Ebbsfleet International

Modifications made to the aforementioned CTRL 1996 Bill in 1998 delayed the whole process somewhat. However, it was announced on Tuesday 7th March 2000 that work was to begin later in the same week on preparing the Ebbsfleet site for construction. This involved the disposal of flue dust from Southfleet Quarry – which would have otherwise become a toxic hazard – and the importing of Thanet Sand to the area. The former had the potential of being converted into fertiliser, and the latter was procured to stabilise the exhausted chalk pit. Some of this work, including restoration of old landfill sites, had been started in the mid-1990s. Included within the initial preparation stage were archaeological investigations, which aimed to unearth any previously unseen historical evidence of past human life, before the whole area was redeveloped and such an opportunity lost. The archaeology would last approximately three weeks. By July 2001, the re-shifting and re-layering of land in the area was complete and on the 2nd of that month, it was announced that construction had begun, with a general completion date set for 2007. Boring of the 1.86-mile long Thames Tunnels commenced at Swanscombe on 11th July 2002. The private consortium London & Continental Railways had ultimate responsibility for funding Section 2 of the rail link (St Pancras to Southfleet Junction), finance of which would come in the mixture of grants and Government Guaranteed Bonds. By this time, the total building cost of Section 2 was alone priced at £3000 million, with a maximum cost overrun estimated at £600 million – the whole of the CTRL was to cost £5200 million. Once complete, the London to Chunnel portal journey time would be slashed from 71 minutes to 32 minutes.

On 23rd January 1997, L&CR had submitted an application to Parliament for the construction of Stratford International, this being priced at £68 million – the figure also included a double-track connection between the St Pancras approaches and the West Coast Main Line. Building of the larger complex at Ebbsfleet was to cost £100 million, and as already noted, such work began on 2nd July 2001, ‘’Rail Link Engineering’’ being the selected contractor for the undertaking. In total, no less than seven tracks would approach the site from the north, fanning out from the Thames Tunnels. Six platform faces were to be provided: four at ''low-level'', and a pair in an elevated position. With reference to domestic services, these could leave the CTRL at Ebbsfleet by means of a dedicated double-track line supported upon a 1410 yard-long viaduct. The viaduct was to accommodate a single ''high-level'' island platform, and a direct rail connection was to be made with the North Kent Line, just east of Northfleet station. The ‘’low-level’’ platforms were to be straddled by the station’s main ‘’high-level’’ building: the main section of this rectangular structure was to measure some 320 foot by 150 foot and comprise 500 tonnes of steel, clad with 2200 square metres of glass. On 10th May 2004, the first track was ready to be laid at the site, and in the following June, further archaeological digs at Ebbslfeet found the skeleton of a 400,000 year-old elephant – this joined a Roman Villa on the list of historic finds.

2004 was a significant year for the CTRL, because not only did it witness the first track laid at Ebbsfleet, but it also marked the closure of St Pancras’ Barlow trainshed to domestic services from the Midlands. It was during this year that Eurostar decided to play the name game: the passenger train operating company first announced proposals to alter the long-standing ‘’St Pancras’’ title, promoting the following range of alternatives:

The company had also confirmed a new name for the station at Ebbsfleet; this was to become ‘’Dartford International’’. Despite the fact that the area had been referred to as ‘’Ebbsfleet’’ since Parliament’s earliest debates on the subject from the early 1990s, Eurostar viewed a ‘’Dartford’’ prefix as one which would carry greater weight.

Construction work at Ebbsfleet was deemed formally complete on 12th September 2006, which included a pair of rolling stock berthing sidings within Church Path Pit. Initially, it was speculated that the international station would officially be opened on 7th December 2007, in conjunction with the start of the National Winter Timetable. However, it was confirmed on 14th November 2006 that opening of the route would occur in exactly one year from that date, although the station at Ebbsfleet would come into use five days later, on 19th November. This was to permit the transfer and installation of equipment recycled from Waterloo International. Following this announcement, on Sunday 7th January 2007, the overhead wires on the CTRL’s ‘‘Section 2’’ became ''live'', these carrying an electrical current through them rated at 25,000 volts. By this time, the name debate had also been settled: the station would be called ''Ebbsfleet International''.

28th November 2007

The 960-foot long island platform on the ''domestic'' spur is equipped with a 505-foot long W-shaped canopy, built to the same design as those found on the ''low-level'' platforms. In the background, on the far right, can be seen the island's lift shaft. In the foreground is the taxi exit road. © David Glasspool

28th November 2007

The station concourse is decidedly light and airy, but when viewed, was particularly quiet. On the right is a full-size mock-up of the ''Javelin'' driving trailer, which was formerly on display at Ashford. Arrival and departure boards flank the station clock. The ticket office can just be seen left of centre, whilst in the background can be seen hoardings covering potential space for retail units. © David Glasspool

28th November 2007

A north-eastward view across the spacious concourse shows, in the background, the subway entrance pictured in the first photograph. Self-service ticket machines are present in the gap on the left, behind the poster board. © David Glasspool