In a few weeks passengers will accelerate out of London's St Pancras station on a journey through one of the modern engineering wonders of Britain: a new rail line being compared to the technical feats of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and other great Victorian railway pioneers.
High Speed 1 will be the country's first dedicated high-speed railway, running to the Channel Tunnel at speeds of up to mph. To do this through some of the most densely populated, heavily developed land in the world, under rivers, through busy roads and over marshes, engineers had to pioneer new methods and reach record highs and lows.
They laid miles of rail, five million sleepers and miles of communications cables; 1. They even built 19 miles of road just to get to the railway. The result is that, compared with four years ago, the fastest journey times to Paris will be cut from 2 hours 55 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, and to Brussels from 2 hours 40 minutes to 1 hour 51 minutes. With just over a month to go, railway author Christian Wolmar calls it 'a project with national pride'. Here we reveal the feats of engineering that made it possible.
The journey starts in the majestic surroundings of St Pancras station, designed by William Barlow in the 19th century to fit the demands of his funders: wealthy Midlands industrialists who wanted to show off their success in the capital. Fittingly, the original station boasted a world first of its own at its opening in , becoming the single largest enclosed space in the world. For the refit, the great glass 'Barlow shed' was extended to more than double its length to accommodate the carriage Eurostar trains, each of which is m long.
The cavernous undercroft, originally designed to store beer barrels, still nods to the station's history. Rather than using a standard measurement, engineers made the new space exactly three Burton's beer barrels tall.
Ebbsfleet is a new station, situated just off junction 2 of the M25 near Dartford in Kent and close to the Bluewater shopping centre. Eurostar first started in , with an original journey time of just under three hours to Paris and three hours 15 minutes to Brussels. The number of business passengers increased by 17 per cent last year and by a further 13 per cent in the first half of Argos AO. Privacy Policy Feedback.
Share or comment on this article:. Bing Site Web Enter search term: Search. A Remembrance Day pilgrimage and a Lake District amble are just two of the poignant walks inspired by Britain's greatest poets 'A love letter to the world's most exciting travel destination': Stunning new photobook follows a photographer's 'inspirational' journey through Asia, from China to Sri Lanka How Belgium is fighting to save war remembrance tourism, with lockdowns and travel restrictions keeping foreign visitors away from its museums and memorials Back to the Big Apple: After day travel ban to US, the first Virgin and BA flights blaze a trail to JFK TravelMail Partners.
Jet2holidays - Plan your trip now. Pick the perfect holiday destination with Jet2Holidays. Discover Eurostar's great selection of weekend breaks and city breaks in Europe for a quick and easy trip away. From skiing in the Alps to summers in the South of France and trips to Disneyland Paris with the kids, there's a Eurostar holiday for you.
City Breaks. Route Map. Travel Info. Brexit Coronavirus Live trains Eurostar travel news Special travel needs View all travel info articles.
Before You Go. When to arrive Getting your ticket Ticket gates Download the app Luggage and bikes All travel preparation articles. On Board. Travel classes Food on board Family travel Seating plan All about our trains.
Station Guides. Manage Booking.
0コメント