Home > Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Model showing the current redevelopment of the King's Cross area with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link terminal behind the barrel vaulted St Pancras Station on the left.The Channel Tunnel Rail Link (or CTRL) is a project to construct a 108 km high-speed rail line from London to the British end of the Channel Tunnel. When it is completed in 2007, it will be possible to reach Paris from St Pancras in 2hrs 15mins and Brussels in 2hrs.
1 Background
A high-speed rail track has been in operation on the French and Belgian sections of the Eurostar rail link since the Channel Tunnel's opening, carrying trains at 300km/h. In Britain, trains have had to share existing standard track with local traffic, limiting average speeds to 100km/h. In addition, the generally poor state of Britain's rail infrastructure has caused frequent and unpredictable delays.
2 The project
Section 1 of the CTRL, a 74km section of high-speed track from the Channel Tunnel to Fawkham Junction in north Kent, was opened in September 20032003 is a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar), and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Summary Perhaps the defining global event of the year 2003 was the Invasion of Iraq launched by the U. This cut the London-Paris journey time by around 20 minutes, to 2hrs 35mins. The section includes a 1.2km bridge over the River MedwayThe River Medway in England flows from Turners Hill, in West Sussex, through Tonbridge, Maidstone and Rochester in Kent, to the River Thames. From 1746 the limit of navigation was Tonbridge, but the channel was improved to Leigh in 1828. Small craft such and 3.2km-long, 12m-diameter tunnelSwitzerland subway. canal tunnel. A tunnel is an underground passage. When designed for use by traffic, it may be called an underpass . It may be for pedestrians and/or cyclists, for general road traffic, for motor vehicles only, for rail traffic, or for through the North DownsThe North Downs in England are a ridge of chalk hills that stretch about 100 miles inland from Dover and Folkestone in Kent through Surrey as far as Hampshire. Towns in the North Downs include Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Westerham in Kent, Purley in Greater Lon. In safety testing on the section prior to opening, a new UK rail speed record of 334.7km/h was set. Trains continue to use existing suburban lines to enter London, and terminate at London Waterloo, on the south side of central London.
Section 2 of the project, due to open in 20072007 is a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). Predicted Events January 1 Target date for the admission of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union. March 1 USS Baltimore to be deactivated. March 19 Partial solar eclipse June NASA's M, is a 34km stretch of track from Ebbsfleet (near NorthfleetNorthfleet’’ as a name is derived from North creek (or inlet), and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201. By 1610 the name of Northfleet had become establish) to London St Pancras. It includes two new stations (at Ebbsfleet and London StratfordStratford station is a London Underground and mainline station at Stratford. It is the eastern terminus of the Jubilee Line, the previous station is West Ham. It is also on the Central Line between Leyton and Mile End and a terminus on the Docklands Light), a 3km tunnel under the Thames near Dartford, and a 19km twin tunnel running into central London. When the second phase of the CTRL is opened, all Eurostar trains will run to St Pancras.
