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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Queen opens new £800m St Pancras | Queen opens new £800m St Pancras |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Queen has opened a transformed St Pancras station and new Channel Tunnel rail terminal for Eurostar. | The Queen has opened a transformed St Pancras station and new Channel Tunnel rail terminal for Eurostar. |
| Her Majesty said the £800m St Pancras International was "magnificent", and hoped people would consider it as not just a station but as "a destination". | Her Majesty said the £800m St Pancras International was "magnificent", and hoped people would consider it as not just a station but as "a destination". |
| Developers have called it the jewel in the crown of a £5.8bn project to bring high speed rail to the UK. | Developers have called it the jewel in the crown of a £5.8bn project to bring high speed rail to the UK. |
| St Pancras will house high-speed services to Kent, Midland Mainline, Thameslink and six Tube lines. | St Pancras will house high-speed services to Kent, Midland Mainline, Thameslink and six Tube lines. |
| 'Remarkable re-birth' | 'Remarkable re-birth' |
| Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen offered her "warmest congratulations" to all those involved in the renovation. | Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen offered her "warmest congratulations" to all those involved in the renovation. |
| It gives me great pleasure to officially launch High Speed 1, Britain's first high speed railway The Queen | It gives me great pleasure to officially launch High Speed 1, Britain's first high speed railway The Queen |
| She told guests the high speed rail service, known as High Speed 1, would make a "real difference" to people's lives and bring the UK closer to Europe. | She told guests the high speed rail service, known as High Speed 1, would make a "real difference" to people's lives and bring the UK closer to Europe. |
| The Queen said: "The remarkable re-birth of this great and gleaming station means that people across the whole of Britain, not just the South East, are suddenly quite a bit closer to Europe. | The Queen said: "The remarkable re-birth of this great and gleaming station means that people across the whole of Britain, not just the South East, are suddenly quite a bit closer to Europe. |
| "And as we look forward to the London Olympics in 2012, it is good to know that a journey from here to the new High Speed 1 station at Stratford will take spectators a mere seven minutes. | "And as we look forward to the London Olympics in 2012, it is good to know that a journey from here to the new High Speed 1 station at Stratford will take spectators a mere seven minutes. |
| "It gives me great pleasure to officially launch High Speed 1, Britain's first high speed railway and to re-open this magnificent station, St Pancras International." | "It gives me great pleasure to officially launch High Speed 1, Britain's first high speed railway and to re-open this magnificent station, St Pancras International." |
| The evening ceremony was compered by actor Timothy West playing St Pancras' designer William Barlow. | The evening ceremony was compered by actor Timothy West playing St Pancras' designer William Barlow. |
| The event saw two Eurostar trains and a Hitachi Bullet Train, which will shuttle spectators to and from the 2012 Olympic Park, arriving at St Pancras. | The event saw two Eurostar trains and a Hitachi Bullet Train, which will shuttle spectators to and from the 2012 Olympic Park, arriving at St Pancras. |
| A suspended giant screen featured appearances from F1 driver David Coulthard, actress Kristin Scott Thomas and other personalities. | A suspended giant screen featured appearances from F1 driver David Coulthard, actress Kristin Scott Thomas and other personalities. |
| The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins and pop singer Lemar provided musical entertainment. | |
| The 68-mile high speed railway line runs from St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel opening at Folkestone in Kent. | The 68-mile high speed railway line runs from St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel opening at Folkestone in Kent. |
| Work on the station began in 2001 to enable it to accommodate domestic rail services and Eurostar trains to and from France and Belgium. | Work on the station began in 2001 to enable it to accommodate domestic rail services and Eurostar trains to and from France and Belgium. |
| The front of the station, Sir George Gilbert Scott's neo-Gothic building, will open as a five-star hotel in 2009. | The front of the station, Sir George Gilbert Scott's neo-Gothic building, will open as a five-star hotel in 2009. |
| The new route will cut journey times to Paris by 20 minutes to two hours and 15 minutes, and to Brussels by 25 minutes to one hour and 51 minutes. | The new route will cut journey times to Paris by 20 minutes to two hours and 15 minutes, and to Brussels by 25 minutes to one hour and 51 minutes. |