Former Eurostar route

[straller]

Hello everyone,

Can anyone tell me what route did the Eurostars use before the HS1 phase 2 was completed?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Via Bromely South to Fawkham Junction, thence on to HS1 phase 1. The connecting spur is still there, albeit disused.

 

[straller]

So it follows the Chatham Main Line, but how does it get to Waterloo? It doesn't go through Clapham, does it? Also, does anybody know the route used before HS1 phase 1?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Stewart's Lane flyover ( also now disused ) provides a direct connection from the Chatham main line to Waterloo.


Prior to phase 1 Eurostar took a right at Orpington via Tonbridge to Ashford and thence the Chunnel.

 

[A-driver]

So it follows the Chatham Main Line, but how does it get to Waterloo? It doesn't go through Clapham, does it? Also, does anybody know the route used before HS1 phase 1?

There is a flyover from Waterloo onto the Chatham mainline just above queens town road station, comes out by factory junction in that area above Stewarts lane, London end of Wandsworth town station. The flyover is still there.

 

[straller]

Thank you very much! Your posts were very helpful.

 

[user15681]

The flyover between Waterloo and the Chatham mainline is officially called the Nine Elms flyover, just in case the OP wanted to look it up.

 

[30907]

Prior to phase 1 Eurostar took a right at Orpington via Tonbridge to Ashford and thence the Chunnel.

Basically Eurostar followed traditional Boat Train practice (except that the Chatham route was no use!):

Via Maidstone East was always possible, and an old thread on RMWeb suggests there were booked peak hour trains that way:
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=42564

The Catford Loop could be used routinely as an alternative to via Herne Hill, and Swanley-Otford-Sevenoaks as an alternative to Knockholt.

 

[181]

Prior to phase 1 Eurostar took a right at Orpington via Tonbridge to Ashford and thence the Chunnel.

Although sometimes they went straight on there and reached Ashford via Maidstone. (Did they ever go through Bat and Ball?)

The Catford Loop was sometimes used as an alternative route through South London (presumably up until HS1 phase 2 opened).

 

[Taunton]

Eurostar did go through Bat & Ball from time to time, as indeed did the old boat trains. This seemingly oddball (excuse the pun) route was used to relieve pressure on the two-track section between Orpington and Sevenoaks, with three intermediate suburban stations and the long tunnel at Knockholt, which together really restricted capacity for fast trains. Suburban trains terminated at Sevenoaks. Sending fast trains round through Swanley and Otford had long been practiced to relieve this, and from there it's actually quicker to go through Bat & Ball and get back on the main line again than to weave round all the curves on the Maidstone line. You can almost see between the two routes at Dunton Green, they are very close.

I recall being on a mid-morning Eurostar in early 2003 which actually did both the Catford Loop and ran via Maidstone East, as well as multiple signal stops around Swanley, grinding round through Maidstone at 30 mph and ending up at Gare du Nord about an hour late, although just in time for a very pleasant late Parisienne lunch. I wonder what the French thought of such nonsenses, and indeed what the French crews from Paris thought when route learning "by ze way of ze Bat and ze Boll".