The London Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, is progressing plans which could see international trains stopping at Stratford International Station within the next four years.
Stratford International Station could be open for international services to operate by 2030 at an estimated cost of £20 million, with one in three trains to and from France to stop at the station.
Sir Khan told The Standard that he is working closely with the government to make the station truly international – providing new opportunities for jobs, investment and tourism, while connecting the UK capital directly to Europe.
The development, backed by businesses and train drivers’ union Aslef, would provide easier access to international rail services for around five million people in London, without having to use St Pancras International Station. The aim is to have Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam services halting in east London, and potentially other destinations such as Germany and Switzerland.
Travellers arriving to Stratford International would be able to hop onto the DLR for the three-minute journey, or eight-minute walk, to Stratford regional station to connect with the Jubilee line, Elizabeth line, Central line or London Overground to conveniently reach central London.
According to some estimates, a Stratford stop for international trains could deliver a boost to east London of between £2billion to £3billion over 60 years, as the area would become a viable option for multi-national and other companies to locate headquarters, offices and other facilities.
Work would be required to improve the flow of passengers through the station - from arrival to ticket scanning, going through security with bag checks, passport controls and into a waiting area – and shops, refreshment outlets and other facilities would need to be built. Currently, the station only has the capacity for around 250 to 300 passengers at a time, compared to 2,500 to 3,000 per hour at St Pancras.
The Mayor is in talks with the government regarding a Business Rate Retention Zone to fund the major rail development, which would mean London keeping more business rates raised in the city rather than the money being siphoned off to fund other regions.