Introduction
The Channel Tunnel Rail Link [gloss.] (known as CTRL from hereon) is a high-speed railway designed to connect the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone on the south Kent coast with the UK capital, London. The Channel Tunnel itself began life as a project in 1986 and part of the overall project was for the then UK rail operator, British Rail [gloss.] , to design, build and operate the CTRL. It was not until ten years later, on February 29, 1996, that the contract was awarded, by the Department of Transport [gloss.] , to London and Continental Railways; the contract was valued at £5.2bn. [The Channel Tunnel itself cost £10bn to build].
The conception of the link took some 8 years, and followed an extensive, and typically British, planning process. Planning is explored elsewhere, in the UK Transport Policy and Planning section. It is also interesting to note that the Belgian and French lines were ready for the June 1994 opening of the Channel Tunnel, while the UK line had not even begun construction. During the planning process, the following objectives of CTRL were defined:
The 'Eurostar' Trains which provide cross-channel passenger services
CTRL is split into two sections for practical purposes. The existing international station is at London Waterloo, to the south of central London. The Eurostar trains currently use this station and existing rail infrastructure in southern London, and then follow a new line, CTRL Section One, from north-west Kent to the Channel Tunnel terminal at Folkestone. This section recently opened in September 2003. Section Two is the section from north-west Kent, to a new international station at London St Pancras, to the north of central London. Construction has begun on this section, and should be complete by 2007. St Pancras has been chosen as it provides good links to the Midlands, the north of England, Wales and Scotland, whereas Waterloo only serves the south-east of the country.
In this "Transport Issues" module, CTRL might be studied in two contexts: (a) route selection and (b) traffic forecasting [gloss.] . The following notes should aim to help you gain a more in depth knowledge of CTRL and these two issues, outside what you have been lectured. The CTRL is a very topical subject and there is plenty of information available on the WWW (see Useful Links at the end of this topic).
Route Selection for the CTRLAfter the go-ahead for CTRL development was given by parliament in 1996 the planning process began in earnest. Overall planning consent was given for the project, but detailed plans were subject to scrutiny by local authorities. One of the innovative planning techniques used for CTRL was that of a planning memorandum, which limits the traditionally conflicting interests between contractor and local authorities. While the CTRL designers took every possible step to reduce environmental impact, local authorities were encouraged not to impose unreasonable planning restrictions on them. At the start of the planning process, investigations were conducted in order to decide the best route options, and many different groups were consulted on this matter.
Question...?
What criteria are important/should be considered in order to decide the route?
Think about the following:
Research conducted by London and Continental Railways produced the following results:
Environmental Planning considerations were examined through an Environmental Impact Statement [gloss.] and it became clear that high-speed electric rail transport was much more environmentally friendly than either road or air transport.
Question...?Can you think of some reasons why? At what stage in construction would there be no relative benefits compared to road or air transport?
Route Development Channel Tunnel Rail Link under construction through Kent
Route Development began in 1992 and the following criteria were laid out:
Over 100 route options were investigated, with the issue of how to cross half of London a key one!
Final Route of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Look at the 'Planning the CTRL' section on the CTRL website for more information (www.ctrl.co.uk/default.asp).
 topic overview |
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introduction |
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methods of appraisal: a brief history |
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route selection for the channel tunnel rail link |
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useful links |
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exam-style questions |
module material study tools useful info home
Transport Issues
last modified: 18-Oct-2006
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