99-711: The Medway Viaducts are three bridges or viaducts that cross the River Medway between Cuxton and Borstal in north Kent , England . The two road bridges carry the M2 motorway carriageways. The other viaduct carries the High Speed 1 railway line linking London and the Channel Tunnel . All three bridges pass over the Medway Valley Line (to Paddock Wood ). The first Medway Viaduct, built to carry
198-483: A draft of 4 feet (1.2 m) can navigate the river. The shallowest point is just below Sluice Weir Lock, which is prone to silting after heavy rain. Small craft such as canoes can sometimes travel as far as Penshurst . The stretch from Leigh to Allington is known as the Medway Navigation , and is 19 miles (31 km) in length. The Environment Agency is the navigation authority . Downstream of
297-463: A flood barrier was constructed downstream from Leigh to protect Tonbridge, which had been severely affected by the flooding of 1968. During periods of high flow, the flow is controlled by impounding the water and allowing up to 1 square mile (2.6 km ) of farmland upstream of the barrier to flood. However, this did not prevent significant flooding in Tonbridge in winter 2013–14. In recent years
396-466: 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. LCR shareholders rejected the proposal, and the government, which could effectively overrule shareholders' decisions as a result of LCR's reclassification as a state-owned body, decided that discussions with shareholders would not take place imminently, which effectively backed shareholders' views on
495-580: A 400kV electricity circuit. There is no public access. The middle section of the Medway above Tonbridge, partly because of the various tributaries entering the river in this stretch – in particular the River Eden – has always been subject to extensive flooding . Tonbridge has suffered frequent flooding over the centuries, so much so that the higher part of the town to the north is called "Dryhill". Flood protection measures have therefore been taken. In 1981,
594-405: A British government rescue plan. To reduce risk, the line was split into two separate phases, 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
693-590: A balanced cantilever approach, this necessitated the use of certain techniques in its construction, which included the launching of the side spans in an incremental fashion from both the east and west abutments using a series of hydraulic rams . To withstand this, the bridge deck sections were fabricated using bonded prestressing construction; when positioned correctly, these sections cantilever together, aided by external prestressing for its continuity. The substructure consists of reinforced concrete pier columns that are supported upon bored piles . One distinct feature of
792-505: A bridge since Roman times. In the 14th century the Wardens and Commonalty of Rochester Bridge were instituted by Sir John de Cobham to pay for the rebuilding and upkeep of the bridge. Until 1963 the nearest crossing to Rochester Bridge was the 14th-century bridge at Aylesford, 12 miles (19 km) upstream. Since then the following additional crossings have come into use: Three other major crossings are at Tonbridge, where bridges carry
891-557: A broadly similar appearance to the existing viaducts where they run parallel to one another, which includes matching spans and profiles. In 2003, it was awarded the Concrete Society ’s Civil Engineering Category award for "outstanding merit in the use of concrete". A plaque marking this achievement has been attached to one of the upright support legs on the Strood side of the viaduct. The rail viaduct has been described as being
990-681: A consortium of Borealis Infrastructure (part of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System) and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in November 2010. 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. 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
1089-423: A cost of £2.5 million, invitations to tender for the bridge's construction were sought in 1959. It consists of three main spans. The largest over the River Medway spans 500 ft, and the other two are 313 ft each. There are seventeen smaller spans of 100 to 135 ft. As originally built, the first bridge carried a six-lane (two London-bound, two coast-bound, two hard shoulder ) formation. In addition,
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#17327721150791188-495: A domestic service to Ashford International, or £1,044 for St Pancras to Ebbsfleet International. A discounted rate of £4.00 per kilometre was made available for night-time-only railfreight operation until 31 March 2015. 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
1287-521: 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). 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
1386-604: A footpath was present along either side of the road lanes that doubled as a small service road for maintenance personnel and pedestrians alike. These footpaths formed part of the North Downs Way , which offered panoramic views of the Medway Valley and beyond. Central crash barriers were not originally fitted, but were subsequently retrofitted for safety reasons. During the widening of the M2 from two lanes to four, which
