high speed high speed legally kilometre high speed railway london united_kingdom end line carries international passenger traffic united_kingdom carries domestic passenger traffic stations kent east london gauge freight traffic line crosses river thames terminating railway station north central london cost billion build opened november trains reach speeds kilometres hour mph section kilometres hour mph section intermediate stations london kent international passenger services provided journey times london hours minutes brussels south hour minutes uses fleet class multi system trains capable kilometres hour mph kilometres hour mph class november domestic high speed commuter services serving intermediate stations began december fleet class passenger trains reach speeds kilometres hour mph cargo run freight services high speed adapted class locomotives enabling flat wagons carrying continental size swap body containers reach london time project saw new bridges tunnels built combined length nearly long significant archaeological research undertaken project awarded line transferred government ownership year concession operation sale june concession awarded consortium november include rights associated land early history high speed rail line operation outskirts paris tunnel opening enabled rail services travel mph journey similar high speed line belgium french border brussels opened britain trains run maximum mph existing tracks tracks shared local traffic limiting number services run reliability case high speed line similar continental route recognised construction line authorised parliament link act amended act early plan conceived early 1970s route passing met considerable opposition environmental social grounds especially committee set examine proposal sir course environment minister announced project cancelled plan tunnel plan involved tunnel reaching london south east underground terminus vicinity station late change plans principally driven deputy prime minister desire urban regeneration east london led change route new line approaching london east opened possibility station terminus access crosses throat station idea line proved rejected transport secretary difficult construct environmentally damaging idea station core new terminus retained albeit linked kilometres miles specially built tunnels london chosen government build line reconstruct station terminus british share operation original consortium members project development managed wholly owned subsidiary november adopted high speed brand completed railway official legislation documentation line signage continued refer project government funding channel tunnel rail link unlawful construction place financially viable construction delayed passage link act provided construction powers ran following years chief executive time stated largest land acquisition programme second world war route built single project financial difficulties arose extensive changes came british government rescue plan reduce risk line split separate phases managed north recovery programme agreed sold government backed bonds worth billion pay construction section future section settled original intention new railway completed run separate line rest british railway network rescue agreed following completion section purchased option purchase section return committed operate route railway station unlike stations transferred announced financial problems undertake purchase section triggering second restructuring plan agreed sections different owners section section common management following financial problems interest sold sold operating rights completed line successor arrangement sole owner sections property original plan amendments new station connections consequence restructuring consortium consisted engineering construction firms form rail link engineering transport operators operates share service electricity company completion section line handed union railways south handed long term owners line section line completed handed north handed entire line including managed operated maintained february rumours party believed consortium headed banker sir expressed interest buying present partners project shareholders rejected proposal government effectively shareholders decisions result state owned body decided discussions shareholders place effectively backing shareholders views proposed takeover government received agreement use state aid purchase line open competition allow services use apart hitherto wholly owned subsidiary property secretary october proposal announced sell billion state assets including ltd following years cut public debt government announced november concession operate line years sold billion consortium canadian investors concession ltd rights sell access track international stations commercial basis scrutiny end years ownership assets revert government building cost cost construction million mile higher projects countries french high speed line paris completed cost million mile route high speed railway operates seven day railway availability days line closed minutes middle day shortly noon white period french daylight inspection period heavy maintenance performed overnight track access charges capped approximate minute cost running train length line lower costs domestic service international discounted rate kilometre available night time operation march section section channel tunnel rail link opened september kilometre section high speed track north kent maximum speed kilometres hour mph completion cut london paris journey time minutes hours minutes line includes mile bridge long diameter tunnel safety testing section prior opening new rail speed record mph set new line runs alongside kent completion trains continued use suburban lines enter london arriving international deaths employees working construction period occurred march near worker came contact power supply death occurred months later fell seven metres companies found guilty health safety legislation provide barriers resulting ordered pay fine deaths relate fire board train carrying wires mile inside tunnel thames kent essex august train died scene train driver later died hospital suggested large blame accidents project lay individual behaviour problem internal programme launched tackle behaviour problems construction unlike stations france tracks station going partly line high speed approaches north cut cover box southbound line rises cutting crosses main tracks enter station main tracks rise cutting leaving southbound return high speed line travelling joining outside international platforms supplied overhead 3rd rail avoiding need switch power supplies section section project opened november stretch track newly built station kent london maximum speed kilometres hour mph completion section cut journey times minutes london paris london brussels route starts kilometre tunnel thames edge runs alongside london far enters kilometre tunnel directly emerging near tunnels divided london west sections kilometre stretch runs close surface serve new depot north replaced depot west london testing train ran march connections fully grade separated achieved use bridges case tunnel portal stations station rebuilt early 1990s international services mainland europe included addition platforms north station original island platform taken international services unlike normal stations france tracks railway station going number services reduced opening station high speed domestic service operated southeastern london began june railway station borough kent outside eastern boundary opened public november main station kent platforms designed international passenger trains high speed domestic services international terminus high speed line london railway station 2000s end construction entire station complex renovated expanded international new security sealed terminal area trains continental europe addition retained traditional domestic connections north south england