16/09/2003

New Channel Tunnel rail link opened

The Prime Minister has opened the first section of the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link at London's Waterloo Station today.

The new section will allow trains to run at up to 186 miles per hour, reducing journey times from London to Paris to nearly two and a half hours.

The opening ceremony at London Waterloo's Eurostar terminal was also attended by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling and Louis Gallois, Chairman of SNCF - the French national railway company.

Mr Darling said: "This is an historic occasion - the opening of the first ever high speed railway line in this country, and the first new major railway to be built here for over 100 years."

This new section - stretching for 74km from the entrance of the Channel Tunnel to north Kent - has been built under a public-private partnership contract between the government and London & Continental Railways.

When the entire link is finished it will provide a new 109km railway between St Pancras in London and Cheriton at the Channel Tunnel entrance in Kent.

The second section of the link, scheduled for completion in 2007, will include more than 15 miles of tunnelling from north Kent to the new Eurostar terminal at London's St Pancras station.

(gmcg)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

01 July 2005
Gerrards Cross tunnel collapse causes commuter chaos
An inquiry has been launched into the collapse of 20-metre section of a partially completed railway tunnel last night. The tunnel at Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire was to be put in place so that the carpark for a £20 million Tesco Superstore development could be built over the Chiltern line.
09 June 2015
Police Appeal For Help Over Ongoing Flasher Incidents
North Yorkshire Police have appealed for information on a number of flasher incidents in the Harrowgate area since 2007. Police do not know if the incidents are the crimes of one man or different offenders, as descriptions vary.
08 May 2009
Man Jailed For Attempted Murder Of Pc
A south London man has been jailed for 25 years for tying to shoot a policeman. Michael Mitchell, 32, of Babington Road, Streatham, was convicted of attempting to murder Pc Shaun Callow, possession of a firearm and possession of drugs with intent to supply.
03 November 2005
Security screening trial for train network
New screening techniques are to be tested on the national rail and London Underground network, to prevent further attacks similar to the July 7 bombings, the government has announced.
14 October 2014
Public Consultation Launched On New Silvertown Tunnel
A public consultation has been launched for proposed east London rvier crossing, the Silvertown Tunnel, which would connect Greenwich Peninsula with the Royal Docks. The proposed tunnel, which it is estimated would cost £750m, would help reduce congestion, with London Mayor, Boris Johnson, describing it as a "vital new link".