1485-524: A leading piece of civil engineering for the new line, and has become a prominent symbol of it. On 30 July 2003, a specially formed Eurostar train crossed the viaduct and in to the Nashenden Valley at 208 mph (335 km/h), an occurrence that established a new speed record on the British railway network. In advance of the tenth anniversary of this record-breaking run, a plaque was placed at
1584-600: 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 , and the North Downs Tunnel , a 3.2 km (2.0-mile) long, 12 m (39-foot) diameter tunnel . In safety testing on the section prior to opening,
1683-725: A nearby vantage point overlooking the railway viaduct. 51°22′33″N 0°28′32″E / 51.37580°N 0.47550°E / 51.37580; 0.47550 River Medway The River Medway is a river in South East England . It rises in the High Weald , West Sussex and flows through Tonbridge , Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent , before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness ,
1782-484: A new UK rail speed record of 334.7 km/h (208 mph) was set. 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
1881-469: A poor state in 2005. 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 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
1980-470: A scaffolder fell seven metres at Thurrock , Essex . 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. Two more deaths resulted from a fire on board a train carrying wires, one mile (1.6 km) inside
2079-406: A second restructuring. 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, 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
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#17327721150792178-570: A total distance of 70 miles (113 km). About 13 miles (21 km) of the river lies in East Sussex, with the remainder being in Kent. The Medway has a catchment area of 930 square miles (2,409 km ), the second largest in southern England after the Thames . The map opposite shows only the major tributaries : a more detailed map shows the extensive network of smaller streams feeding into
2277-504: A tunnel under the Thames between Swanscombe , Kent , and Thurrock, Essex on 16 August 2005. The train shunter died at the scene and the train driver later died in hospital. 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. On completion of section 1 by RLE,
2376-473: A wholly owned subsidiary of LCR . On 14 November 2006, LCR adopted High Speed 1 as the brand name for the completed railway. Official legislation, documentation and line-side signage have continued to refer to "CTRL". As the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 made government funding for a Channel Tunnel rail link unlawful, construction did not take place, as it was not financially viable. Construction
2475-532: Is a song by local man George Gilbert; it was written in the mid-1960s and is often played in local folk clubs and at festivals in Kent. The River Medway is featured at Maidstone in the studio backdrop of the ITV1 regional news programme Meridian Tonight . At 7.15 p.m. on 1 May each year, local Morris dancers Kettle Bridge Clogs dance across Barming Bridge (otherwise known as the Kettle Bridge) to mark
2574-686: 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 . The new depot, to the north of Stratford, replaced the North Pole depot in the west of London. In testing, the first Eurostar train ran into St Pancras on 6 March 2007. All CTRL connections are fully grade-separated . This station
2673-484: Is working for a commercial trade. See Medway watermills , and Medway watermills on the upper tributaries , the middle tributaries and the lower tributaries for more details. Medway scenes: High Speed 1 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
2772-607: The A227 road and a rail link over the river; there is also a two-span viaduct which takes the A21 over the Medway Valley near Haysden. The lowest crossing of the Medway are two cable tunnels between the Isle of Grain and Chetney marshes. These were built between 1973 and 1976 in anticipation of the commissioning of Grain power station . The tunnels are 1700 m long, 2.54 m in diameter and between 34 and 47 m below ordnance datum; each carries
2871-869: 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. 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, but can be used by Class 395 passenger trains. 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
2970-665: 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 . Stratford International railway station was not part of
3069-661: 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. Another death occurred two months later, in May 2003, when
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3168-546: The Thames is given extensive treatment by Edmund Spenser 's The Faerie Queene in the 16th century (Book IV, Canto xi). Joseph Conrad describes the view up the Medway from the Thames Estuary in The Mirror of the Sea (1906). For the 1999 film The Mummy the river was filmed at Chatham Dockyard , in an imitation of a "port at Cairo ". The scene is brief but involves the main protagonists departing on their mission to