new extension doubled length central platforms services new platforms provided existing domestic east trains southeastern high speed services run high speed kent new platforms line london built beneath western margins station station closed complex junction built north connections north london line allowing wide variety potential destinations albeit conventional rails works tunnels connecting route built readiness forthcoming railway station original government plans despite international services completed april opened november domestic preview southeastern services started calling extension opened august forms complex railway stations main site summer olympics held storage trains peak class southeastern high speed trains infrastructure railway maintained access railway protected thousand system master keys track track signalling technology based identical standards french high speed lines areas use colour light signalling high speed route paris traffic controlled signalling centre signalling tests opening performed owned test car track standard gauge cleared larger modern european loading gauge enabling gauge freight far yards line electrified entirely overhead lines railway electrification tunnels local protests early plans modified route tunnels point approximately mile previously planned run elevated section alongside approach line terminus twin tunnels bored london driven westwards eastwards westwards connect tunnel tunnel boring machines metres long weighed tonnes depth tunnels varies metres metres construction works complex contractors involved delivering section construction works caused considerable disruption area london wake redevelopment stimulated large redevelopment area includes run areas post industrial railway land close conservation area listed buildings promoted benefits building development actually suppressed construction project affected districts said poor state connection line kilometre connecting line providing access railway station leaves high speed grade separated junction main tracks continue section underneath southbound connection joins flat crossing retention services line opened ruled cost grounds closed opening section november serves refurbished london terminal connecting line longer regular service class passenger trains services high speed built allow trains hour runs trains hour direction london southeastern runs high peak trains hour london continuing olympic games southeastern provided olympic service trains hour london freight route built freight provision beginning spurs leading freight terminal freight depot north river_thames long passing loops hold freight trains passenger trains overtake built freight trains operated ran section consecutive evenings april freight trains run classic lines diverted run instead southbound trains april northbound trains april ownership november concession awarded duration thirty years investment consortium bringing canadian public pension funds subsidiary time pension investors generally limited interest long term infrastructure assets operators railway operated open access basis trains operated organisations operating track network manager line stations infrastructure high speed ltd responsible overall managing running line international railway stations responsibility infrastructure sub contracted high speed ltd known acting controller infrastructure manager limited created subsidiary september million assets renewal maintenance operations high speed operates engineering track maintenance machines rescue locomotives test trains subsidiary operates class rescue locomotives line required track recording trains run necessary including visits night laboratory train took hauled towed locomotives numbers iris runs high speed extension mph monitoring cycle undertaken december months service uses capacity high speed november company route services trains international traffic passing high speed line london railway station majority terminating paris france brussels south railway station belgium currently trains operated ones use high speeds line train set new british rail speed record mph july prior formation british component grouping owned london previously owned high speed infrastructure fastest regular service journeys record hours minutes seconds set september hour minutes brussels south set september southeastern domestic high speed services high speed operated southeastern having planning preview service class trains popularly known started june regular services began december quickest journey time london minutes compared minutes service service section known previously factor london successful olympic bid promising seven minute journey time london terminus class maximum speed mph purposes lower speed assumed trains faster acceleration units cargo cargo global freight operator large interest freight rail europe high speed constructed freight loops freight traffic run line opening april signed agreement owner high speed partnership develop modifications class freight locomotives run line march time modified class locomotive travelled signalling system loaded container train ran time italy following trials loaded wagons upgrade class locomotives allow run high speed november weekly service european sized swap body containers run london poland high speed future operations present applied use line regulations relaxed allow trains use proposals november reported germany national train company applied use high speed london denied national confirmed received application plan delayed safety regulations fleet ice high speed trains divided tunnel emergency december reported interested buying british share practice means buying ltd subsidiary london continental railways british government intends break sell rail related subsidiary ltd buyer owner british capitals class plus seven sets responsible operations traffic britain management contract president held press conference day described interest premature arrogant claims shares ceo confirmed interest insisted letter informally requested information official requests britain owners announced prepared start fire safety regulations order permit operators transport passengers tunnel forms rolling stock european railway service high speed lines opened access operators january announced considering safety requirements concerning train splitting suggested high speed rail services london cologne commence olympics march interested train operators formed working group discuss changes safety rules including allowing metre trains currently requires trains long carried evacuation trials tunnel october long trains displayed station october current sets meet fire safety requirements passenger services tunnel sets order include necessary additional fire march decided allow trains distributed traction operate planning services day frankfurt london amsterdam brussels originally planned delayed availability version trains high rental costs french rail network border controls stations come fruition high speed website continues state ltd working plans incorporate additional international return journeys frankfurt london cologne brussels include connections amsterdam london september indicated desire advantage change law apply run rail services cooperation london paris paris amsterdam competition respectively intention purchasing new multiple units currently tested october withdrew interest led looking new partners announcement begin working new proposals cooperation run services paris london brussels spanish railway operator shown interest running services spain london paris barcelona madrid lisbon madrid barcelona high speed rail line network connected france lines february local kent announced talks establish frequent local rail service regional stations route trains leave stop reaching london currently service trains initiative branding order benefit london olympics supported sides channel bring
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