The consortium will take on the management of the 68-mile line, which links London to the Channel Tunnel, later this month.
The consortium will be responsible for running the line, as well as stations including St Pancras International, and the international stations at Stratford, Ashford and Ebbsfleet.
UK Transport secretary Philip Hammond said: ‘The £2.1bn receipt exceeds the highest expectations for the sale and will make a welcome contribution to reducing the deficit.’
The performance of the line’s new operator will be monitored by the Office of Rail Regulation.
High Speed 1 is currently used by international Eurostar services between London and European destinations.
Southeastern Trains operates domestic high-speed services on the line and Deutsche Bahn recently announced its intention to commence running high-speed trains from London to Frankfurt via Brussels and Cologne, as well as to Amsterdam in 2013.
Swiss geoengineering start-up targets methane removal
No mention whatsoever about the effect of increased methane levels/iron chloride in the ocean on the pH and chemical properties of the ocean - are we...