£400m Loan for the Completion of Chunnel Track

A loan by the European Union of £400 million will help complete the connection of high speed track between London, Brussels and Paris - striking another 15 minutes of time from the trip to both cities.

An agreement between European Investment Bank and London and Continental Railways (LCR) will enable the construction of the final section of track from Southfleet, Kent, to the new international terminal in St Pancras in London. The work includes 15 miles of tunnels under London and the Thames, a new station in Stratford and important reconstruction of St Pancras, that is already underway.

The finished connection is to be opened at the beginning of 2007 – it will be 67mile twin track for both freight and passengers, with a capacity of between 40 and 45 million passengers a year.

More information is available from the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

Source: Daily Telegraph