Stratford Travolater
 

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?

Stratford Travolater
 

wrote in message
ups.com...
Tonights Evening Standard

Quote

quote snipped

Unquote

Since when did compliance with planning permission become voluntary?


Since big business learnt that it could do what it liked with little
comeback. Any fine imposed for failure to comply is likely to be loose
change compared to installing the equipment.

Stratford Travolater
 

In message . com,
writes

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".

The story (like most in the E.S.) is hardly new - this was known months,
if not years ago.

However, the suspicion has always been that Union Railways want
passengers to walk past a quarter of a mile of retail outlets when
transferring between the two stations. A travelator, from which
passengers could not alight en route, would spell death to such
commercial ambitions.

--
Paul Terry

Stratford Travolater
 

Paul Terry wrote:
However, the suspicion has always been that Union Railways want
passengers to walk past a quarter of a mile of retail outlets when
transferring between the two stations. A travelator, from which
passengers could not alight en route, would spell death to such
commercial ambitions.

This is, I'm sure, is the critical point. Union Railways is a
subsidiary company of London and Continental Railways (LCR). If you
look at the LCR Properties website below , and consider that LCR
doesn't even run the Eurostar operation but rather outsources it to
'Inter-Capital & Regional Rail', you soon get the feel for what LCR is
focused on. Which is property, and therefore retail opportunies.

http://www.lcrproperties.com/

The LCR company structure is detailed he
http://www.lcrproperties.com/html/bodies/lcr/group.html

Stratford Travolater
 

Paul Terry wrote:
In message . com,
writes

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".

The story (like most in the E.S.) is hardly new - this was known months,
if not years ago.

However, the suspicion has always been that Union Railways want
passengers to walk past a quarter of a mile of retail outlets when
transferring between the two stations. A travelator, from which
passengers could not alight en route, would spell death to such
commercial ambitions.

Surely a compromise is possible, e.g. 3 or 4 shorter travelators with
gaps in between so that people can get off and go shopping - no doubt
many would want to.

Stratford Travolater
 

On Thu, 2 Jun 2005 17:43:43 +0100, Paul Terry wrote:

However, the suspicion has always been that Union Railways want
passengers to walk past a quarter of a mile of retail outlets when
transferring between the two stations. A travelator, from which
passengers could not alight en route, would spell death to such
commercial ambitions.

I can't see that being allowed on H&S grounds. It would have to be a
series of shorter Travs with gaps.

--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9680316.html
(84 003 looks a little forlorn outside Derby Research Centre in 1985)

Stratford Travolater
 

Since when did compliance with planning
permission become voluntary?

Didn't the plans for St Pancras feature a travelator at one stage? And
wasn't that, too, deleted?

Stratford Travolater
 

Chris Tolley wrote:
On Thu, 2 Jun 2005 17:43:43 +0100, Paul Terry wrote:


However, the suspicion has always been that Union Railways want
passengers to walk past a quarter of a mile of retail outlets when
transferring between the two stations. A travelator, from which
passengers could not alight en route, would spell death to such
commercial ambitions.


I can't see that being allowed on H&S grounds. It would have to be a
series of shorter Travs with gaps.

Such as already exists in many airports -- a gap for each gate.

Stratford Travolater
 

James Farrar wrote:

However, the suspicion has always been that Union Railways want
passengers to walk past a quarter of a mile of retail outlets when
transferring between the two stations. A travelator, from which
passengers could not alight en route, would spell death to such
commercial ambitions.

I can't see that being allowed on H&S grounds. It would have to be a
series of shorter Travs with gaps.

Such as already exists in many airports -- a gap for each gate.

Yeah but that doen't allow for easy getting on an off. You're only likely to
see a retail outlet after you could conceivably have got off for it.

Are there any travelators in the shopping areas of airports?

Stratford Travolater
 

Tim Roll-Pickering wrote:
James Farrar wrote:
Such as already exists in many airports -- a gap for each gate.

Yeah but that doen't allow for easy getting on an off. You're only likely to
see a retail outlet after you could conceivably have got off for it.

Are there any travelators in the shopping areas of airports?

Barcelona (which is huge and has more shops than your average shopping
centre) has a series of travelators, as described, with gaps so that
you can jump off when you see a shop that you like... (or your gate,
but catching a plane feels very much like a secondary activity)

Incidentally, I was in Paris last weekend, and was disappointed to see
that the high speed travolator (9km/h) at Invalides is out of service
and fenced off. Not sure if it's waiting to be repaired or if it just
turned out to be too dangerous!