London rail revolution set to connect Stratford with Europe
Mayor Sadiq Khan is advancing plans to bring international trains to Stratford International within four years. The estimated £20 million project could allow…
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is advancing a plan to bring international trains to Stratford International in east London, where unused platforms could be reopened for cross-Channel services within four years. The estimated £20 million project could make it easier for around five million people in and around the capital to reach international trains without travelling to St Pancras International.
The proposal would make Stratford a stop, not a new London terminal. It could add five to eight minutes to journeys to or from the Continent.
“We’ve been working closely with the Government to make Stratford International truly ‘international’ for the first time,” Khan told the London Evening Standard. He said the plan would open opportunities for jobs, investment and tourism while connecting an economic centre in east London directly to Europe.
London rail revolution targets unused platforms
Under the proposal, one in three trains to and from France may stop at Stratford. The intended destinations include Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Operators are also considering services to destinations in Germany and Switzerland, according to the Evening Standard.
The station was completed in 2006, but opened in 2009 for Southeastern services to Kent. Its two international platforms and the area intended for international passengers have remained effectively mothballed, including during the 2012 London Olympics.
Reopening the international section would require changes to how passengers move through the station. The process would need to accommodate ticket scanning, security checks and baggage inspections, passport controls and a waiting area. Shops, refreshment outlets and other facilities would also need to be installed, although toilets are already available.
Capacity is a constraint. Stratford International can accommodate 250 to 300 passengers at a time, compared with 2,500 to 3,000 per hour at St Pancras, the Evening Standard reported. The proposal envisages trains stopping at Stratford rather than using it as a large terminal.
Connections and the east London impact
Passengers arriving at Stratford International could take the DLR for a three-minute journey or walk eight minutes to Stratford regional station. From there, they could connect with the Jubilee, Elizabeth and Central lines or London Overground for journeys to central London and other parts of the city.
That link could change access to international rail for residents across the capital. The proposal is intended to give around five million people an alternative to travelling to St Pancras, while connecting east London to destinations on the Continent. The wider transport benefit depends on international operators choosing to stop and on the station being ready to handle security and border procedures.
In the longer term, Stratford could become a hub connecting rail services from the North and Midlands with the international network. The stated aim is to make train travel to the Continent available to more people, rather than relying on flights described in the proposal as more environmentally damaging.
Estimates cited by the Evening Standard put the potential boost to east London at between £2 billion and £3 billion over 60 years. The paper said the stop could make the area more attractive to multinational and other companies considering headquarters, offices and other facilities; it also reported that a large number of development sites are available.
Businesses and train drivers’ union Aslef back the proposal. Virgin is exploring whether to stop services at Stratford as it seeks to compete with Eurostar from 2030, the Evening Standard reported. The station’s international section could return to use within years, but the work needed to prepare it includes passenger handling, security and passport controls.
Source: standard.co.uk
