#publisher alternate Skip to main content The Guardian - Back to home Support The Guardian Available for everyone, funded by readers Contribute Subscribe Contribute Search jobs Sign in [ ] My account * Comments & replies * Public profile * Account details * Emails & marketing ______________________________________________________________ * Membership * Contributions * Subscriptions ______________________________________________________________ * Sign out Search [ ] * switch to the International edition * switch to the UK edition * switch to the US edition * switch to the Australia edition current edition: International edition * News * Opinion * Sport * Culture * Lifestyle [ ] Show More * (BUTTON) News + World news + UK news + Environment + Science + Cities + Global development + Football + Tech + Business + Obituaries * (BUTTON) Opinion + The Guardian view + Columnists + Cartoons + Opinion videos + Letters * (BUTTON) Sport + Football + Cricket + Rugby union + Tennis + Cycling + F1 + Golf + US sports * (BUTTON) Culture + Books + Music + TV & radio + Art & design + Film + Games + Classical + Stage * (BUTTON) Lifestyle + Fashion + Food + Recipes + Love & sex + Health & fitness + Home & garden + Women + Men + Family + Travel + Money ____________________ What term do you want to search? (BUTTON) Search with google * Make a contribution * Subscribe * (BUTTON) International edition + switch to the UK edition + switch to the US edition + switch to the Australia edition * Search jobs * Dating * Holidays * Digital Archive * Discount Codes * The Guardian app * Video * Podcasts * Pictures * Newsletters * Today's paper * Inside the Guardian * The Observer * Guardian Weekly * Crosswords * Facebook * Twitter * Search jobs * Dating * Holidays * Digital Archive * Discount Codes * Business * Economics * Banking * Money * Markets * Project Syndicate * B2B (BUTTON) More Rail industry This article is more than 3 years old HS1 owners consider sale after receiving offers This article is more than 3 years old Deal by Canada’s Borealis and Ontario Teachers is unlikely to affect day-to-day services on the high-speed line Gwyn Topham @GwynTopham Thu 8 Dec 2016 14.28 GMT Last modified on Sun 7 May 2017 17.48 BST * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email HS1 owns and manages four stations on its route, including St Pancras in London. [ ] HS1 owns and manages four stations on its route, including St Pancras in London. Photograph: Cate Gillon/Getty Images The pension funds that own the company running Britain’s only high-speed railway, HS1, are considering a sale after receiving a number of offers. The Canadian investors, Borealis and Ontario Teachers, have announced a strategic review of their ownership of HS1 Ltd, which operates and manages the line on a 30-year concession until 2040. Any sale is not expected to affect the day-to-day operation of services on HS1, which has been performing in line with investors’ expectations. Chris Grayling unveils plans for fully privatised rail line Read more HS1 is the 67-mile stretch of railway linking London to the Channel tunnel, on which both Eurostar and high-speed Southeastern services operate. Network Rail is subcontracted to manage the rail infrastructure, while HS1 owns and manages four of the stations on the route, with significant commercial income including retail at the flagship St Pancras International in London. A source said neither Borealis or Teachers had been looking to sell but had been approached by a number of potential investors “kicking the tyres” of HS1. The review could end with no sale, or the sale of a stake, but the Canadian owners, while traditionally long-term investors, are assessing the scale of other potential interest. Borealis and Teachers paid £2.1bn to the government for the concession in 2010. They also now own stakes in London City airport, as part of the consortium that bid in the £2bn takeover this year. Teachers has a HS1 share in Bristol and Birmingham airports, while Borealis is an investor in Associated British Ports. HS1 is the UK’s only high-speed railway to date. Parliament is expected to fully ratify plans for the London-Birmingham first phase of HS2 early in 2017, and the government may yet look at a similar concession model for the rail infrastructure. Significant interest in bidding for a rail line could boost the prospects of the planned line between Oxford and Cambridge, announced by the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, this week to be funded with private investment and operated separately from the rest of the network. Topics * Rail industry * Rail transport * Transport policy * Eurostar * Transport * news * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email * Share on LinkedIn * Share on Pinterest * Share on WhatsApp * Share on Messenger * Reuse this content View all comments > (BUTTON) Order by * (BUTTON) newest * (BUTTON) oldest * (BUTTON) recommendations (BUTTON) Show 25 * (BUTTON) 25 * (BUTTON) 50 * (BUTTON) 100 * (BUTTON) All (BUTTON) Threads * (BUTTON) collapsed * (BUTTON) expanded * (BUTTON) unthreaded Loading comments… Trouble loading? (BUTTON) View more comments more on this story * The Guardian view on Chris Grayling’s rail plans: small-minded, ideological and partisan Editorial: The UK government is putting more money into transport infrastructure but its dogmatic approach again risks benefiting the south at the expense of the north Published: 6 Dec 2016 The Guardian view on Chris Grayling’s rail plans: small-minded, ideological and partisan * Network Rail to lose sole control of rail maintenance Transport minister Chris Grayling believes using Virgin, Southern and other private firms will lead to savings, sources say Published: 3 Dec 2016 Network Rail to lose sole control of rail maintenance * Southern rail owner's chief operating officer lands HS1 top job Dyan Crowther to leave Govia and become CEO of high-speed link between London and start of Channel tunnel in Kent Published: 26 Sep 2016 Southern rail owner's chief operating officer lands HS1 top job * HS2 boss quits before key decision on high-speed rail project Simon Kirby announces departure as transport secretary is due to decide on phase two of controversial network Published: 10 Sep 2016 HS2 boss quits before key decision on high-speed rail project * + 'A very British form of privatisation': readers on Grayling's rail plans Published: 6 Dec 2016 'A very British form of privatisation': readers on Grayling's rail plans + HS2: the zombie train that refuses to die Published: 7 Jun 2016 HS2: the zombie train that refuses to die + Plans for Transport for London to take over capital's rail lines ditched Published: 6 Dec 2016 Plans for Transport for London to take over capital's rail lines ditched + A modern rail network in Scotland is long overdue Published: 21 Nov 2016 A modern rail network in Scotland is long overdue (BUTTON) More more on this story Most popular * Business * Economics * Banking * Money * Markets * Project Syndicate * B2B * News * Opinion * Sport * Culture * Lifestyle IFRAME: /email/form/footer/today-uk + Contact us + Complaints & corrections + SecureDrop + Work for us + Privacy policy + Cookie policy + Terms & conditions + Help + All topics + All writers + Digital newspaper archive + Facebook + Twitter + Advertise with us + Search UK jobs + Dating + Discount Codes Support The Guardian Available for everyone, funded by readers Contribute Subscribe Back to top © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. (BUTTON) Close [p?c1=2&c2=6035250&cv=2.0&cj=1&comscorekw=Rail+industry%2CRail+transpor t%2CTransport+policy%2CBusiness%2CEurostar%2CTransport%2CPolitics%2CUK+ news]