London Banter - View Single Post - Waterloo concourse ideas

Denis McMahon[_3_]

On 15/11/10 19:55, wrote:
It seems that this is another example of Network Rail wanting to turn
a prime site into a shopping centre, but just about tolerating
passengers (as being the prime source of customers for the shops).
What's really needed is small booths selling coffee etc. at platform
level for those of us compelled to use the trains - at a position
convenient to the trains. Who, in a rush to get their cattletruck
home, is going to go up escalators into a "shopping experience" in
search of a cup of tea?

Interesting to note that the one ground-floor level shop remaining in
the artist's impression is some sort of fashion emporium. That says it
all really! I've just to GOT to get my latest Gucci handbag en route
to platform 19 for the 18.20 to Staines!

Exactly. Not to mention the bottleneck that the escalators / lifts will be.

So the shops will lose revenue, and go bust or inflate their prices and
lose more revenue, and eventually go bust.

So then there will be this expensive white elephant project that needs
to be paid for, but which isn't generating revenue.

NR aren't worried though, if the government won't bail them out
(taxpayers pockets) they can simply charge the TOCs more to use the
station (which will come from taxpayers pockets).

Commuters don't spend 30 minutes each time they visit Waterloo wandering
round the shops, and it's not like Victoria which is (a) the London end
of some of a busy airport's main rail links (b) In a much more touristy
area and (c) better served by Underground services for visitors to the
capital.

So, who is going to use these new shops, and how where is the extra shop
turnover going to come from that will pay for the increased rents that
will be used to pay off the bank loans that the developers will,
doubtless, require NR to indemnify.

The only ways that NR will be able to pay for the white elephant when
the developer discovers that the shops can't afford the higher rents on
their reduction in passing trade induced lower turnovers will be to
either dip into taxpayers pockets or force the TOCs to dip into
passengers pockets!

Rgds

Denis McMahon