Stratford International on track to get cross-Channel trains in budget boost
Summary
Stratford International train station in east London is set to receive government funding to upgrade and start running international train services. This upgrade will enable trains from Europe to stop there, supporting more jobs, investment, and tourism in the area.Key Facts
- Stratford International currently only serves domestic trains but Eurostar trains pass through without stopping.
- London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has pushed for funding to make the station fully "international."
- Upgrading the station will cost about £20 million and include adding border controls, security checks, and passenger facilities.
- The plan is for approximately one in three cross-Channel trains to stop at Stratford International.
- The station opened in 2009, originally meant for Eurostar international services, but these were never fully implemented.
- Chancellor John Healey is considering allowing local business rate growth to help pay for the station’s redevelopment.
- Virgin plans to start international rail services from London to Europe in 2030, competing with Eurostar, and may include Stratford as a stop.
- Another company, Gemini Trains, aims to run trains from Stratford to France, Belgium, and Germany but has not yet secured necessary track and depot access.
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