High speed rail link confirmed (again)

I thought this high speed link to Folkestone was already confirmed? A chum in the world of news just sent this:

The SRA announced that the following stations will be served by high-speed CTRL domestic services: Ramsgate, Minster, Sturry, Canterbury West, Wye, Folkestone Central, Folkestone West, Sandling, Ashford International, Broadstairs, Margate, Birchington on Sea, Herne Bay, Whitstable, Faversham, Sittingbourne, Rainham, Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester, Strood, Higham, Gravesend, Ebbsfleet, Stratford International, Kings Cross St Pancras, and Dover Priory (provisional).

More here... main announcement today was that the four preferred bidders can now submit detailed bids, or something. Man these documents are boring... Still it's nice to read that Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, said:

The CTRL domestic services will operate on both domestic railway tracks and the new high speed channel tunnel rail link track where they will reach speeds of 140 mph. Journeys from Ashford to central London will be reduced by 40 minutes each way.

2005 :: Comment / reply

RE: Rail confusion and the curse of me

it's the tunnel between Higham and Strood on the North Kent line out to Gillingham that's shut for a year - shouldn't affect anything towards Folkestone.

The franchise for Kent trains is up in the air after Connex was sacked - while South Eastern Trains doesn't seem to be doing too bad a job, having a state-run train firm isn't good enough for Labour and the whole thing will be put out to tender again....

www.sra.gov.uk/news/20031222_ikf_bidders_selection.tt2

Inspector Sands :: 20 Jan :: 2004 :: Comment / reply

Rail confusion and the curse of me

Doing a bit more research into this rail lark, following a report from Ma and Pa today that a section of track between London and Folkestone is closing for a year, possibly a tunnel, and possibly near Strood... While surfing I found this BBC piece that says the first bit of the channel tunnel rail link is open already... is it being used? I don't get it! It looks like there are at least two projects on the go, one is the linking of the Channel Tunnel with London via new high speed track, and that will benefit those Cockneys who wish to travel to That France and so on. The knock on effects of this will be that the regular Kent trains won't need to stop and get out of the Eurostar's way, as they do now, this will speed up the journey time... I think also there is some sort of project bringing a quick link between Folkestone and London, like Brighton has already, not sure though...

Also I must sadly report that the curse of me in Folkestone strikes again... the Fig Cafe was our favourite place to eat in Folkestone, at the Metropole, though we only managed to go there once, before it shut down. Since that sad day, we've been trying to get into Sylvester's, as it had a good range of English dishes, some of them vegan, but each time we tried to get in they were fully booked... found out this week that place has closed too, though it's reopening as Timothy's Wine Bar... trying to find a place to drink, we went to The Front, a nice newish place by The Harbour only to find that is closing at the end of the month, and on leaving there found that The Earl Grey has shut already. I am dreading mentioning again the best place to drink in Folkestone for fear of jinxing it...

Ah, this BBC story confirms that Strood tunnel is closing for two weeks, and also suggests that Folkestone Central will be the terminus of the new high speed rail link, which I now think it's best not to confuse with the channel tunnel rail link... I'm boring myself now, so I'm off to watch Buffy, we got series five at the weekend, a belated christmas gift... Keep following those amazon links, I earned 50 quid this quarter...

2004 :: Comment / reply