The 800 Million Pound Railway Station

The Icon Men

30 min

With the base build complete, St Pancras must start its face lift. Commercial Director Mike Luddy dreams of creating a new style of station and of transforming St Pancras into a luxury destination in its own right. Instead of fast food outlets he wants to install gastro pubs and fine dining. The highlight will be the longest champagne bar in Europe and a nine metre high bronze statue which he hopes will be an iconic centrepiece for the station.

The Sharp End

30 min

A team of spin doctors and marketing gurus have to sell Commercial Director Mike Luddy's vision for St Pancras station. They need to convince press and public that a place synonymous with prostitution, drugs and violent crime has been transformed into the chic destination station for Europe. But deadlines are slipping and the picture looks very different on the ground. The builders are behind schedule, the 60 shops may not finish work on time and there are critical problems with the cherry on the St Pancras cake - a 9 meter statue specially commissioned for the station. And with the station opening in just a few weeks time and Eurostar already selling tickets from their new destination will St Pancras be ready in time?

The Unveiling

30 min

The culmination of 11 years work and £5.8 billion of public and private money. While the builders and engineers labour 7 days a week to try and finish major construction works Head of Marketing Jon Teeman is planning an enormous opening ceremony. A 1,000 seat arena is being erected and Her Majesty the Queen has agreed to open the station. With an invitation list boasting the great and the good and the eyes of the world's media upon them the opening night has to be a success. Meanwhile the station is still not finished and the builders must complete works in order for Eurostar to start running. With an expected 50 million passengers per year due to start travelling from the station on November 14th the deadline must be hit at all costs.