At the end of June, the British government invited bids for the high speed rail link from London to the Channel Tunnel, a decision first announced by the Labour government last year. The Department for Transport indicated in a press release that HS1 Ltd, currently a subsidiary of the state-owned London & Continental Railways Ltd (LCR), was to be sold.

HS1 Ltd has a 30-year concession to manage the high speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, the line used by Eurostar and, since last year, commuter services, and to manage the four stations along the route (St Pancras and Stratford International in London and Ebbsfleet and Ashford in Kent). The Department for Transport said the sale would offer the right to operate the rail route, while the government would continue to own the land and infrastructure (including the line and stations), with all rights to be restored to the government when the 30-year period expires.