Alliance looks to reopen all Waterloo International platforms

An alliance set up to boost capacity on London’s commuter railway has set out proposals to reopen the four remaining empty platforms at Waterloo International, having already committed to returning trains to the abandoned platform 20.

The South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance has announced its intention to reopen platforms 21 to 24 in an attempt to increase capacity from Waterloo.

It was already understood that the alliance was working to return services to platform 20 from spring 2014 after the final Eurostar service left Waterloo International in November 2007 and moved to St Pancras.

In a statement released today (August 14), South West Trains said: “The blueprint to deliver capacity for almost 10,000 extra peak-time passengers on the route in and out of London Waterloo by 2019 could involve a staged programme of additional, longer trains, platform extensions and re-openings, as well as signalling, track and power supply improvements.”

The strategy includes plans to extend platforms 1-4 to accommodate longer trains and to carry out track and signalling improvements.

The alliance is also hoping to see the first of a new fleet of trains arrive in 2016, having already launched a procurement process for 135 carriages.

Tim Shoveller, managing director of the alliance, said: “Our network is currently one of the busiest in Europe carrying more than 210 million passengers a year.

“We already have confirmed plans we have in place to deliver improvements in capacity over the next two years. However, the huge success of the railway in the UK means it will get significantly busier in the next two decades and beyond.”




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