"No decision" on Stratford stop for Eurostar
Eurostar hasn't completely dismissed the notion of stopping at Stratford, but admits it has "no immediate plans" to do so.
Stratford International station had been billed as London's second Eurostar station before it opened in 2006, but it remains out in the cold in the current set-up.
It will be a key part of Southeastern's high-speed rail route from St Pancras to Kent stations such as Margate, Canterbury, Ashford and Ramsgate when the full service launches on December 13. However, the £238million station may have to wait to join St Pancras and Ebbsfleet on the Eurostar timetable, if it ends up on there at all.
When asked about immediate plans for the east London stop, A Eurostar spokeswoman said: "We haven't made a decision yet.
"As you can probably appreciate, when you're in the middle of an economic downturn, you have to look at things very carefully. Business traffic is down, although we're doing well with leisure travel.
"We're a commercial organisation and if we see an opportunity we'll decide on it then, but we have no immediate plans."
Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown told the French press back in 2007 that he hoped to see Eurostar stop in Stratford before the Olympics in 2012, but the company told The Wharf at the time that there were concerns about the lack of "strong public transport links" from the area.
Transport providers have since been striving to fill that gap. Along with the full roll-out of Southeastern High Speed, DLR will unveil its Stratford International extension in summer 2010, linking the station to the Beckton and Woolwich Arsenal lines via Canning Town.
However, Eurostar has confirmed that it is contractually unable to stop at Stratford during the Olympics.
Even if plans were realised by 2012, the Javelin high speed trains "would take priority". This means Eurostar travellers from France would have to transfer to the Javelin from either Ebbsfleet or St Pancras.
Southeastern will run the Javelin service on behalf of the Olympic Delivery Authority between St Pancras and Ebbsfleet during the games.
The ODA has pledged that trains will take passengers from St Pancras to Stratford in seven minutes.
The trains are the same Class 395 models that will be used by Southeastern High Speed, and will run on the same line.
However, they will only be officially referred to as Javelins during the games themselves, as the British Olympic Association copyrighted the name in 2006.
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I just don't understand the logic of this. What's at Ebbsfleet? Nothing. Certainly no transport links to speak of, apart from the one rail line. Stratford on the other hand, has 2 tube lines, 2 DLR branches (one of which opens next year), London Overground, and countless national rail options to the north, south, east and west. Stansted and City airports have direct rail links, and Crossrail will multiply the accessibility and give a direct Heathrow link. Roads-wise, the M11, A12 and north circular are all just minutes away, allowing much easier routes to the rest of the country than the other international stations.
Oh, and there'll be Westfield Stratford City, which should be a worthy attraction, along with whatever they eventually do with the Olympic area.
Eurostar at Stratford is surely a no-brainer, so who needs Ebbsfleet?! If increased travel times caused by an extra stop are the main issue, I know which station I'd mothball!
Just madness Eurostar not stopping at Stratford very short sighted. I agree with the previous comments. The transport system in Stratford is probably one of the best in the country and both stratford and maryland stations will soon have crossrail I believe that it would be very well used and compliment the rest of the transport system and I hope that Eurostar will change their minds and stop at stratford I have a feeling that they would not regret it.