La línea fue construida para transportar el tráfico internacional de pasajeros entre el [[Reino Unido]] y [[Europa continental]], aunque también sirve a tráfico local entre [[Londres]] y [[Kent]], y tiene la capacidad de transportar mercancías. La línea completa, pasando por encima del [[río Medway]] y bajo el [[Támesis]], fue inaugurada el 14 de noviembre de 2007,<ref>{{cita web |url=http://www.railwaypeople.com/rail-news-articles/high-speed-one-and-only-1196.html| editorial=RailStaff| fecha=14 de noviembre de 2006 | título=High Speed One - and Only |fechaacceso=14 de noviembre de 2006}}</ref> aunque el tramo inicial funciona desde 2003. Admite 300 km/h de velocidad máxima, y tuvo un coste de 5,8 millones de [[libra esterlina|libras esterlinas]].<ref>{{cita web |url=http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/highspeedone/| editorial=railway-technology.com| fecha=23 de diciembre de 2008 | título=High Speed 1 |fechaacceso=23 de diciembre de 2008}}</ref> Existen tres estaciones intermedias, Stratfor International, Ebbsfleet International y Ashford International.
Los servicios internacionales son servidos por [[Eurostar]], con tiempos de viaje entre Londres y París de 2 horas y 15 minutos, y entre Londres y Bruselas en 1 hora y 51 minutos.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2006/14_11_2006_november_14_07.jsp| publisher=Eurostar| date=14 November 2006 | title=Eurostar to launch passenger services at St Pancras International on Wednesday 14 November 2007 |accessdate=15 November 2006}}</ref> La línea está preparada para admitir la competencia entre varios operadores en un futuro. Los servicios locales, operados por Southeastern, comenzaron el 13 de diciembre de 2009, con una velocidad punta de 225 km/h. Los trenes de mercancías, operados por [[Deutsche Bahn|DB]], comenzaron en pruebas en mayo de 2011.<ref name=DBpress27May />
En el tiempo trascurrido entre la inauguración del [[Eurotúnel]] y la finalización de esta línea, los trenes [[Eurostar]] tuvieron que circular por la red convencional británica.
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[[DB Schenker]] is planning to run intermodal freight trains. The first of five planned trials of a modified [[British Rail Class 92|Class 92]] locomotive hauling a loaded container train ran on 27 May 2011.<ref name=DBpress27May />
The CTRL project was one of the United Kingdom's largest [[civil engineering]] projects, encompassing many new bridges and tunnels with a combined length nearly as long as the Channel Tunnel itself. During construction of the CTRL, significant [[archaeology|archaeological research]] was undertaken.<ref>{{cite book| author= Matthews, Roger | publisher = Routledge | location = London | year= 2003 | title= The archaeology of Mesopotamia: theories and approaches | page = 31 |isbn = 9780415253178 |quote=The development of this new railway resulted in the largest archaeological project to date in the United Kingdom}}</ref> In 2002, the CTRL project was awarded the "Major Project Award" at the [[British Construction Industry Awards]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nce.co.uk/ctrl-team-scoops-bci-major-project-award/480980.article| work=New Civil Engineer | location = London| date=2 November 2006 |title= CTRL team scoops BCI Major Project Award |accessdate=7 July 2009 | first = Andrew | last = Mylius}}</ref> The CTRL has seen periods of financial difficulty, and the line was transferred to government ownership in 2009, with a 30-year concession for its operation being put up for sale in June 2010.<ref name="bbc-for-sale">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/10363332.stm |title=High-speed London to Folkestone rail link up for sale |work=BBC News Online |date=21 June 2010 |accessdate=22 June 2010}}</ref> The concession was awarded to a consortium of [[Borealis Infrastructure]] (part of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System) and [[Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan]] in November 2010,<ref name=concession>{{cite news | url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/high-speed-1-concession-awarded-to-canadian-pension-consortium.html | title=High Speed 1 concession awarded to Canadian pension consortium | work=[[Railway Gazette International]] | location = London |date=5 November 2010}}</ref> but does not include the [[freehold (law)|freehold]] or rights to any of the associated land.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/28/highspeedone-losing-bidder-foi-request |title=Highest bidder asks why it lost Channel tunnel rail link sale |newspaper= The Guardian |location=London |first=Dan |last=Milmo |date=28 January 2011 |accessdate=2 February 2011 |quote=[the] transport secretary ... stressed that the deal did not include the railway's freehold or the land itself.}}</ref>
