138-593: Regional Eurostar was a planned Eurostar train service from Paris and Brussels to locations in the United Kingdom to the north and west of London . While the Channel Tunnel was being planned and constructed in the 1980s, the operation of Eurostar services across Britain was included in the plans. To this end, roughly £320 million was invested into railway infrastructure, including new railway interconnections, depots, and other facilities, as well as
276-801: A memorandum of understanding to join SkyTeam as its first non-airline partner. This cooperation will enable integrated intermodal transport ( air-rail ) in the UK, France and the Netherlands. Because the UK is not part of the European Union or the Schengen Area , and because the Netherlands, Belgium and France are not part of the Common Travel Area , all cross-channel Eurostar passengers must go through border controls . Both
414-466: 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
552-542: A 28-minute stop (which was not deemed long enough to process UK-bound passengers) and then carrying different passengers from Brussels to London. Initially passengers travelling back took a Thalys service to Brussels Midi/Zuid where they could join the Eurostar. This was due to the lack of facilities for juxtaposed controls by the UK Border Force at Amsterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal. On 4 February 2020,
690-405: 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
828-681: 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
966-463: A direct railway connection. Later announcements on 10 January 2012 suggested that the first phase of the HS2 project was to include the construction of a single track link across North London between HS2 and HS1, partially in tunnels and partially over the existing North London Line , allowing for three trains per hour in both directions. DfT proposals in 2013 stated that this link would allow HS2 trains from
1104-495: 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
1242-521: 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
1380-748: A further 20 minutes. The line's London terminal is London St Pancras International , which was redeveloped for the project. The HSL-Zuid ( Dutch : Hogesnelheidslijn Zuid , English: South high-speed line ), is a 125 km-long (78 mi) Dutch high-speed railway line that connects Amsterdam with the HSL 4 at the Belgium-Netherlands border. It opened on 7 September 2009. Eurostar offers up to 15 weekday London – Paris services (19 on Fridays) including nine non-stop (13 on Fridays). There are also nine (ten on Friday) London–Brussels services, of which two run non-stop (continuing to Amsterdam) and
1518-528: A further two call at Lille only. Four services daily operate to Amsterdam via Brussels and Rotterdam, some calling at Lille. There were also seasonal services: in the winter, "Snow trains", aimed at skiers, to Bourg-Saint-Maurice , Aime-la-Plagne and Moûtiers in the Alps ; these ran weekly, arriving in the alps in the evening and leaving the same evening to arrive in London the following morning. This service
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#17327733093661656-458: A grand Western European high-speed rail service covering the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, serving up to 30 million customers by 2030. As of 2019, Thalys assisted Eurostar with onward connections between Amsterdam and Brussels, and to provide the Amsterdam to London service, in lieu of passport and customs checks at Amsterdam Centraal station . In September 2020,
1794-406: A limited Discovery service; the full daily service started from 28 May 1995. In 1995, Eurostar was achieving an average end-to-end speed of 171.5 km/h (106.6 mph) from London to Paris. On 8 January 1996, Eurostar launched services from a second railway station in the UK when Ashford International was opened. Also in 1996, Eurostar commenced its year-round service to Disneyland with
1932-660: 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,
2070-531: 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
2208-469: 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
2346-580: A quick connection to further destinations on the continent. All three main terminals used by the Eurostar service – London St Pancras International, Paris Nord, and Brussels-South – are served by domestic trains and by local urban transport networks such as the London Underground , Paris Metro , Brussels Metro and Amsterdam Metro . Standard Eurostar tickets no longer include free onward connections to or from any other station in Belgium: this
2484-470: 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
2622-406: 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
2760-430: A single corporate entity, Eurostar International Limited (EIL), replacing the joint operation between EUKL, SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. EIL is ultimately owned by SNCF (55%), Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) (30%), Hermes Infrastructure (10%) and SNCB (5%). By January 2021, Eurostar ridership went down to less than 1% of pre-pandemic levels. The combined financial troubles and lack of ridership caused by
