Eurostar”s imminent arrival at St Pancras on 14 November, is good news for Heathrow and its carriers and not the opposite. The timing is perfect, with the introduction of T5 and the new EU-US Open Skies agreement, both active from next April.
What about Waterloo ” does it have a future for the airlines?
During the last two weeks, Eurostar has demonstrated to the travel trade and press just how good its new train services are likely to be from both Brussels and Paris, with demonstration runs easily beating the planned respective times of 1h51min and 2h15min.
No more the slow run into London over busy commuter lines with the inevitable delays. The dedicated track means 186mph (300kph) virtually all the way, with the railway able to improve its already very good 91% on time arrival record.
Yes, regular users from South London will miss Waterloo with its relatively easy access but they are compensated with a new station Ebbsfleet (from 19 November), just off the M25 in north Kent. Or they can take the Underground to Kings Cross-St Pancras, served by six lines.
Waterloo is more than compensated by a huge new catchment area stretching as far north as Leeds. Eurostar will be heavily promoting Railteam, a partnership between Europe”s leading high-speed train operators, that is developing simpler ways to book and travel on the fast expanding European high-speed rail network. Lille, 1h20min from St Pancras, will be the major connecting point.
From next April, air services between the world”s major international airport and both Brussels and Paris will be more or less outmoded. Yes, a frequency of sorts will be retained, and there are of course those who find Heathrow more convenient than St Pancras, plus others who make long haul connections at the airport. With regional routes to France and Holland likely to go too, and these in the main operated by small aircraft, this opens up more slots.
In will come the widebodies and much more efficient use of scarce runway space. The biggest beneficiary will be Open Skies, the slot trading still going on, mainly among Skyteam members, but Continental, Northwest and US Airways are likely to arrive at Heathrow for April 2008.
Bmi has already withdrawn its Paris services. The announcement last week that British Airways was moving some fights from Gatwick could only have been possible by manipulation at Heathrow.
But what happens to the international terminal at Waterloo? It will be redundant. Or will it?
Besides all its other services Waterloo is the London terminus of the rail line to Staines.
When T5 was conceived the planners realised that its railway station should look west as well as east. Six platforms have been built, two for the Heathrow Express and two for the Piccadilly Line. A (relatively simple) scheme for a link to Staines is in place. Now is the time to promote it. The Department for Transport is considering what to do with the redundant tracks and terminal at Waterloo and plans to make an announcement within 12 months.
ABTN says make Waterloo another gateway to Heathrow. Save Waterloo International. Ok the train service will not be as fast (nor probably as expensive) as the Heathrow Express, but it will be part of the philosophy of taking people off the roads and also help to relieve the much congested Piccadilly Line. And it could be easily up and running in less than three years” time.
The current Waterloo ” Staines line runs via Clapham Junction, which would also provide a useful connection for Gatwick.
Waterloo may not have disappeared as far as air travel is concerned. More slots for bigger aircraft are now available. Eurostar is good news for the airlines.
” Waterloo International image: ChrisO.