3267-467: The freehold or rights to any of the associated land. 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. 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 – with responsibility for
3366-491: The high-speed rail link that connects London with the Channel Tunnel . The rail viaduct is a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long structure that spans the River Medway , Wouldham Road and Burham Roads in Borstal . It is a multi-span structure, with typical approach spans of 40.5 m (133 ft), while the central navigation span had a length of 152 m (499 ft). On account of the central span having been designed with
3465-603: The Ashford signalling centre. Signalling tests before opening were performed by the SNCF -owned "Lucie" test car. The track is 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge cleared to a larger modern European GC loading gauge enabling GC gauge freight as far as the yards at Barking . The line is electrified entirely using overhead lines with 25 kV AC railway electrification . After local protests, early plans were modified to put more of
3564-471: The French border to Brussels, HSL 1 , opened in 1997. 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. These tracks were shared with local traffic, limiting the number of services that could be run, and jeopardising reliability. The case for a high-speed line similar to the continental part of
3663-538: The Kings Cross area of London; in their wake redevelopment was stimulated. 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. It has been postulated that this development was actually suppressed by the construction project, and some affected districts were said still to be in
3762-504: 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, 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
3861-470: The M2 celebrated its 50th anniversary. During the summer of 2019, eleven closures of the bridge over the course of three months were necessitated while work to repair multiple bridge joints across the structure was underway. Completed during 2003, the second motorway bridge is the newest of the three crossings that traverse the River Medway at this point. It was built as part of the M2 widening project,
3960-486: The M2 motorway, opened on 29 May 1963. It remained the only overcrossing of the river on this site until the 2000s, at which point two further bridges were constructed. The second Medway Viaduct was part of the M2 widening scheme, its opening in 2003 enabled the first bridge to be reconfigured to carry coast-bound road traffic only, while the new structure carried the London-bound traffic instead. Other remedial works to
4059-635: The Medway , in 1667 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War . In the 18th century Samuel Ireland published an illustrated book about a journey up the river, to the River Bewl at Bayham Abbey. The book's map shows some of the tributaries (unnamed). The illustrations include the castles at Queenborough , Upnor , Leybourne , Tonbridge and Hever ; Penshurst Place ; and the bridges at Teston , Maidstone , Aylesford, East Farleigh , Barming , Branbridges and Tonbridge. The hop fields in
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4158-453: The Medway bridges (M2, HS1) the river comprises a sequence of tidal reaches: One of the channels on the southern side of the estuary, Stangate Creek, is the subject of a painting by William Turner . In a location described as "opposite the Isle of Grain , Sharpfleet Creek, and the lower-end of the Hope", a quarantine site for ships was proclaimed on 16 September 1709, during an outbreak of
4257-480: The abutments; this deck is a cantilever structure. During 2003, a new British rail speed record was achieved by a specially formed Eurostar train crossed the viaduct at 208 mph (335 km/h). It has also won awards for its novel civil engineering practices. Opened on 29 May 1963, by Ernest Marples , the Minister of Transport, the first Medway crossing formed a key element of the new M2 motorway . Built at
4356-426: The capacity of High Speed 1, which in November 2007 became the company's route for all its services prior to the merger with Thalys . 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 terminating at either Paris Gare du Nord in France or Brussels-South railway station in Belgium. A Eurostar train
4455-626: The channel meant that barges of 40 long tons (41 t) could reach East Farleigh , Yalding and even Tonbridge. In 1828, the channel was further improved up to Leigh . There are eleven locks on the river. The lowest, opened in 1792, is at Allington , and is the tidal limit . The others are at East Farleigh , Teston , Hampstead Lane , Stoneham Old Lock (disused), Sluice Weir Lock , Oak Weir Lock , East Lock, Porter's, Eldridge's and Town Lock in Tonbridge . The locks will take craft up to 80 feet (24 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m), and vessels with
