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| St Pancras Eurostar service opens | St Pancras Eurostar service opens |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The first Eurostar service to Paris has left from the new international terminal at St Pancras in London. | The first Eurostar service to Paris has left from the new international terminal at St Pancras in London. |
| The high-speed train left the restored £800m station on time on Wednesday at 1101 GMT. | |
| The train was due to arrive in Paris at about 1317 GMT via the newly completed £5.8bn Channel Tunnel rail link, now known as High Speed 1. | The train was due to arrive in Paris at about 1317 GMT via the newly completed £5.8bn Channel Tunnel rail link, now known as High Speed 1. |
| Eurostar insists inaugural journeys will be unaffected by strike action by rail workers across the French network. | Eurostar insists inaugural journeys will be unaffected by strike action by rail workers across the French network. |
| Map showing rail travel times within Europe | Map showing rail travel times within Europe |
| But residents' groups and cyclists have staged protests at the station. | But residents' groups and cyclists have staged protests at the station. |
| Five-star | Five-star |
| Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown and Friends of the Earth executive director Tony Juniper named the first Paris train Tread Lightly - after the Eurostar environmental campaign began earlier this year. | Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown and Friends of the Earth executive director Tony Juniper named the first Paris train Tread Lightly - after the Eurostar environmental campaign began earlier this year. |
| The company has set a target of reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 25% per passenger journey by 2012. | |
| Mr Brown said: "Today marks a new dawn for short-haul travel in Europe. | Mr Brown said: "Today marks a new dawn for short-haul travel in Europe. |
| "Our move to St Pancras makes Eurostar even more accessible to travellers across Britain. | "Our move to St Pancras makes Eurostar even more accessible to travellers across Britain. |
| "We will carry passengers with greater speed, ease and reliability than ever before, and our travellers will have the extra reassurance of knowing that they are making far less environmental impact compared with flying." | "We will carry passengers with greater speed, ease and reliability than ever before, and our travellers will have the extra reassurance of knowing that they are making far less environmental impact compared with flying." |
| The first commercial passenger train for Brussels departed at 1101 GMT, with the first arrival from the same city pulling into St Pancras at 1109 GMT. | The first commercial passenger train for Brussels departed at 1101 GMT, with the first arrival from the same city pulling into St Pancras at 1109 GMT. |
| The first Eurostar service from St Pancras left at 1101GMT | The first Eurostar service from St Pancras left at 1101GMT |
| Work on the station began in 2001 to enable it to accommodate Eurostar trains as well as Midland Mainline services, Thameslink and high-speed commuter services to Kent, due to start in 2009. | Work on the station began in 2001 to enable it to accommodate Eurostar trains as well as Midland Mainline services, Thameslink and high-speed commuter services to Kent, due to start in 2009. |
| The brick and stonework has been cleaned and the station's majestic roof reglazed with 18,000 panes of self-cleaning glass and repainted in its original light blue. | The brick and stonework has been cleaned and the station's majestic roof reglazed with 18,000 panes of self-cleaning glass and repainted in its original light blue. |
| St Pancras will house upmarket shops and what its operators say is the longest champagne bar in Europe. | St Pancras will house upmarket shops and what its operators say is the longest champagne bar in Europe. |
| The elaborate gothic hotel at the front of the station, vacant since the 1980s, will open as a five-star hotel and apartments in 2009. | The elaborate gothic hotel at the front of the station, vacant since the 1980s, will open as a five-star hotel and apartments 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. |
| Our move to St Pancras makes Eurostar even more accessible to travellers across Britain Richard Brown, Eurostar chief executive Architect joins old to new Why St Pancras was chosen In graphics: St Pancras | Our move to St Pancras makes Eurostar even more accessible to travellers across Britain Richard Brown, Eurostar chief executive Architect joins old to new Why St Pancras was chosen In graphics: St Pancras |
| But demonstrations have taken place by groups unhappy with the St Pancras development. | But demonstrations have taken place by groups unhappy with the St Pancras development. |
| One group representing residents who live near the stations claim that London's poor are being "squeezed out" of the area. | One group representing residents who live near the stations claim that London's poor are being "squeezed out" of the area. |
| And the London Cycling Campaign complains that the access to the station for bicycles is sub-standard. | And the London Cycling Campaign complains that the access to the station for bicycles is sub-standard. |
| French rail unions began an open-ended strike on Wednesday in protest at President Nicolas Sarkozy's planned pension reforms. | French rail unions began an open-ended strike on Wednesday in protest at President Nicolas Sarkozy's planned pension reforms. |
| But Eurostar said it was confident it would not impact on services. | But Eurostar said it was confident it would not impact on services. |
| The last Eurostar train left London Waterloo at 1812 GMT on Tuesday. | The last Eurostar train left London Waterloo at 1812 GMT on Tuesday. |
| Return to top | Return to top |