New Eurostar London terminal to open in 12 months
St Pancras International, the new London terminus for Eurostar Channel Tunnel services, is to open a year today.
London & Continental Railways made the announcement while revealing that the UK’s first high speed rail link, the £5.8 billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link project, is to be called High Speed 1.
Eurostar will move from Waterloo next November to St Pancras which will also become the terminus for Midland Mainline services, Thameslink and London Underground services.
High speed Kent commuter trains will start using High Speed 1 from 2009.
LCR estimates that 44 million passengers will pass through St Pancras from 2007.
The station was originally built in 1868 and has been painstakingly restored with the intention of its becoming the finest station in Europe, LCR said.
Project director Mike Luddy said: “The restoration of St Pancras is a truly historic project.
“We are redefining how a station operates. A unique retail mix with new levels of customer service will combine in this most magnificent of settings.”
He added: “On November 14, 2007, Eurostar will start using the station for the first time following the company’s move from Waterloo.”
Report by Phil Davies
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