Europorte Channel, which provides traction for freight trains through the Channel Tunnel, has been granted approval to use Class 92 locomotives on High Speed 1 – the line between London and the Channel Tunnel.
This means that Europorte can haul larger gauge and higher speed freight traffic between destinations across the continent and London, through the Channel Tunnel, with the journey time from the Tunnel to London being reduced from 4 hours on traditional routes to 70 minutes.
Europorte Channel train drivers are currently being trained to drive on the new route and it is expected that new commercial services will start early in 2012.