4554-551: The city of the dead. The Maidstone River Festival, to celebrate the River Medway, running annually since 1980, is held on the last Saturday of July. It features events on and around the river and attracts thousands to Kent's county town. The festival was cancelled in 2012 due to the London Olympics, but returned in 2013. However, the 2013 event did not include a funfair or a fireworks display as in previous years, and lasted just one day instead of two. Medway Flows Softly
4653-417: The columns is that they are in a "V" shape, which provide greater lateral support and stability, particularly in the event of two high-speed trains deploying their emergency brakes at high speeds while traversing the structure. The structure was designed with several unique features so it could properly accommodate rail movements, including articulation and numerous movement joints. It was also designed to give
4752-646: 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. 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. At
4851-548: The eastern boundary of Greater London and opened to the public on 19 November 2007. It became Eurostar's main station in Kent. Two of the platforms are designed for international passenger trains and four for high-speed domestic services. 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. The terminus for
4950-804: The exceptions. The Medway itself initially flows in a west–east direction south of the North Downs ; at the confluence of the River Beult, however, it turns north and breaks through the North Downs at the Medway Gap , a steep and narrow valley near Rochester , before its final section to the sea. Until 1746, the river was not navigable above Maidstone. Below that point each village on the river had its wharf or wharves: at Halling , Snodland , New Hythe and Aylesford . Cargoes included corn, fodder, fruit, stone and timber. In 1746, improvements to
5049-577: The first time. 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. In 2002, the CTRL project was awarded the Major Project Award at the British Construction Industry Awards . The line was transferred to government ownership in 2009, with a 30-year concession for its operation awarded to
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#17327721150795148-533: The flood-swollen river. In 1914 HMS Bulwark exploded while moored at Kethole Reach near Sheerness, killing 741 men with only 12 survivors. The following year HMS Princess Irene exploded in Saltpan Reach with the loss of 352 lives. In 1942 the world's first test of a submarine oil pipeline was conducted with one laid across the Medway in Operation Pluto . The Medway's 'marriage' to
5247-401: The following two years to cut UK public debt. 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. 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
5346-485: 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, with a new security-sealed terminal area for Eurostar trains to continental Europe. In addition, it retained traditional domestic connections to the north and south of England. The new extension doubled
5445-605: The infrastructure itself sub-contracted to Network Rail (High Speed) Ltd (formerly known as Network Rail (CTRL) acting as the controller and infrastructure manager. 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. Network Rail (High Speed) operates engineering, track maintenance machines, rescue locomotives, and infrastructure- and test trains. Eurotunnel's subsidiary Europorte 2 operates its Eurotunnel Class 0001 (Krupp/ MaK 6400 ) rescue locomotives on
5544-527: 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. 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
5643-532: 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
5742-564: The line over the A282 Dartford Crossing and the Ashford Viaduct takes the fast lines over Ashford International station . 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
5841-432: 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
5940-703: The line when required. 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. 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. The Eurostar service uses about 40% of
6039-564: The lower Medway Valley; later Jutish burial sites have also been found. The Domesday Book records many manors in the Medway valley. Castles became a feature of the landscape, including Rochester , Allington , Leeds (near Maidstone), and West Malling . Two military actions are named after the river: the Battle of the Medway (43 CE , during the Roman invasion of Britain ); and the Raid on
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#17327721150796138-606: The main river. Those tributaries rise from points along the North Downs , the Weald and Ashdown Forest . The major tributaries are: Minor tributaries include: Former minor tributaries include the Old Bourne River, which flowed through the Brook, Chatham (not to be confused with the main tributary River Bourne). The river and its tributaries flow through largely rural areas, Tonbridge , Maidstone and Medway being
6237-533: The main site where the 2012 Summer Olympics were held. 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. The railway is maintained from Singlewell Infrastructure Maintenance Depot . The construction work of the line was complex, and many contractors were involved in delivering them. The CTRL Section 2 construction works had caused considerable disruption around