2898-543: A tunnel between the two nations had begun in 1974, but was quickly aborted. Construction began afresh in 1988. Eurotunnel was created to manage and own the tunnel, which was finished in 1993, the official opening taking place on 6 May 1994. In addition to the tunnel's shuttle trains carrying cars and lorries between Folkestone and Calais , the tunnel opened up the possibility of through passenger and freight train services between places further afield. British Rail and France's SNCF contracted with Eurotunnel to use half
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#17327733093663036-504: 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,
3174-473: 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
3312-497: Is a 333-kilometre-long (207 mi) French high-speed rail line that connects Paris with the HSL 1 at the Belgium–France border and the Channel Tunnel. It opened in 1993. Of all French high-speed lines, LGV Nord sees the widest variety of high-speed rolling stock and is quite busy; a proposed cut-off bypassing Lille , which would reduce Eurostar journey times between Paris and London, is called LGV Picardie . The Channel Tunnel
3450-522: Is a member of Railteam , a marketing alliance formed in July 2007 of seven European high-speed rail operators. The alliance plans to allow tickets to be booked from one end of Europe to the other on a single website. In June 2009 London and Continental Railways, and the Eurostar UK operations they held ownership of, became fully nationalised by the UK government. In September 2024, Eurostar signed
3588-686: 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
3726-419: Is now available for a flat-rate supplement, currently £5.50. Eurostar offers a through-ticket to specific destinations by train, that is a single contract for multi leg journeys with certain passenger rights and protections. Eurostar has announced several partnerships with other rail services, most notably Thalys connections at Lille and Brussels for passengers to go beyond current Eurostar routes towards
3864-597: Is part of Eurostar's marketing drive to attract more business professionals. Increasingly, business people in a group have been chartering private carriages as opposed to individual seats on the train. Without the operation of Regional Eurostar services using the North of London trainsets across the rest of Britain, Eurostar has developed its connections with other transport services instead, such as integrating effectively with traditional UK rail operators' schedules and routes, making it possible for passengers to use Eurostar as
4002-583: Is the only rail connection between Great Britain and the European mainland. It joins LGV Nord in France with High Speed 1 in Britain. Tunnelling began in 1988, and the 50.5 km (31.4-mile) tunnel was officially opened by British sovereign, Elizabeth II , and the French President, François Mitterrand , on 6 May 1994. It is owned by Getlink , which charges a toll to Eurostar for its use. Within
4140-517: Is very complex, being distributed through no fewer than 48 individual sales systems. Eurostar is a member of the Amadeus CRS distribution system, making its tickets available alongside those of airlines worldwide. Eurostar has two sub-classes of first class : Standard Premier and Business Premier; benefits include guaranteed faster checking-in and meals served at-seat, as well as the improved furnishings and interior of carriages. The rebranding
4278-460: The COVID-19 pandemic led to Eurostar seeking governmental assistance from Britain's Treasury and Department for Transport , even though Britain sold its 40% Eurostar holding in 2015. Eurostar's appeal included granting the company access to Bank of England -backed loans and a temporary reduction in track access charges for use of the UK's high-speed rail line. Despite being majority-owned by
Regional Eurostar - Misplaced Pages Continue
4416-420: The COVID-19 pandemic . Since 14 November 2007, all Eurostar trains have been routed via High Speed 1 to or from the redeveloped London terminus at London St Pancras International, which at a cost of £800 million was extensively rebuilt and extended to cope with 394 m (431-yard) long Eurostar trains. It had been intended to retain some Eurostar services at Waterloo International , but this
4554-532: 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
4692-869: 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
4830-547: The Department for Transport and independent organisations. Ministers have objected to the failure to run such services. LCR has posited that further development of the British high speed rail network improves the economics of prospective regional Eurostar services; thus, the completion of schemes such as High Speed 2 may bring about such services finally. While the Channel Tunnel was being proposed and authorised during
