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Stratford International station

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"Stratford International" redirects here. For the closed, unaccredited university that was also known by that name, see Rutherford University.

Stratford International is a National Rail station in Stratford and a separate Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station nearby, located in East Village in London. Despite its name, no international services stop at the station; plans for it to be served by Eurostar trains never came to fruition. The National Rail platforms are served by Southeastern trains on the High Speed 1 route originating at London St Pancras International (which is served by Eurostar). On the DLR, it is a terminus – one of seven end-of-the-line termini – for local services via Canning Town and London City Airport.

Stratford International National Rail Docklands Light Railway
A view of the station with a Eurostar train on the through line. Domestic platforms are in the middle.
Stratford International is located in Greater London
Stratford International
Stratford International
Location of Stratford International in Greater London
LocationStratford (HS1)/East Village (DLR)
Local authorityLondon Borough of Newham
Managed byNetwork Rail (High Speed) for HS1 Ltd
Docklands Light Railway
OwnerLondon and Continental Railways
Transport for London
Station code(s)SFA
Number of platforms6 (4 National Rail- 2 in public use,[1] 2 DLR)
AccessibleYes
Fare zone2 and 3 (DLR services only; special fares apply on National Rail)
DLR annual boardings and alightings
2019Increase 3.931 million[2]
2020Decrease 2.284 million[3]
2021Increase 2.624 million[4]
2022Increase 3.890 million[5]
2023Increase 4.440 million[6]
National Rail annual entry and exit
2018–19Increase 2.831 million[7]
2019–20Increase 2.884 million[7]
2020–21Decrease 0.741 million[7]
2021–22Increase 1.949 million[7]
2022–23Increase 2.517 million[7]
Railway companies
Original companyLondon and Continental Railways
Key dates
30 November 2009 (30 November 2009)Opened (National Rail)
31 August 2011Opened (DLR)
Other information
External links
Coordinates51°32′41″N 0°00′31″W / 51.5448°N 0.0086°W / 51.5448; -0.0086
London transport portal

Construction of the National Rail station was completed in 2006, but it only opened in 2009 to serve Southeastern services on HS1.[8][9] In 2011, an extension of the DLR was opened to connect Stratford International to the wider London public transport network, and to the main Stratford station to the south. The DLR station is physically separate and located just across the road from the HS1 station. Oyster cards and contactless payment cards are valid for travel to and from Stratford International, with the DLR station in Travelcard zone 2/3, but special fares apply at the HS1 station.

The four-platform HS1 station is built within "Stratford Box", a 1.1-kilometre (0.7 mi) concrete-sided cutting, meaning the station is located below ground level.[10]: 154  It is located near the centre of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, adjacent to the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.

Background

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High Speed 1 station concourse
 
View from the station

The station is on the High Speed 1 railway between London St Pancras International and Ebbsfleet International. As the station lies just inside the eastern boundary of the London Olympic Park, much of the surrounding land was little more than a construction site until mid-2012.[11]

The tracks descend into a tunnel at both ends of the station as its platforms are closer to the surface than the tunnels; some of the platforms have a noticeable dip along their length at the east end. Stratford International has four platforms in the station box: two at the outer edges and two shorter ones forming a central island. The main line through tracks run down each side of the station between the adjacent platforms. There is a waiting room on the island platforms but not on the outer platforms. In the centre of the station is a single-track inclined viaduct, rising to the east end along and above the length of the island platforms. This is to allow out-of-service trains to leave the station box and reach the depot at Temple Mills.

35 metres (114 ft 10 in) beyond the eastern portals, the tunnels pass just underneath the Central line tunnels curving north from Stratford. The bottom invert of each Central line tunnel is only 4.3 metres (14 ft 1 in) and 8.0 metres (26 ft 3 in) above the high-speed running tunnels.[10]: 153–156 

The station was not authorised by the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996 and an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 had to be made to allow for its construction.[12] Construction work began on the station in July 2001.[13] Construction of the station was completed in 2006, with the station opening in 2009.[9]

Services

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National Rail

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Southeastern operates all trains serving the High Speed 1 station. The full service started on 13 December 2009 using Class 395 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[14]

Additional services, including two daily return services between London St Pancras International and Maidstone West call at the station during the peak hours.

During the 2012 Olympic Games, a service of eight trains an hour ran between St Pancras and Ebbsfleet, calling at Stratford, replacing the high speed service. Two of these would be extended to Ashford and one to Faversham. Between 11pm and 1am the service between St Pancras and Ebbsfleet would be increased to twelve per hour.[15] To enable the domestic services to stop at platforms previously designed for Eurostar trains, the platforms had to be raised.[16]

Docklands Light Railway

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DLR station soon after opening in 2011

The Docklands Light Railway extension to Stratford International consists of a short new line from Stratford International to Stratford station, then continues along the former North London Line route between Stratford and Canning Town, stopping at Stratford High Street (on the site of the original Stratford Market railway station), Abbey Road, West Ham and Star Lane before joining the existing DLR branches from Canning Town to Woolwich Arsenal. Its opening was originally planned for July 2010, but was delayed to 31 August 2011.[17]

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour from Stratford International is 6 tph to and from Woolwich Arsenal via Canning Town. Additional services run to and from the station during the peak hours, increasing the service up to 8 tph to and from the station.[18]

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Southeastern
  DLR
Terminus   Docklands Light Railway   Stratford

Connections

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London Bus routes 97, 108, 308, 339 and night route N205 serve the station.

