Engineers inspecting ventilation fans in High Speed 1 tunnel which provide fresh air and can pressurise tunnels in emergencies
As passengers on the High Speed 1's Eurostar trains speed below London’s suburbs at 140mph, they will likely be unaware of the sophisticated systems that support their safety. The ventilation system in an operational tunnel serves a dual purpose. In non-emergency situations, it delivers fresh and cooling air to maintenance crews working underground and to trains delayed in a tunnel. In emergencies, it is used to pressurise safe areas to exclude smoke and fumes and the airflow in the tunnel can be directed to remove the dangerous products of combustion to contain the hazard. The £ billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link (now High Speed One) was built between 1998-2007 and partly funded by the European Union, it forms a section of the Trans European Rail Network. It is basically a French-style high-speed rail line linking London with the Channel Tunnel, the Eurostar trains were developed on proven technology from the French TGV high-speed system. Stations on the CTRL are the existing Ashford International and new stations at Ebbsfleet and Stratford. The line ends at the rebuilt St. Pancras. Fourteen new tunnels were constructed, the longest being the London Tunnel which is long from Ripple Lane to Stratford, after which the line briefly comes to the surface at Stratford Station. Five huge shafts of diameter ventilate the twin bore, single-track tunnels and provide emergency access and evacuation points. The line passes in tunnel under the River Thames and crosses the M25 at Thurrock. For the Thames crossing (a 3km twin-bore tunnel), the line drops 1 in 40 down under the river and then climbs 1 in 40 up, curving at the same time. The CTRL then negotiates the M25 motorway, going under the southbound and over the northbound carriageway. Lengthy loops at two places along the route allow trains to be overtaken so freight and faster domestic trains can be mixed with 300 kph Eurostar high-speed services. In total, the new line took 9 years to build.
Size: 4064px × 2703px
Location: London, UK.
Photo credit: © qaphotos.com / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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