4968-524: The Department for Transport was unwilling to provide. The only other bidder to operate the UK share of the Eurostar operation for LCR, Richard Branson 's Virgin Rail Group , claimed it was willing to run regional Eurostar services at its own risk, however the company subsequently informed the UK government that it too saw them as economically unviable. As part of its contract LCR was not legally required to start regional Eurostar services and, by 1999, it
5106-665: 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
5244-493: The European Union where border controls have either had a long history of operation or are no longer enforced, the UK maintains concerns about customs and immigration. The inter-capital services still operate separately from the rest of the British railway network with passport checks carried out at St Pancras .. There was concern that similar tight control would not be possible upon regional Eurostar services where separate check-in facilities at stations did not exist. Nevertheless,
5382-605: 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
5520-453: The German border. 56 km (35 mi) long (42 km (26 mi) dedicated high-speed tracks, 14 km (8.7 mi) modernised lines), it was completed on 15 December 2007, but trains did not start to use it until June 14, 2009. HSL 3 is used by international Eurostar and ICE trains only. The Cologne–Aachen high-speed line is not a newly built railway line, but a project to upgrade the existing railway line which
5658-475: The West Coast Main Line and Leeds and Glasgow Central via Edinburgh Waverley , Newcastle and York on the East Coast Main Line . Seven 14-coach "North of London" Eurostar trains for these Regional Eurostar services were built, but these services never came to fruition. Predicted journey times of almost nine hours for Glasgow to Paris at the time of growth of low-cost air travel during
Regional Eurostar - Misplaced Pages Continue
5796-499: The West Coast Main Line , and Nightstar sleeper services to the same cities as well as Plymouth and Cardiff via the Great Western Main Line . In preparation for the running of these regional services, roughly £140 million was invested into railway infrastructure, such as new connections between existing lines so that the trains could be routed through effectively. As the high-speed rail line between London and
5934-585: The White Rose of Yorkshire , sets 3301–3306 received a deep-blue livery using vinyl wraps, with 3307–3314 being stripped of their Eurostar logos to fulfill the roster when the GNER-branded sets were unavailable. On occasions a GNER vinyled half set would operate with an unvinyled half set. Initially the GNER White Rose services ran between London King's Cross and York , then, after clearance
6072-467: 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
6210-486: The 1980s, it was often promoted as being a key element to wider proposals for the operation of numerous high-speed rail services through it on both sides of the English Channel , forming a substantial network. The provision of these envisaged regional services to the wider population of Britain has been alleged to have been a crucial factor in the passing of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 by Parliament and, thereby,
6348-597: The 1990s made the plans commercially unviable against the cheaper and quicker airlines. Other reasons that have been suggested for these services having never been run were both government policies and the disruptive privatisation of British Rail . Three of the Regional Eurostar units were leased by Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) to increase domestic services from London King's Cross to York and later Leeds. The lease expired in December 2005, and most of
6486-603: 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
6624-541: The British Government and the Schengen governments concerned (Belgium, Netherlands and France) have legal obligations to check the travel documents of those entering and leaving their respective countries. To allow passengers to walk off the train without arrival checks in most cases, juxtaposed controls ordinarily take place at the embarkation station. High Speed 1 High Speed 1 ( HS1 ), legally
6762-521: The Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), is a 108 km-long (67 mi) British high-speed rail line that connects London with the Channel Tunnel. It opened in two stages. The first section between the tunnel and north Kent opened in September 2003, cutting journey times by 21 minutes. On 14 November 2007, commercial services began over the whole of the High Speed 1 reducing journey times by
6900-561: The Channel Tunnel, High Speed 1 , was not under construction Eurostar services within the UK were forced to use existing rail lines and connecting junctions were built to allow Regional Eurostars access via the congested West and North London Lines . Perhaps the most prominent single asset built was Manchester International Depot , which was intended to service the regional Eurostar fleet, based at Longsight in Manchester by London and Continental Railways . A large Eurostar-branded sign
