Rebirth Of A 19th Century Train Terminal

"In a fusion of 19th-century architecture and 21st-century technology, a largely derelict railroad station has been reborn as the centerpiece of a £6 billion project that, in a little more than a month, will bring Continental-style train speed and style into the center of London."

"The station, St. Pancras International, will become the London terminus of Eurostar trains from Paris and Brussels starting on Nov. 14, when the final leg of a 300-kilometer-per-hour link from the Channel Tunnel to London is opened, shaving 20 minutes off the current journey time."

"St. Pancras, a neo-Gothic edifice with a red brick, cathedral-like facade, was built in the 1860s, when the roof over its tracks was the largest such span in existence. In more recent decades, however, the building had fallen into disrepair, and was being used by only a few trains."

"In an effort to bring a bit of Paris chic to a country known for shabby airports and public transportation facilities, the new station will include a 330-foot-long, or 100-meter, champagne bar - and no McDonald's."