30.04.18
HS1 considers new London-Bordeaux link within two years
Infrastructure operators have today met to discuss and plan for a groundbreaking transport link which could connect London and Bordeaux in under five hours within two years.
HS1 Ltd, the owner and operator of the nation’s High Speed 1 link, says it is “in advanced planning” with three international railway operators regarding the proposed route, which runs from London via the Channel Tunnel, through to Calais, Lille and Paris, and further onwards to Tours and Bordeaux.
The key operators involved in the proposal includes SNCF Reseau (the infrastructure owner in France), Lisea – a firm which owns a new high-speed line from Tours to Bordeaux, which opened in 2017 – and the Eurotunnel company.
At present the fastest rail journey takes five hours and 25 minutes, with a one hour and five minute connection in Paris, while the return journey has a two-hour stop in Paris to clear border and security controls necessary for re-entering the UK.
HS1 has said that arrival times will be faster due to no need for immigration and security checks in Paris, and claims that the move will allow the rail network to compete with low-cost airlines.
Dylan Crowther, CEO of HS1, said: “As we’ve seen with the recent introduction of the Eurostar London-Amsterdam service, there’s a real demand for international train services to provide a comfortable and better-connected service, especially for leisure journeys.
“This is the first time that railway operators have collaborated in this way and saves the train operator having to do a lot of legwork.”
Top Image: PJPhoto69, iStock