Eurostar plans to abandon Waterloo provides other opportunities

The news that Waterloo International will lose its Eurostar service to Paris and Brussels in three years time has prompted rail campaigners to suggest improvements to domestic rail services.

Ii offers an opportunity to achieve much enhanced services on the South Western main line and its presently underused branch lines in south-west London and Surrey, says John Pincham, the county councillor for Claygate and Hinchley Wood, Surrey.

Platforms 20-24 which are now used for Eurostars plus 19 could be used for long-distance fast trains. If there were no Eurostars tracks between Waterloo and Clapham Junction could be upgraded with the northern two tracks used by long distance trains using platforms 19-24.

With the removal or singling of the Stewarts Lane chord and better supporting the Brighton lines over Windsor lines west of Queenstown Road, an eight-track railway could be created between Waterloo and Clapham Junction, the northern two tracks being used by longer distance trains.

The other three pairs of tracks and platforms (1-18) at Waterloo could be divided between Windsor line trains, semi-fast trains using the existing fast lines and all stations suburban trains each operating on a self-contained basis.

New tunnels (without stations so minimising cost) would be needed for longer distance trains from the northern side of Clapham Junction surfacing and joining the existing main lines at New Malden.

These changes would permit a 50% increase in services to the south west including a restored 20-minute service frequency on branch lines.

The potential for increased access charges leviable throughout the South West Trains network could help justify the investment.

There would cease to be a need for investment to permit running longer and-or double-decker trains, which, while increasing peak hour capacity, would not permit increased frequency of services.

To mark its 10th anniversary Eurostar announced the closure of Waterloo International in 2007.

Eurostar had previously indicated that it would serve both Waterloo international - designed by Nicholas Grimshaw and completed in 1993 at a cost of £130million - and the new St Pancras International.

Eurostar communications director Paul Charles said: "After conducting extensive research, we have concluded that the benefits of moving the whole of Eurostar's operation to St Pancras International substantially outweigh the need to operate a handful of services from Waterloo.

"This move will bring many new passengers for Eurostar from other parts of London and south-east England, the Midlands and Yorkshire and, additionally, benefit domestic commuters using Waterloo."

The closure of Waterloo will be a blow for regular international passengers from Southern, South Eastern and South West Trains who have become accustomed to a simple interchange at Waterloo.

The closure of Waterloo International will make Ashford, Kent, more important.

It also boosts the case to provide a chord from Crossrail to enable trains to run between Dartford and Ebbsfleet International.