7038-579: The Channel Tunnel, Eurostar trains operate at a reduced speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) for safety reasons. Since the launch of Eurostar services, severe disruptions and cancellations have been caused by fires breaking out within the Channel Tunnel, such as in 1996 and 2008 . HSL 1 connects Brussels with the French border. 88 km (55 mi) long (71 km (44 mi) dedicated high-speed tracks, 17 km (11 mi) modernised lines), it began service on 14 December 1997. The line has appreciably shortened rail journeys,
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#17327733093667176-907: 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. 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
7314-534: The Commons Transport Committee reported that they had determined that to be no meaningful technical obstacles to running such services. To stop regional Eurostar services competing with domestic services in the envisioned competitive market that it was hoped the privatisation of British Rail would create, they were not to stop in London and only allowed to pick up at regional stations whilst going south and set down passengers going north. This
7452-567: The Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management , Cora van Nieuwenhuizen , and the UK Transport Secretary , Grant Shapps , announced that juxtaposed controls would be established at Amsterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal. The direct train from Amsterdam was originally due to launch on 30 April 2020, and from Rotterdam on 18 May 2020, although it was later postponed to 26 October 2020 for both cities due to
7590-585: The East and West Coast Main Lines in preparation for full-scale services being launched during the late 1990s. However, various factors dampened the prospects for running such services. During the mid 1990s, British Rail was undergoing the complicated process of privatisation ; the British Rail subsidiary European Passenger Services (EPS) was originally intended to operate the regional Eurostar. Responsibility
7728-858: The Eurostar terminal was located at Waterloo station on the south side of London regional Eurostar services were not to call at London. The Summer 1999 National Rail Timetable indicates the trains would have called at the following stations, with one train per day on the ECML Glasgow route, and two running to Manchester, one via the Trent Valley line and one via the Birmingham line . The faster train would not have called at stations between Stafford and Milton Keynes. Slots in British Rail/ Railtrack 's timetables for regional Eurostar services were included for many years even though
7866-418: 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
8004-513: The French state railway, SNCF , Eurostar was thought to have already exhausted options for governmental assistance from Paris, but both the French transport minister and the UK Department for Transport confirmed they were working on further plans to maintain the service. By the end of 2022, Eurostar had debts of €964m, following French bailouts and commercial loans. Ridership levels returned to around 8 million in 2022, however this figure
8142-538: 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
8280-504: 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
8418-548: The Netherlands and Germany. In 2002, Eurostar initiated the Eurostar-Plus program, offering through-tickets for onward journeys from Lille and Paris to dozens of destinations in France. Through-tickets are also available from 68 British towns and cities to destinations in France and Belgium. In May 2009 Eurostar announced that a formal connection to Switzerland had been established in a partnership between Eurostar and Lyria , which will operate TGV services from Lille to
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#17327733093668556-431: The North of England to bypass London Euston and connect straight to HS1, enabling direct rail services to be run from Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham to Paris, Brussels and other continental European destinations. The proposed HS1–HS2 link was subject to some criticism and concerns were raised by Camden London Borough Council about the impact on housing, Camden Market and other local businesses from construction work of
8694-519: The North of London sets were transferred to SNCF for TGV services in northern France. An international Nightstar sleeper train was also planned; this would have travelled the same routes as Regional Eurostar, plus the Great Western Main Line to Cardiff Central . These were also deemed commercially unviable, and the scheme was abandoned with no services ever operated. In 2000, the coaches were sold to Via Rail in Canada. On 27 September 2019,
8832-514: The Swiss Alps for Eurostar connection. In May 2019, Eurostar ended its agreement with Deutsche Bahn that allowed passengers to travel on a through-ticket by train from the UK via Brussels to Germany and further to Austria and Switzerland. Under the agreement, passengers could travel on a single through-ticket with passenger rights in case of disruption of one train. However, the through-tickets ceased to be sold from 9 November 2019. Eurostar
