Signalling at the St Pancras CTRL Terminal

The new St Pancras CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail Link) station consists of nine platforms, six for international Eurostar trains and three for regional domestic services from Kent (there are four platforms for the Midland Main Line but there is no through running between the CTRL and Network Rail parts of the station). Trains approaching St Pancras leave the single bore London Tunnels approximately one kilometre from the platform ends. In this last kilometre there are connections to the nearby Network Rail main lines (Midland Main Line, North London Line (NLL) /West Coast Main Line & East Coast Main Line (ECML)) and three approaches into the station (UP, DOWN & RELIEF). All lines are fully bi-directional. On leaving the London Tunnels, the cab signalling system TVM 430 switches over to conventional UK lineside colour light signalling with the KVB intermittent ATP system. Colour light signalling is necessary in this last kilometre due to the Network Rail interfaces, the need for routing information and because short block sections are required to meet the specified operational headway/journey time (which cannot be achieved within the low speed codes available to the TVM system due to the speed profile of the layout).