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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
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| St Pancras Eurostar service opens | St Pancras Eurostar service opens |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The new St Pancras International train station has opened its doors to the public for the first time. | The new St Pancras International train station has opened its doors to the public for the first time. |
| The first Eurostar service to Paris from the £800m station left on Wednesday at 1101GMT. | The first Eurostar service to Paris from the £800m station left on Wednesday at 1101GMT. |
| A special carbon-neutral train will carry the new route's very first passengers during its two hour and 15 minute journey. | A special carbon-neutral train will carry the new route's very first passengers during its two hour and 15 minute journey. |
| 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 are due to stage protests at the station. | But residents' groups and cyclists are due to stage protests at the station. |
| Five-star | Five-star |
| The first commercial passenger train for Brussels departed at 1101GMT, with the first arrival from the same city pulling into St Pancras at 1109 GMT. | |
| The elaborate station hotel is being redeveloped | The elaborate station hotel is being redeveloped |
| 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. 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. | 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 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. |
| The rail minister Tom Harris said the rise of low cost airlines had not made high speed rail travel redundant. | The rail minister Tom Harris said the rise of low cost airlines had not made high speed rail travel redundant. |
| "I think people will vote with their feet," he said. | "I think people will vote with their feet," he said. |
| "We're giving people who want to make those journeys a proper choice so they're not forced to travel by plane." | "We're giving people who want to make those journeys a proper choice so they're not forced to travel by plane." |
| Britain, in engineering terms, was showing off with supreme confidence Alastair Lansley Architect joins old to new Why St Pancras was chosen In graphics: St Pancras | Britain, in engineering terms, was showing off with supreme confidence Alastair Lansley Architect joins old to new Why St Pancras was chosen In graphics: St Pancras |
| But demonstrations are expected to be held by groups unhappy with the St Pancras development. | But demonstrations are expected to be held 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 say it was confident it will not impact on services. | But Eurostar say it was confident it will 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 |