8970-548: The basis for the new trains. An order for 30 trainsets, to be manufactured in France but with some British and Belgian components, was placed in December 1989. On 20 June 1993, the first Eurostar test train travelled through the tunnel to the UK. Various technical difficulties in running the new trains on British tracks were quickly overcome. On 14 November 1994, Eurostar services began running from Waterloo International station in London, to Paris Nord , as well as Brussels-South railway station . The train service started with
9108-426: 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
9246-404: The combined rolling stock and infrastructure investment into the regional Eurostar service reportedly cost £320 million. Trial runs were undertaken using Class 373/2 sets on both the East and West Coast Main Lines and passenger information signs and Eurostar lounges were installed at stations along the route. At the same time as the Channel Tunnel was nearing completion, British Rail was undergoing
9384-646: 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
9522-409: The construction of the Channel Tunnel to begin with. Over time, the scope for the regional Eurostar services was gradually reduced in scale to a core service that was envisaged to run along dedicated TGV -style high-speed lines between the three capital cities of Great Britain ; these included regional daytime services to Glasgow Central via the East Coast Main Line and Manchester Piccadilly via
9660-457: The contract to build the CTRL and run Eurostar services. Due to lower than forecast passenger numbers on the inter-capital services, by 1998, LCR was in financial trouble. As part of a new deal with the UK government, in 1998 LCR subcontracted its share of Eurostar operations, via Eurostar (UK) , to InterCapital and Regional Rail (ICRR). As part of its bid, ICRR stated that regional Eurostar services could not run without government subsidy, which
9798-544: 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
9936-616: The economic operation of regional Eurostar services. Furthermore, the maximum speed on the West Coast Main Line was increased from 110 to 125 mph in the mid-2000s (though Class 373s were limited by kinematic gauging constraints to 110 mph). Eurostar (UK) still owns several track access rights and the rights to paths on both the East Coast and West Coast Main Lines, which allowed for the possibility of such services. The proposed route of HS2 into London will bring
10074-406: The first completed section of High Speed 1 . Following a high-profile glamorous opening ceremony and a large advertising campaign, on 14 November 2007, Eurostar services in London transferred from Waterloo to the extended and extensively refurbished London St Pancras International . Direct services from London to Amsterdam (returning to Brussels only) were launched on 4 April 2018. This service
10212-617: The first section of the "High Speed 1" railway between the Channel Tunnel, and Fawkham Junction in north Kent, two months before official public services began running. On 16 May 2006, Eurostar set a new record for the longest non-stop high-speed journey, a distance of 1,421 km (883 miles) from London to Cannes taking 7 hours 25 minutes. On 4 September 2007, a record-breaking train left Paris Nord at 10:44 (09:44 BST ) and reached London St Pancras International in 2 hours 3 minutes 39 seconds, carrying journalists and railway workers. This record trip
10350-577: 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
10488-483: The first train running on 29 June. The following year saw the introduction of services to the French Alps during the winter. On 20 July 2002 a summer seasonal service to Avignon-Centre was launched. The service ran until 2014 after which it was replaced on 1 May 2015 by an expanded service calling at Avignon TGV and also serving Lyon and Marseille . On 23 September 2003, passenger services began running on
10626-401: 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
10764-497: The heads of two of Eurostar's major shareholders, Guillaume Pepy of SNCF, and the chair of SNCB, Sophie Dutordoir , publicised that Eurostar was planning to come together with its sister company the Franco-Belgian transnational rail service Thalys . The arrangement is to merge their operations under the working title of " Green Speed " and expand services outside the core London-Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam service, to create
10902-432: 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
11040-587: The high-speed lines. At the second reading of the High Speed Rail Bill in April 2014, the link was omitted from the final proposals. Following this decision, London mayor Boris Johnson expressed the opinion that an HS1–HS2 link should instead be provided by boring a tunnel under Camden. Since 2014 there have been no confirmed plans to connect HS2 to HS1, meaning that Regional Eurostar services are no longer being considered. The prospect of an HS1–HS2 link
11178-605: 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
