Eurostar trains would stop at Stratford International in a huge economic boost to East London under proposals being revived by a senior Labour MP.
Sir Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham, first proposed international trains stopping at Stratford when he was chairman of Newham planning committee in the late 1980s.
With St Pancras International now struggling to cope with passenger numbers at times, Sir Stephen believes there is a growing case for Eurostar services to stop at the East London station.
He told The Standard: “It would be another very significant boost to employment and prosperity in east London.”
The Stratford shopping complex, and the 2012 Olympics, were key in helping to regenerate this part of the capital.
But Sir Stephen, who has represented East Ham since 1994, believes international trains would make the area even more attractive for firms to locate in.
“I’m quite sure we would get more investment and companies coming,” he said.
Eurostar trains would leave St Pancras and stop at Stratford International on their way to Kent and the Continent under the proposal, and do the reverse for inbound services to the UK.
For this to happen would require new immigration posts being set up at the Stratford station, as already exist at St Pancras.
The capital costs would be limited but there would be a significant running cost bill for immigration staff.
However, Sir Stephen, believes the case is growing for such a development given how crowded St Pancras is at times and with the aim of getting more and more people to travel by train to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and possibly other destinations such as Cologne, rather than fly with the impact on climate change.
Stratford has railway history dating back to around 1840.
Under initial plans for Eurostar services, Stratford International would have been a London stop for trains heading north of the capital to other regions.
However, given that these links have not yet been set up, rail chiefs have argued against stopping a high speed rail service just seven minutes from St Pancras.
Rail services linking the UK to continental Europe have also not stopped at Ashford or Ebbsfleet since March 2020.
Eurostar said it had no plans to go to Stratford International and that changes for Kent were not in its plans for 24/25.
The Department for Transport’s position is that decisions on which stations to operate to is a commercial and operational one for Eurostar, as the only international operator.
But ministers are stressing the importance of smooth passenger flows for international rail services, especially as a new e-borders system for the European Union is being introduced in November.
The Department for Transport is working with the Home Office and rail companies to prepare for the implementation of the EU’s Entry Exit System and to support contingency planning at St Pancras to ensure the continued smooth flow of passengers.
