Eurostar plans to set a Paris-to-London rail speed record today on the first train to use Britain's long-awaited high-speed track at up to 300 kilmetres per hour.
The service carrying journalists and officials from Paris Gare du Nord will make its inaugural run down 100 kilometres of British track known as High Speed 1, arriving for the first time in London's St Pancras International station rather than the existing Waterloo terminus.
The journey time will be cut from the usual two hours 35 minutes to two hours 15 minutes on the new route. A Eurostar spokesman said they hoped to do it even faster on the first run.
Eurostar carried its first passengers in 1994 after the delayed opening of the $15 billion Channel Tunnel.
But while trains have cruised swiftly across France on high-speed track at up to 186 miles per hour, they have been forced to throttle back on the British side where they mingle with commuter services heading in and out of London.
In London, millions of commuters endured travel mayhem this morning as a 72-hour strike by Tube maintenance workers closed most of the network.
About 2,300 staff at collapsed contractor Metronet walked out last night in a row over jobs and pensions. Even though the strike is due to end on Thursday, the chaos is expected to drag on into Friday.