. YouTube. 20 December 2007.
  120. ^ "Eurostar breaks UK high speed record" (Press release). Eurostar. 30 July 2003. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  121. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Official Eurostar video of Record-breaking High Speed 1 run from Paris to London. Eurostar. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  122. ^ "London and Continental Railways Limited" (Press release). Department for Transport. 8 June 2009. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009.
  123. ^ "Eurostar set Paris-London record". BBC News. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  124. ^ Malkin, Bonnie (20 September 2007). "Eurostar sets new record from Brussels". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 September 2007.[dead link]
  125. ^ Booth, Jenny (27 October 2004). "Britain is to have its own bullet trains". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  126. ^ "South Eastern High Speed Timetable". Southeastern. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  127. ^ "South Eastern Mainline 4 Times". Southeastern. 11 May 2009. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  128. ^ "Full speed ahead at St Pancras International Station". London2012 blog. 8 November 2007. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  129. ^ "Transportation and Logistics in the DB Group". DB Schenker. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  130. ^ "Eurostar Revamps High-Speed Service". Railway Technology. 14 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 July 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  131. ^ "Freight trains to use High Speed 1 from 2010". Railway Gazette International. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  132. ^ "European sized rail freight to arrive in the UK soon, following successful locomotive trial" (Press release). DB Schenker Rail (UK). 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  133. ^ "DB Schenker Rail operates first freight train over High Speed 1" (Press release). DB Schenker Rail (UK). 27 May 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  134. ^ "First freight on High Speed 1". Railway Gazette International. London. 29 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  135. ^ "DB Schenker to upgrade locomotives for High Speed 1 service". Railway Technology.com. 12 December 2011. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  136. ^ Wolmar, Christian (23 November 2007). "Who is going to use the new high speed line?". Rail. No. 579. Peterborough. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
  137. ^ Murray, Dick (19 December 2007). "German rival for Eurostar". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  138. ^ Webster, Ben (12 December 2008). "We'll buy UK's share of Eurostar — and run it better, say Germans". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  139. ^ O'Connell, Dominic (13 March 2008). "Fees for high-speed tunnel link derail Eurostar's gravy train". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  140. ^ London & Continental Railways Archived 24 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine – scroll down to section "About the future".
  141. ^ Barrow, Keith (1 April 2009). "2010: A high-speed odyssey". International Railway Journal. London. Retrieved 11 May 2009.[dead link]
  142. ^ "Chemins de fer: le ton monte entre Deutsche Bahn et la SNCF". Le Point (in French). Paris. Agence France-Presse. 16 December 2008. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  143. ^ "Deutsche Bahn gets access to Channel Tunnel". Berlin: Deutsche Welle. 16 December 2009. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  144. ^ Lydall, Ross (3 February 2010). "The train at St Pancras will be departing for … Germany via Channel Tunnel". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  145. ^ Jameson, Angela (10 March 2010). "Deutsche Bahn may run London to Frankfurt service". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  146. ^ a b Scott, Richard (19 October 2010). "German rail firm DB competes for Channel Tunnel routes". BBC News. London. Archived from the original on 20 October 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  147. ^ "Deutsche Bahn to run ICE3 to Britain this year". Railway Gazette International. London. 29 July 2010. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  148. ^ "ERA Channel Tunnel report is a welcome first step for Deutsche Bahn's high speed ICE services to London" (Press release). Deutsche Bahn. 22 March 2011. Archived from the original on 5 May 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  149. ^ "Deutsche Bahn to start commercial services from London in 2013" (PDF). Railway Herald, Issue 285 page 9. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  150. ^ "Channel Tunnel". Business Traveller. 19 February 2014. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  151. ^ "International Rail Services". High Speed 1. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  152. ^ Smith, Rebecca (2 March 2017). "Gearing up for Brexit: London-Frankfurt express trains could arrive by 2020". City AM. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  153. ^ Stone, Jon (16 June 2018). "Plans for UK-Germany high speed rail services shelved due to 'significantly changed economic environment'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  154. ^ "Veoila and Trenitalia mount rival Eurostar service" Archived 27 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Breaking Travel News, 24 December 2009.
  155. ^ "Deutsche Bahn Push for U.K. Rail Supremacy Upset by Failed Bids". Bloomberg. New York. 9 March 2010. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021. Renfe said … it's looking for opportunities to expand … through the [Channel] tunnel.
  156. ^ Keeley, Graham (27 November 2009). "Rail offers London to Madrid in eight hours". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  157. ^ Clinnick, Richard (26 October 2021). "Renfe wants to operate trains to London". International Rail Journal. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  158. ^ Jones, Sam (26 October 2021). "Spanish rail reveals plans for high-speed London to Paris link". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  159. ^ "The Discount Airline Model Is Coming for Europe's Railways". Bloomberg Businessweek. 17 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  160. ^ "SNCF wants London - Bordeaux by 2022". 6 March 2020. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Young, George; Alison Gorlov (1995). Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Union Railways.
  • National Audit Office (2001). Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions: The Channel Tunnel Rail Link. The Stationery Office. ISBN 0-10-286801-8.
  • National Audit Office (2005). Progress on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. The Stationery Office. ISBN 0-10-293343-X.
  • Montagu, Samuel; Department of Transport (1993). Channel Tunnel Rail Link. HMSO.
  • Bertolini, Luca; Tejo Spit (1998). Cities on rails: the redevelopment of railway station areas. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-419-22760-1.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
KML is from Wikidata