11316-629: The journey from Paris to Brussels now taking 1:22. In combination with the LGV Nord , it has also impacted international journeys to France and London . HSL 2 runs between Leuven and Ans . 95 km (59 mi) long (61 km (38 mi) dedicated high-speed tracks, 34 km (21 mi) modernised lines) it began service on 15 December 2002. Combined with HSL 3 to the German border, the combined eastward high speed lines have greatly accelerated journeys between Brussels , Paris and Germany . HSL 3 connects Liège to
11454-527: 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
11592-564: 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
11730-510: The line very close to the existing HS1 line which terminates at St Pancras station; at their closest points, the two high-speed lines will be only 0.4 miles (0.64 km) apart, and the Department for Transport (DfT) examined various proposals for connecting HS1 and HS2. A governmental "command paper" published in March 2010 proposed either a rapid transit link between HS1 and HS2 terminals, or
11868-432: 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
12006-703: 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
12144-474: The link. Sir David Higgins , chairman of HS2 Ltd, recommended that the Camden railway link should be omitted from the parliamentary bill, stating that HS2 passengers from the North of England would easily be able to transfer from the HS2 terminal at Euston to St Pancras by London Underground, to continue their journey on HS1 to continental Europe. He also recommended that alternative plans should be drawn up to link
12282-476: The long process of privatisation and regional Eurostar can be seen as a victim of it. Many had seen regional services as more a political than economic cause, a means of gaining support for the Channel Tunnel from areas of the UK outside the South-East . A parliamentary select committee in 1999 said "The regions have been cheated". The economic case for merely the inter-capital services had been questioned from
12420-533: 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
12558-480: The merger between Thalys and Eurostar International was confirmed, a year after Thalys announced its intention to merge with the cross-Channel provider subject to gaining European Commission clearance, to form "Green Speed". SNCF and SNCB already hold a controlling shareholding in Eurostar. In October 2021, it was announced that, following the completion of the merger, the Thalys brand would be discontinued, with all of
12696-406: The new operation's services to be operated under the Eurostar name but with each service's own liveries. In October 2023, the Eurostar brand replaced Thalys , operating as one network and combining ticket sales in a single system. Eurostar was originally operated as a collaboration of three separate French, British and Belgian corporate entities. On 1 September 2010, Eurostar was incorporated as
12834-625: 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
12972-529: 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
13110-461: The outset but by the time the Channel Tunnel was opened in 1994, backing for regional services had already started to dry up. The British Rail subsidiary European Passenger Services (EPS), which was to undertake Eurostar operations jointly with SNCF of France and NMBS/SNCB of Belgium, took ownership of the 373/2s in 1996 at the same time as it was under the process of being privatised and transferred to London and Continental Railways (LCR) who won
13248-476: 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
13386-431: The procurement of a dedicated fleet of seven North of London , 14-coach British Rail Class 373/3 trainsets. Regional daytime services to Glasgow Central via the East Coast Main Line and Manchester Piccadilly via the West Coast Main Line , and Nightstar sleeper services to the same cities as well as Plymouth and Cardiff via the Great Western Main Line . Trial runs were undertaken using Class 373/2 sets on both
13524-646: The proposed High Speed 2 line comes to fruition. The most often cited reason given why they have not run is that they are economically unviable in the current climate. The 1990s saw a huge expansion in air travel across Europe with low-cost airlines – a business that had not existed in Europe when the Channel Tunnel was planned – flying from most major cities in the UK to locations on the continent, against which regional Eurostar services, with predicted journey times of almost nine hours for Glasgow to Paris, could not compete. Unlike other international train services within
13662-502: 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
13800-491: The regional services at a cost of £180 million. All seven are owned by Eurostar International having been transferred from British Rail. Following the non-start of regional services, the trains were stored at North Pole depot in west London. Six of the seven trains have seen use at various times since. Between 2000 and 2005, British East Coast Main Line operator Great North Eastern Railway used three train sets to provide additional domestic capacity. Branded White Rose after