International services

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The original intended purpose of Stratford International station was to act as the London stop for regional Eurostar trains bypassing St Pancras and continuing to other destinations in Britain.[19] However, these services did not come into being, and Rob Holden, chief executive of LCR and deputy chairman of Eurostar, stated that, "stopping a high-speed train seven minutes out of St Pancras is less than ideal", leaving only the domestic Southeastern trains serving the station.[19] Critics derided the station as a white elephant.[20]

By the time Southeastern was serving the station, the Transport Secretary Lord Adonis was urged by Sir Robin Wales, former Mayor of Newham, and Peter Miller, Westfield Stratford City's CEO, to order Eurostar to stop at the station.[21] John Burton, development director of Westfield's Stratford City mall, said domestic services were a "poor substitute" for Eurostar: "International commuters are essential in order to realise the vision of a major metropolitan centre for east London. Direct international services will be a key part of the legacy of the Olympics."[20]

Miller and local politicians including former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone warned that international services would be vital for the success of the Stratford City scheme and the regeneration of East London.[19][21] London Assembly member Andrew Boff has suggested that rail operators considering running international trains should be forced to stop at Stratford International as part of their High Speed 1 line access.[22] Eurostar did not agree to stop at the station during the 2012 London Olympics.[23]

There are several other potential operators that may use the station for international services. In 2010 Deutsche Bahn proposed a London-Frankfurt service,[24] but this was later abandoned.

Access and interchange

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Stratford stations
Legend
 Stratford International
 
 
 
 
DLR via Canning Town
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
High Speed 1
 
 
 
HL
 
 
 
 
 
 Stratford
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
North London line
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
West Anglia Main Line
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Great Eastern Main Line
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elizabeth line
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Central line
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DLR via Poplar
 
 
 
 
 
Jubilee line
 
LL
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DLR via Canning Town
 
 
 
 
 
 Stratford Market depot
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Stratford High Street
 
 
Source[25]

Access to the station was, at design stage, to be via a new link road to Waterden Road, which linked in turn to the A12 at Lea Interchange and south to Carpenters Road. This link road was constructed and a new signal junction installed on Waterden Road but never opened. However, these roads were stopped up in mid-2007 to enable the construction of the Olympic Park.[citation needed]

When opened it was located adjacent to the construction sites of both the London Olympic Park and Westfield Stratford City shopping centre which prevented pedestrian access; during local redevelopment work a temporary bus service linked Stratford International to nearby Stratford. The DLR station opened on 31 August 2011,[26] and Westfield Stratford City on 13 September 2011.[27] The bus service ran until 20 September.[28]

References

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  1. ^ "Extra trains for Westfield Stratford City opening" (Press release). Southeastern. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2019. Transport for London. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2020. Transport for London. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2021. Transport for London. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2022. Transport for London. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Station Usage Data" (XLSX). Usage Statistics for London Stations, 2023. Transport for London. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Estimates of station usage". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
  8. ^ "High speed". Southeastern.
  9. ^ a b Webster, Ben (21 April 2006). "Ghost train station that cost £210m". The Times. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
  10. ^ a b Jan Bakker, Klaas; Bezuijen, Adam; Broere, Wout (28 March 2006). Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference of TC28 of the ISSMGE: 15–17 June 2005. The Netherlands: Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780415889131. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  11. ^ "Eurostar unveils Ebbsfleet International Station as new high-speed gateway to continental Europe". eurostar.com. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
  12. ^ "The Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Stratford Station and Subsidiary Works) Order 2001". statutelaw.gov.uk. (SI 2001/1451)
  13. ^ "Thousands of jobs and new investment brought on line by final stage of Channel Tunnel rail link". Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. 2 July 2001. Archived from the original on 16 November 2001.
  14. ^ Table 192, 194, 199, 207, 212 National Rail timetable, December 2023
  15. ^ Southeastern. "Olympics timetable High Speed". Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  16. ^ Tom Edwards (7 September 2011). "Stratford platforms raised to host Javelin trains". BBC News. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  17. ^ "Docklands Light Railway extension marks one year to go to the London 2012 Paralympic Games". Transport for London. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  18. ^ "DLR train timetables". Transport for London. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  19. ^ a b c Webster, Ben (21 April 2006). "Ghost train station that cost £210m". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008.
  20. ^ a b Lydall, Ross (9 September 2010). "Stratford needs Eurostar, warns boss of Olympic mall". Evening Standard.
  21. ^ a b Lydall, Rob (17 February 2010). "Make Eurostar stop at Stratford International, ministers urged". Evening Standard.
  22. ^ News from Andrew Boff: Stratford International is white elephant, says Boff Greater London Authority, Andrew Boff 26 May 2010
  23. ^ "Eurostar 'will not stop' at Stratford International]". BBC News. 25 May 2010.
  24. ^ Jameson, Angela (10 March 2010). "Deutsche Bahn may run London to Frankfurt service". The Times. London. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  25. ^ Detailed map of London Tube, Underground, Overground, DLR, Tramlink & National Rail
  26. ^ "Docklands Light Railway opens to Stratford International". Railway Gazette International. 31 August 2011.
  27. ^ "Westfield Group Press Release". Westfield UK. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  28. ^ Stratford International details, nationalrail.co.uk, accessed 14 September 2011 archive
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