6336-625: 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. In 2001, Railtrack announced that because of its own financial problems, it would not undertake to purchase section 2, triggering
6435-692: The north side of central London. It cost £6.84 billion to build and opened on 14 November 2007. Trains run at speeds of up to 300 km/h (190 mph) on HS1. 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. As of November 2015 , Eurostar uses
6534-523: The older first bridge were also carried out around this time, including the replacement of its original concrete central span with a steel-braced equivalent. The third Medway Viaduct was completed in 2002, enabling the High Speed 1 railway line to traverse the river. Its design was somewhat unusual, using V-shaped reinforced concrete piers to support its bridge deck, which was prefabricated in segments and launched into position using hydraulic rams from
6633-438: The original bridge being reordered into three coast-bound lanes, along with a hard shoulder , while both footpaths were reduced in size, including the permanent closure of the south facing footpath, leaving only one path available for pedestrians. The newer of the two bridges was built from the onset with an identical formation, but instead carries the motorway's London-bound lanes. The western bridge carries High Speed 1 (HS1),
6732-581: The original government plans for the CTRL. Despite its name, no international services have ever called there. Completed in April 2006, it opened on 30 November 2009 when the domestic preview Southeastern highspeed services started calling there. An extension of the Docklands Light Railway opened to Stratford International in August 2011. It forms part of the complex of railway stations for
6831-476: The outside. 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 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
6930-409: The plague . The area had been leased to oyster fisherman, so compensation was paid to them. Nearly 150 ships quarantined there in the first six months of 1712, and the site was again used between 1721 and 1743. In 1918 to 1920, damages were sought for damage done to an oyster fishery in Stangate Creek. Until recently the lowest public crossing of the Medway was at Rochester , where there has been
7029-445: The proposed takeover. 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. LCR's wholly owned subsidiary, HS1 Ltd, thus became the property of the Secretary of State for Transport. On 12 October 2009 a proposal was announced to sell £16 billion of state assets including HS1 Ltd in
7128-597: The river at Yalding . At West Peckham , it is joined by the Wealdway which continues through Tonbridge, thus linking with the Eden Valley Walk. Maidstone Millennium River Park is a 10 kilometres (6 mi) walk from Teston Country Park to the Museum of Kent Life at Sandling . The park, built between 1998 and 2001, has transformed 18 acres (7.3 ha) of wasteland and three new footbridges have been built over
7227-501: The river. Ancient sites abound throughout the length of the River Medway. The area around Aylesford is a notable Stone Age site where the Medway megaliths are a group of Neolithic chamber tombs including the Coldrum Stones and Kit's Coty House . Bronze Age ornaments and beakers have been found along the river; other burial sites and finds come from the pre-Roman Iron Age . The Romans left evidence of many villas in
7326-597: The route include a 3.1 km (1.93-mile) tunnel underneath the River Thames at Thurrock in Essex and the 3.2 km (1.99-mile) North Downs Tunnel near Maidstone in Kent. 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 , the Thurrock Viaduct takes
7425-399: 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
7524-508: The route was recognised by policymakers, and the construction of the line was authorised by Parliament with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996 , which was amended by the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Act 2008 . 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
7623-651: The scrutiny of the Office of Rail & Road . At the end of thirty years, ownership of the assets will revert to the government. The cost of construction was £6.84 billion. At £51 million per mile, this was higher than other projects in many other countries. 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. Its phase one
7722-500: 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 , 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
7821-688: The sole owner of both sections of the CTRL and the St Pancras property, as per the original 1996 plan. 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
7920-415: The start of their Morris dancing season. Recreationally the river is used by many. For example, individuals and many clubs have paddling trips along many different parts of the Medway (e.g. Bewl Canoe Club). Individuals and club members paddling on the Medway and most other rivers should be members of British Canoeing . The Medway is said to divide the county of Kent into two parts: this may allude to
8019-406: The station pre-dates the line. 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
