Channel Tunnel Rail Link
From Freepedia
The Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) is a project to construct a 67 mile (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 2 h 15 min and Brussels in 2 h.
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Background
A high-speed rail line has been in operation on the French section of the Eurostar rail link since the Channel Tunnel's opening in 1994, carrying trains at 186 mph (300 km/h). A similar high-speed line from the French border to Brussels opened in 1997. In Britain, trains have had to share existing track with local traffic, limiting average speeds to 62 mph (100 km/h), and limiting the number of services that can be run. In addition, the generally poor state of Britain's rail infrastructure has caused frequent and unpredictable delays, reducing the appeal of the Eurostar service.
The project
Section 1 of the CTRL, a 46 mile (74 km) section of high-speed track from the Channel Tunnel to Fawkham Junction in north Kent, was opened in September 2003. This cut the London–Paris journey time by around 20 minutes, to 2 h 35 min. The section includes a ¾ mile (1.2 km) bridge over the River Medway and 2 mile (3.2 km) long, 40 ft (12 m) diameter tunnel through the North Downs. In safety testing on the section prior to opening, a new UK rail speed record of 209 mph (334.7 km/h) was set. Trains continue to use existing suburban lines to enter London, and terminate at Waterloo International Terminal, at Waterloo in central London.
.Section 2 of the project, due to open in 2007, is a 21 mile (34 km) stretch of track from Ebbsfleet (near Northfleet) to London St Pancras. It includes two new stations (at Ebbsfleet and London Stratford), a 2 mile (3 km) tunnel under the Thames near Dartford, and a 12 mile (19 km) twin tunnel running into central London. When the second phase of the CTRL is opened, all Eurostar trains will run to St Pancras International instead of Waterloo International Terminal.
Engineering notes
- The CTRL project is one of Britain's largest civil engineering projects, encompassing new bridges and tunnels as well as many kilometres of track.
- The track itself is essentially a product of the engineering expertise of the French railway company SNCF, operator of existing LGV high-speed lines in France.
- The twin tunnels bored under London were driven from Stratford westwards towards St Pancras and eastwards towards Dagenham and from Dagenham westwards to connect with the tunnel from Stratford. The tunnel boring machines were 130 yards (120 m) long and weighed 1,083 long tons (1,100 tonnes). The depth of the tunnel varies from 80 to 165 feet (24 to 50 m).
- At St Pancras station a new extension will double the length and number of platforms to accommodate the Eurostar trains.
Additional information
After local protests, early plans were modified to put much more of the track in tunnel where it nears St Pancras. For example, the Link will now pass underneath, rather than alongside, the North London Line, before running into St Pancras still in tunnel, rather than the previously expected elevated section. The CTRL building works are causing considerable disruption, but bringing in their wake much redevelopment of the run-down area of post-industrial and ex-railway land close to King's Cross and St Pancras.
Section 2 of the rail link was a factor in London's successful 2012 Olympic Bid, promising a 7 minute journey time from Stratford to St Pancras.
In August 2005 a fire on a maintenance train in the tunnel under the Thames killed two workers.
The project is due to be completed in 2007.
See also
External links
- CTRL company site with photos, progress reports etc.
- Trade Article
- Guardian Unlimited Interactive Guide to the CTRL (requires Flash)
- Route map with vertical profiles
- Jonathan Glancey, The Guardian, May 27, 2005, "Tunnel vision"
| West: | Crossings of the River Thames | East: |
|---|---|---|
| Dartford Crossing | Channel Tunnel Rail Link | none |
| Main line railways in Great Britain: | |
|---|---|
| High-speed main lines: | Channel Tunnel Rail Link Channel Tunnel |
| 'Classic' main lines: | Cross-Country Route East Coast Main Line Great Eastern Main Line Great Western Main Line Midland Main Line West Coast Main Line |
