should the eurostar platforms at waterloo be mothballed or used for local trains?

Answer 1

That is the plan!
But first of all we are going to refurbish the rest of Waterloo station and using the Eurostar platforms when other platforms are closed. Then once the station if refurbished then all platform Will be used!
(By the way the person who said that the lines do not link the other main lines is wrong the old Eurostar line do join up the the main lines at Vauxhall and the train con join the suburban routes the Catford to Bromley South, or via Hernhill to Bromley South or the suburban lines toward Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Windsor. So they have their fact wrong otherwise how was it that Eurostar came through Catford/Hernhill and then into Bromley if the line was not linked?)

Answer 2

Eurostar platforms are at continental height (750mm) - UK platforms are a nominal 1000mm. Each platform is 1/4 of a mile long and there are 4 platforms, thats a lot of raising. The sunken Eurostar concourse will be raised to be at the same level as the platforms to allow for greater volumes of people to circulate Also included in the cost is the new junctions to allow access from the mainline routes (currently access is only availble from the Stewarts lane Flyover (where Eurostar joined the route into Waterloo) and 'Windsor lines' - The flyover is being demolished, with a possible new flyover being built to divert trains from the 'fasts' into the former international station. Even if the works only take a few months any major changes to services would have to wait for the national timetable change in December. Though As I understand it, Eurostar won't hand the station over to Network Rail and their contractors to start work for another 6 months...

Answer 3

Its not just the platforms but the supporting passport and other control offices taking up the space. I remember the Waterloo of 21 platforms and every one was busy. They have been able to cope with fewer platforms since Eurostar started. Best to keep them available in case St Pancras is not available but that would mean keeping Eurostar trains so that they could still operate on the dc third rail power supplies. Also Waterloo could provide an alternative route to the north if the N London Termini are not available for any reason but this would mean providing overhead power supplies for the trains between Waterloo and Willesden.

Answer 4

This is the long term plan, but it can't happen overnight as the Eurostar lines do not connect with the domestic lines near the station. This will require remodelling work of the station layout. Don't forget there will be high-speed services to Kent from the remodelled St. Pancras by 2009. The idea to redirect services to Charing Cross from Waterloo is nonsense - there just isn't the capacity at that small station.

Answer 5

They are going to be used for local/regional services - that was always plan as Waterloo was only ever a temporary base for the Eurostar

Answer 6

Of course, although probably more sense to use for the longer distance services out of Waterloo such as those to Southampton, Exeter, Weymouth which can support longer trains as stop at main stations than commuter or home counties services.
The proposal's to divert Charing X services in to Waterloo are probably a bit harder to achieve as the routes need to be redefined in South London to do this.
The problem is the cost of conversion means its not happening soon.

Answer 7

Just reuse them. I was not impressed by the euro-star provisions at Waterloo or Paris. The seating for waiting passengers was totally inadequate. They know how many seats there are on the train you have to be there about an hour in advance and the are about half the number of seats in the waiting area and there are on the train and the first class waiting room is nearly empty

Answer 8

Used! There's overcrowding at every central London station, so it doesn't make sense to leave platforms empty.

Answer 9

They will start using them for domestic trains next year.

Answer 10

Yes and there are in fact plans to reuse them. However they wont be available until 2012 which is not very good is it.