13938-597: 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
14076-399: 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
14214-508: 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
14352-410: The same time as the Channel Tunnel was under construction in the late 1980s to early 1990s. The London–Paris–Brussels ( "Three Capital" Class 373/1) trains are owned in groups by Eurostar International (subsidiary of LCR), SNCF and NMBS/SNCB but have been operated as a common pool. They consist of 18 coaches in a fixed formation. Seven shorter 14-coach North of London 373/3 were also constructed for
14490-651: 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
14628-552: 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
14766-474: The services did not run. This factor was objected to by some train operating companies who were informed they could not run additional domestic services along the congested mainlines. The dropping of these slots around 1999/2000 was seen by many as the final admission that regional Eurostar services would not ever operate. However Eurostar still owns the rights to reinstate several paths in the future if desired. The trains to operate all these services were built at
14904-617: 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
15042-406: 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
15180-521: 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)
15318-467: 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
15456-401: 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
15594-408: The tunnel's capacity for this purpose. In 1987, Britain, France and Belgium set up an International Project Group to specify a train to provide an international high-speed passenger service through the tunnel. France had been operating high-speed TGV services since 1981, and had begun construction of a new high-speed line between Paris and the Channel Tunnel, LGV Nord; French TGV technology was chosen as
15732-547: The unit was used to carry International Olympic Committee inspectors from Stratford International to London St Pancras, as a demonstration for Olympic Javelin services in 2012. Eurostar Eurostar is an international high-speed rail service in Western Europe, connecting Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The service is operated by the Eurostar Group which
15870-480: 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
16008-410: Was also the first passenger-carrying arrival at the new London St Pancras International station. On 20 September 2007, Eurostar broke another record when it completed the journey from Brussels to London in 1 hour 43 minutes. The original proposals for Eurostar included direct services to Paris and Brussels from cities north of London: Manchester Piccadilly via Birmingham New Street on
16146-650: Was an offer of £50-day returns from London to Paris or Brussels. By March 2003, the cheapest fare from the UK was £59 return, available all year around. In June 2009 it was announced that one-way single fares would be available at £31 at the cheapest. Competition between Eurostar and airline services was a large factor in ticket prices being reduced from the initial levels. Business Premier fares also slightly undercut air fares on similar routes, targeted at regular business travellers. In 2009, Eurostar greatly increased its budget ticket availability to help maintain and grow its dominant market share. The Eurostar ticketing system
16284-457: Was attached to the outside of the depot with the slogan "le Eurostar habite ici" (French for "the Eurostar lives here"), although the depot was empty and unused for many years; the sign remained in place despite the regional Eurostar service never actually launching. Further investment was made in the Class 373/3 North of London sets, essentially a shortened variant of the typical Eurostar sets;
16422-537: 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
16560-406: 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
16698-485: 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
16836-555: Was cited as another negative reason for their economic non-viability. Political factors related to the prospective regional Eurostar service, along with many other Channel Tunnel-related projects, have proved to be both complicated and protracted. During 1999, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions commissioned Arthur D. Little Ltd to write an independent report into regional Eurostar service; this report, which
16974-520: Was clear that they would not operate. British Rail, via EPS, ran a token domestic service from certain locations around the UK into Waterloo station using HSTs allowing connection with onward Eurostar service between May 1995 and January 1997 but these were ended at the time of privatisation. Whilst officially regional Eurostar services have not been cancelled but are on hold or under review , there are no longer many people who expect them to operate on current lines, although this may be reconsidered if
17112-426: 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
