news release

The Queen launches High Speed 1

The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, formally launched High Speed 1 (HS1), the UK’s first section of high speed railway and officially opened St Pancras International Station, on Tuesday 6 November.

The Royal Party sat on specially built platforms beneath the Barlow Trainshed roof and delivered an address to an invited audience of over 1,000 guests including senior political figures from London, the UK and Europe. A state of the art light, sound and film show was accompanied by music from the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and UK singing stars Lemar and Katherine Jenkins.

The finale consisted of a film about the £10.5 billion of regeneration that forms the legacy of High Speed 1 while The Queen met drivers from Eurostar and a Southeastern Hitachi ‘bullet’ train. Her Majesty was also introduced to those involved with the construction of the station before receiving a specially commissioned commemorative replica of the grand Station Clock, unveiling an official plaque and receiving a posy of flowers.

Praising all of those involved in the project, The Queen said: “The remarkable rebirth 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.”

Preparations will now continue for St Pancras International to open to the public when the Eurostar service completes its move from Waterloo to St Pancras International on 14 November 2007.

images: Eddie MacDonald/LCR