High Speed 1

High Speed 1
High Speed 1 approaching the Medway Viaducts
Overview
Owner	UK Government under concession to: HICL Infrastructure, Equitix, National Pension Service (until 2040)
Locale	Greater London Essex Kent
Termini	London St Pancras International Channel Tunnel (UK portal)
Stations	4
Website	highspeed1.co.uk
Service
Type	High-speed rail Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	DB Cargo UK, Eurostar, Southeastern
History
Opened	2003 (Section 1) 2007 (Section 2)
Technical
Line length	109.9 km (68.3 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track throughout
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Loading gauge	UIC GC
Electrification	Overhead line, 25 kV 50 Hz AC
Operating speed	300 km/h (190 mph)
Signalling	TVM-430, KVB, AWS, TPWS
Route map (Click to expand) Show geographical map v t e Legend North London line to West Coast Main Line Midland Main Line 0 km 0 mi London St Pancras International London King's Cross 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 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 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 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 Show route diagram

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^[update], 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]