High Speed 1

"HS1" redirects here. For other uses, see HS1 (disambiguation).

High Speed 1
High Speed 1 approaching the Medway Viaducts
Overview
OwnerUK Government
under concession to: HICL Infrastructure, Equitix, National Pension Service (until 2040)
Locale
Termini
Stations4
Websitehighspeed1.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata
Service
TypeHigh-speed rail
Heavy rail
SystemNational Rail
Operator(s)DB Cargo UK, Eurostar, Southeastern
History
Opened
  • 2003 (Section 1)
  • 2007 (Section 2)
Technical
Line length109.9 km (68.3 mi)
Number of tracksDouble track throughout
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Loading gaugeUIC GC
ElectrificationOverhead line, 25 kV 50 Hz AC
Operating speed300 km/h (190 mph)
SignallingTVM-430, KVB, AWS, TPWS
Route map

(Click to expand)
Legend
North London line
to West Coast Main Line
Midland Main Line
0 km
0 mi
London St Pancras
International
 National Rail London Underground Eurostar
London King's Cross National Rail London Underground
East Coast Main Line
North London line
London Tunnel 1
7.5 km
4.7 mi
to Lea Valley lines
9 km
6 mi
 Stratford International National Rail Docklands Light Railway
Temple Mills Eurostar Depot
London Tunnel 2
10 km
6 mi
London, Tilbury & Southend line
to North London line
21 km
13 mi
Ripple Lane freight connection
Rainham viaduct
0.5 km
0.3 mi
27 km
17 mi
Aveley viaduct
over LT&S
1.0 km
0.6 mi
30 km
19 mi
Thurrock viaduct A282
1.2 km
0.7 mi
32 km
20 mi
Thames Tunnel
2.5 km
1.6 mi
37 km
23 mi
 Ebbsfleet International National Rail Eurostar
North Kent Line
Section 1
Section 2
boundary
Chatham Main Line
to London Waterloo
39 km
24 mi
Fawkham Junction link line
Singlewell passing loop
and depot
50 km
31 mi
Medway Viaduct
1.2 km
0.7 mi
over Chatham Main Line
over Medway Valley line
over River Medway
54 km
34 mi
North Downs Tunnel
3.2 km
2 mi
Lenham Heath passing loop
88 km
55 mi
Ashford cut and
cover tunnel
1.5 km
0.9 mi
Maidstone line
South Eastern Main Line
90 km
56 mi
 Ashford International National Rail Eurostar
Marshlink line
Ashford CTRL-DS Depot
Ashford to Ramsgate line
91 km
57 mi
Ashford Flyover
1.5 km
0.9 mi
South Eastern Main Line
106 km
66 mi
Dollands Moor Freight Yard
M20 motorway
108 km
67 mi
High Speed 1 / Network Rail
Getlink
Cheriton Shuttle Terminal
110 km
68 mi
Channel Tunnel
to France & LGV Nord
enlarge…

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 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 the north side of central London. It cost £6.84 billion to build and opened on 14 November 2007.[1] Trains run at speeds of up to 300 km/h (190 mph) on HS1.[2][3][4] 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.[5] As of November 2015, Eurostar uses 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).[6] 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 the first time.[7]

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.[8] In 2002, the CTRL project was awarded the Major Project Award at the British Construction Industry Awards.[9] The line was transferred to government ownership in 2009, with a 30-year concession for its operation awarded to a consortium of Borealis Infrastructure (part of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System) and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in November 2010.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference aecomatkins was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Channel Tunnel Rail Link Visit" (PDF). Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 July 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2013. Section 2, which has a line speed of 225 km/h
  3. ^ "Building Britain's first high speed line". Railway Gazette International. London. 1 May 1999. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2011. Speed will be reduced to 225 km/h (140 mph) between Ebbsfleet and St Pancras, primarily for aerodynamic reasons in the tunnels.
  4. ^ "HS1 (Section 2) Register of Infrastructure" (PDF). HS1 Ltd. para. 1.4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013. Maximum allowable speed; Maximum speed of any (interoperable or otherwise) operating on Section 2 of the HS2: Passenger 225 km/h, Freight 140 km/h
  5. ^ "Eurostar to launch passenger services at St Pancras International on Wednesday 14 November 2007" (Press release). Eurostar. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 28 February 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2006.
  6. ^ "Southeastern Highspeed". Southeastern Railway. 1 December 2009. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  7. ^ Haigh, Philip (10 August 2011). "DB a step closer to European freight into London via HS1". Rail. Peterborough. p. 15.
  8. ^ Matthews, Roger (2003). The archaeology of Mesopotamia: theories and approaches. London: Routledge. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-415-25317-8. The development of this new railway resulted in the largest archaeological project to date in the United Kingdom
  9. ^ Mylius, Andrew (2 November 2006). "CTRL team scoops BCI Major Project Award". New Civil Engineer. London. Archived from the original on 5 December 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  10. ^ "High Speed 1 concession awarded to Canadian pension consortium". Railway Gazette International. London. 5 November 2010. Archived from the original on 8 November 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010.