Canal Tunnels
The Canal Tunnels are a pair of single track railway tunnels in north London which connect the East Coast Main Line to London St Pancras International Thameslink. Their name comes from the Regent's Canal, which they pass closely beneath.
Canal Tunnels northern entrance at Belle Isle Junction prior to opening | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | East Coast Main Line |
| Location | Belle Island junction–Canal junction |
| Coordinates | 51.5395°N 0.1266°W |
| OS grid reference | TQ 30404 84602 |
| Status |
|
| System | National Rail |
| Start |
|
| No. of stations | None |
| Operation | |
| Constructed | TBM |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator | |
| Technical | |
| Design engineer | Tunnels: Halcrow Group for Rail Link Engineering; Fit-Out: Arup |
| Length | 820 m (2,690 ft) |
| No. of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Electrified | 25 kV 50 Hz AC |
| Width | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Route map | |
Constructed as one element of the overarching Thameslink Programme, the Canal Tunnels enabled trains to travel directly from Peterborough and Cambridge to St Pancras, along with numerous other stations in London, Gatwick Airport and down to Brighton and Horsham. They were constructed between 2004 and 2006, while fitting-out was performed between 2013 and 2014. The first services were run through the Canal Tunnels during February 2018, while its official opening occurred three months later. The Canal Tunnels run from Belle Isle Junction, north of London King's Cross, to Canal Junction.