St. Pancras is not only a construction site, it is a working train station. Some 175,000 riders use it each day. The station averages 220 daily arrivals and departures.
To keep the project and the trains on time, staging has been critical. One headache-inducing example: When the eastern deck was completed in April 2004, it became the interim station for Midland Mainline. When the west extension is finished in 2006, Midland trains will be moved from their temporary location on the east to their permanent location on the west. Only then can the tracks north of St. Pancras be realigned for Eurostar trains.
