Privatisation for both air and rail

The Channel Tunnel Rail Link, now known as High Speed 1 (HS1) has been sold to Canadian money people for £2.1bn.  Also put up for sale by the Government last week is 49% of National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the balance owned by BAA Ltd and seven of the UK’s largest airlines.

HS1 is the 68-mile long dedicated rail line from Folkestone to St Pancras currently only used by Eurostar and South East Trains Javelin service to and from Kent.  The line has stations at Ashford, Ebsfleet and the somewhat misnamed Stratford International, not an international gateway, but the main railway station for the London Olympics 2012.

The new Canadian owners aim to woo further train operators onto its tracks with Deutsche Bahn a prime target.  The German train company has already made public its ambition to operated services to London from Frankfurt and Amsterdam.  The concession is for 30 years. www.highspeed1.co.uk www.nats.co.uk

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