Tonights Evening Standard

Quote

Rail passengers face quarter mile trek
By Dick Murray Transport Editor, Evening Standard
Passengers may have to walk nearly a quarter of a mile to connections
with mainline train services when the Channel Tunnel high-speed rail
link opens in two years.
Plans for an airport-style travelator linking the new Eurostar
international station at Stratford with the existing station are set to
be ditched by rail chiefs.
Last month it was revealed that passengers would have to walk a third
of a mile to connect with Eurostar services because the Government has
delayed funding for the completion of a "ghost station" at St Pancras.
Now a similar problem has arisen at Stratford as Union Railways, parent
company of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), wants to scrap plans
for the ?20-25million 400-metre travelator on cost grounds.
It was to have helped transfer passengers between the two Stratford
stations as well as commuters arriving to use domestic services to and
from Kent. The Government, when granting permission for the
construction of the London end of the high-speed link, inserted a
condition that there must be a connecting travelator, or similar,
between the two Stratford stations.
Newham council chiefs are now furious that Union Railways bosses have
ignored the condition.
"It is a ridiculous situation," said one. "The new station is costing
?80million and many users will still be left to carry their bags and
cases nearly a quarter of a mile."
Brian Cooke, chairman of the watchdog London Transport Users'
Committee, said: "The committee is adamant that some mechanical means
be provided to assist passengers. A travelator would be ideal.
"If Union Railways has a better idea then we will listen to it but we
will strongly resist any move to drop the condition."
A confidential Newham council report, seen by the Evening Standard,
states that Union Railways has "made clear" it does not wish to comply
with the travelator condition "on the grounds that they do not have a
budget for development of the link".
A council spokesman said: "With Transport for London we are looking at
the options for an interchange between the two Stratford stations to
identify the most appropriate solution. Union Railways have been asked
to participate with these studies."
David Joy, planning director of London and Continental Railways,
Eurostar holding company and responsible for corporate management of
real estate for the link and stations, said: "We have never been keen
on the travelator idea."
He said a report now awaited from London Underground into large-scale
improvements at the existing Stratford station could include a
travelator.

Unquote

Since when did compliance with planning permission become voluntary?