Eurostar Depot for Stratford
10 Dec 2004
Eurostar is to have a new maintenance depot in east London. Transport Secretary Alastair Darling has confirmed that a new maintenance depot linked to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) will be constructed at Temple Mills near Stratford in east London. The new depot will come into service when Eurostar trains begin to operate from London St. Pancras International in 2007, following completion of Section 2 of the CTRL from north Kent into St. Pancras. It will replace the current North Pole International depot in west London.
Original plans for the CTRL envisaged Eurostars from St. Pancras continuing to use North Pole International via the west London line. However, increases in traffic on the already-busy North London line mean that Eurostars cannot be accommodated without costly and disruptive infrastructure improvements.
A depot at Temple Mills was always seen as a likely longer term requirement of the overall CTRL project. Provision for it was made in the CTRL Act, and the Government has now decided to bring construction forward in the interests of efficient operation of the CTRL service and the Eurostar fleet. The depot will be on existing railway land a mile north of the CTRL station at Stratford. Rail access will be commensurate with the larger European loading gauge. Like the rest of the CTRL, it can be used in the future by trains built to more generous European dimensions.
Commenting on Alastair Darling’s announcement Rob Holden, Chairman of London & Continental Railways said, ‘We are very pleased to have reached agreement on the last significant piece of the CTRL project. The new depot will underpin Eurostar’s expanded operations from St. Pancras and will also be a significant employer, during both construction and operation.’
The Government has agreed in principle with LCR to provide up to £402m for the new depot, which is not included in LCR’s finance package for the CTRL. Preliminary works have already started on site.