17250-425: Was confirmed as withdrawn in August 2023, and its future is unknown. In February 2018, Eurostar announced the start of its long-planned service from London to Amsterdam, with an initial two trains per day from April of that year running between London St Pancras International and Amsterdam Centraal . This launched as a one-way service, with return trains carrying passengers to Rotterdam and Brussels Midi/Zuid, making
17388-554: 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
17526-441: Was formed from the merger of Eurostar, which operated trains through the Channel Tunnel to the United Kingdom, and Thalys which operated in Western Europe. The operator is exploring future network expansions and aims to double passenger numbers by 2030. The history of the Eurostar brand can be traced to the choice in 1986 of a rail tunnel to provide a cross-channel link between Britain and France. A previous attempt to construct
17664-575: Was given, between London and Leeds . The units were not permitted to be used on services north of York due to loading gauge restrictions in the Newcastle area. The sets continued to be maintained with the other Eurostar units at North Pole depot, where they returned to storage in 2005 following the end of the GNER lease. During the last 2000s, numerous train sets were leased to SNCF , who used them on its regular high speed services in France. Set 3313/14
17802-540: Was made a return service on 26 October 2020. The Channel Tunnel used by Eurostar services holds the record for having the longest underwater section of any tunnel in the world, and it is the third-longest railway tunnel (behind the Seikan Tunnel and the Gotthard Base Tunnel ) in the world. On 30 July 2003, a Eurostar train set a new British speed record of 334.7 km/h (208.0 mph) on
17940-565: Was opened in 1841 by the Rhenish Railway Company . The line inside Germany has a length of about 70 kilometres (43 mi). The first 40 km (25 mi) from Cologne to Düren have been rebuilt. Since 2002 the line allows for speeds up to 250 km/h (155 mph). Separate tracks have been built parallel to the high-speed tracks for local S-Bahn traffic. The remaining line from Düren to Aachen allows speeds up to 160 km/h (100 mph) with some slower sections. High Speed 1, formerly known as
18078-534: Was published in February 2000, examined various options, including the proposed operations by both Virgin Group and ICRR. The opening of High Speed 1 (HS1) in November 2007 brought connections to both the East Coast Main Line and North London Line (for the West Coast Main Line) at St Pancras . In the late 1990s, LCRR had publicly stated that the opening of HS1 would be a necessary prerequisite for
18216-433: 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
18354-457: 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
18492-476: Was revived in 2018 when a proposal was put forward by engineering consultancy Expedition Engineering for HS4Air , a 140-kilometre (87 mi) high-speed railway line that would create a link between the two lines across southern England; by running south of Greater London, it would also connect Heathrow and Gatwick Airports . However, this scheme was rejected by the government in the same year. Due to track arrangements, customs and competition concerns and that
18630-436: Was ruled out on cost grounds. Completion of High Speed 1 increased the potential number of trains serving London. Separation of Eurostar from British domestic services through Kent meant that timetabling was no longer affected by peak-hour restrictions. Eurostar's fares were significantly higher in its early years; the cheapest fare in 1994 was £99 return. In 2002, Eurostar was planning cheaper fares, an example of which
18768-536: Was still 3 million below 2019 levels. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Eurostar has not served the Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International stations in the UK, or Calais Frethun in France, and has withdrawn its Disneyland Paris and Avignon services, as part of plans to focus on the most profitable routes. The LGV Nord ( French : Ligne à Grande Vitesse Nord , English: north high-speed line )
18906-491: Was transferred to the private entity London and Continental Railways (LCR) yet the operator soon found that the inter-capital Eurostar services had achieved lower than forecast passenger numbers and promptly needed financial support. Whilst officially regional Eurostar services have not been cancelled but are on hold or under review , this status has been maintained for several decades. Both LCR and Virgin Rail Group had their proposals for regional Eurostar services reviewed by
19044-521: Was used during acceptance testing on section 1 of High Speed 1 and in the process of over-speed testing, set a new UK rail speed record of 334.7 km/h (208 mph) in 2003. The set was named Entente Cordiale and has seen use as a VIP charter train, having transported the Queen on a state visit to France and to the Entente Cordiale anniversary celebrations during 2004. On 12 June 2007,
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