23 September 2004 - Channel Tunnel Rail Link

London & Continental Railways (LCR) invited a group from the DfT, HM Treasury and the National Audit Office, in order to view the work to date on Section 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link

First stop was Ebbsfleet, Kent. There will soon be a station here just 15 minutes by train from London, and 2 hours from Paris. LCR hopes that its excellent road connections (it is near where the M25 crosses the Thames) will mean it is a popular intermediate station.

There are serious proposals to turn this vast quarry between Ebbsfleet and the Bluewater shopping complex into an entire new town.

LCR then took us to Newham Town Hall, to understand the wholesale regeneration it plans for Stratford, in East London.

The proposals would produce 1.2 million square metres of new office, retail and residential space, essentially recreating the whole town centre.

The sheer scale of the project could only be seen from the 21st floor of a nearby council block.

The Stratford City development, with the construction of the new Stratford International station at its heart, is 73 hectares in area.

The Channel Tunnel Rail Link works are, inevitably, the dominant feature of development so far.

The site itself is mostly mud, since the dirt and spoil from the railway tunnels was not taken away, but was left in order to raise the height of the Stratford development site.

LCR took us to their visitor centre for lunch, which of course was packed with models.

After Ebbsfleet and Stratford, the terminus of the CTRL will be at London St Pancras.

Between Kings Cross and St Pancras is a large expanse of derilict land which LCR has intentions of regenerating.

There has been some interest in relocating many of London's art schools to this site, known as the Granary Complex.

A final stop was the St Pancras Chambers, previously the Midland Hotel. Under British Rail, the ceilings were punctured in order to install polystyrene false ceilings, to reduce heating costs. Now, the full extent of the vandalism is clear for all to see.

As part of the regeneration plan, the Midland Hotel would be refurbished and would one day reopen.

It always was one of the most opulent hotels in London, and clearly will be once more, if Marriott take it over.

The St Pancras International station is already partially complete.

Designed by Norman Foster, it will handle services to the Midlands, to Paris/Brussels via Eurostar, and domestic services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link to Kent, as well as the Thameslink franchise connecting Brighton to Bedford.

Works on the Thameslink line are currently underway, so the new bits of the station have temporarily been opened already in order to cover.