8118-399: The structure being located south of the original bridge. Its construction benefitted from work to build the adjacent High Speed One railway, such as the reuse of spoil from the North Downs Tunnel to build up the new London-bound road embarkment leading to the bridge. As a result of the new motorway viaduct's completion, the formation of the M2 motorway crossing was changed; the layout of
8217-521: The throat of the station. 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. 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 . London & Continental Railways (LCR)
8316-467: The time, UK pension investors had generally limited interest in such long-term, illiquid, 'infrastructure assets'. 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. The private operator does not hold
8415-407: The traditional county absorbed into London since the 1880s. The power of the Medway has been harnessed for a millennium or more. Waterwheels and turbines powered by the waters of the Medway and its tributaries have been used to mill corn , make paper, make cloth , smelt iron, pump water and generate electricity. There are over 200 sites on the Medway where such usage is known. Today, only one mill
8514-401: 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 . Other major tunnels along
8613-625: The two dioceses into which Kent has been divided since the year 604: Canterbury and Rochester. The tradition has grown up, and is kept alive by the "Association of Men of Kent and Kentish Men", that those born in West Kent – the area north of the river, but including Maidstone, Gillingham (other than Rainham), Rochester and Chatham – are labelled Kentish Men (or Maids ); while those born in East Kent are Men (or Maids ) of Kent . This labelling applies equally to those born in those parts of
8712-480: 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
8811-427: The vicinity of the latter are also described; and the easterly River Len , which then supplied Maidstone with its piped water. The book states that Within about two miles of Tunbridge the Medway branches out into several small streams, five of which unite at the town ... having each its stone bridge . The Thames and Medway Canal , duplicatively linking the estuary at Strood to Gravesend for adverse tides and weather
8910-497: The village of Yalding , about 12 km downstream at the confluence with the River Beult, has been more prone to flooding than Tonbridge. The Medway Valley Walk follows the river from Rochester to Tonbridge along the bank most of the way above Allington . It starts on the Saxon Shore Way at Rochester. The North Downs Way crosses the river using the Medway Viaduct or motorway bridge. The Greensand Way crosses
9009-537: Was built to allow eight trains per hour through to the Channel Tunnel. As of May 2014, Eurostar runs two to three trains per hour in each direction between London and the Channel Tunnel. Southeastern runs in the high peak eight trains per hour between London and Ebbsfleet, two of these continuing to Ashford. During the 2012 Olympic Games , Southeastern provided the Olympic Javelin service with up to twelve trains per hour from Stratford into London. The route
9108-406: 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
9207-533: 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 . While the project was under development by British Rail it was managed by Union Railways , which became
9306-474: Was completed in 1824 but was not a commercial success; by 1849 the South Eastern Railway had taken over its tunnel through a hillside. The western part of the canal remained in use until 1934. The Hartlake disaster of 1853 saw the deaths of 30 hop-pickers when a wagon carrying them crashed through the side of a rotten wooden bridge at Golden Green near Hadlow , throwing its passengers into
9405-426: Was completed in 2007 and phase two in 2016. The high-speed railway operates as a "seven-day railway", with full availability on all days. Heavy maintenance is performed overnight. 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
9504-554: Was delayed until the passage of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996, 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". The whole route was to have been built as a single project, but in 1998, serious financial difficulties arose, and extensive changes came with
9603-433: 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. The number of services
9702-457: 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. Ebbsfleet International railway station in the borough of Dartford , Kent is 10 mi (16 km) outside
9801-483: Was undertaken in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the original bridge was subject to extensive refurbishment and strengthening measures. The original central span, which was made from concrete beams, was replaced with steel girders. The concrete beams were broken up on-site using high pressure water-cutting equipment prior to disposal. Various safety improvements were also implemented across the original bridge, including new steel crash barriers, in late 2006. On 29 May 2013,
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