Memorandum submitted by London & Continental
Railways Limited
INTRODUCTION
1.1 London & Continental Railways Limited
(LCR) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Transport
Select Committee's Inquiry into transport provision for London
2012 Olympic Games.
What role will the private sector play in delivering
the infrastructure for the Olympic Games?
2.1 LCR is responsible for the construction
of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), the first major new railway
to be built in the UK for over a century. This high speed railway
is being built in two sections. The first section (CTRL Section
1), between the Channel Tunnel and Fawkham Junction in north Kent,
was opened on time and on budget in September 2003. The second
section (CTRL Section 2), from Fawkham Junction to St Pancras,
is currently being constructed. CTRL Section 2 includes new international
stations at Stratford, adjacent to the main 2012 Olympic Games
site and at Ebbsfleet, close to the M25.
2.2 CTRL Section 2 and the international
station at Stratford will be fundamental to the provision of the
only high speed public transport connection between the Olympics
site and central London (St Pancras). The station at Ebbsfleet,
Kent also offers a further convenient interchange for road users
wishing to travel to and from the Olympics site.
2.3 Construction of CTRL Section 2 began
in July 2001. All of the construction milestones have been met
with the new railway scheduled for completion in 2007. LCR's primary
role as infrastructure provider will be complete at that point.
2.4 Passenger services along CTRL Section
2 to and from continental Europe on Eurostar will commence in
2007. High speed trains for the Integrated Kent Franchise are
scheduled to operate from 2009; and the Javelin shuttle service
running for the Olympic Games.
How will the transport projects needed for the
games fit into an integrated long term transport plan for London?
Infrastructure Provision
3.1 The completion of CTRL five years ahead
of London's Olympics Games allows sufficient time for the link
to become fully integrated into London (and the UK's) transport
system and establish it as a fundamental feature of London's Olympic
transport planning. The high speed railway will be capable of
helping meet the public transport demands brought by the hosting
of the Olympic Games.
3.2 The new railway will bring major transport
benefits to London including:
— carrying up to eight Eurostars per
hour each way
— halving journey times between London
and the Channel Tunnel
— making commuter journeys to and
from Kent faster and more frequent
— the development of new international
stations, at Stratford and Ebbsfleet, to allow for the rapid transfer
of Olympic visitors across London and remove associated congestion
from the centre of the city. This will also allow more flights
to regional airports and alleviate the build up around major hubs.
— easier and faster international
travel by Eurostar will be possible from the Midlands and North.
Passenger Services
3.3 LCR is responsible for the construction
of CTRL and has a 99 year lease for the track and the commercial
opportunities created along the route. The maintenance and everyday
managing of the line, once completed, will be handled as a single
entity by Network Rail. This includes responsibility for the general
maintenance of the line, engineering, signalling and the integration
of services, as needed, with the rest of the UK network.
3.4 Given this division of responsibilities
LCR's role is to build an efficient effective rail link that will,
with proper maintenance, contribute greatly not only to transport
planning for the Olympics but for London in the long term. LCR
remains the UK shareholder in Eurostar and in this capacity will
continue to be involved in the efficient provision of the international
train service (Eurostar).
Will funding be diverted from other transport
projects?
4.1 LCR recognises the additional costs
inherent in preparing the London transport infrastructure for
the hosting of the 2012 games. LCR urges the Government to consider
carefully current or impending transport projects that might be
adversely affected by the Games, and which ultimately are needed
for an efficient transport system in London and the South East.
These include, for example, the completion of the Thameslink station
at St Pancras, the provision of the Northern Ticket Hall at Kings
Cross Underground and the construction of Crossrail.
Thameslink Station at St Pancras
4.2 As part of the building of the new international
terminus, LCR has completed the construction of the "box""
for a new Thameslink station to provide better passenger connections
with the Underground and Mainline stations at St Pancras and Kings
Cross. However, the Government has yet to agree to help fund the
fitting out of the "box"". This delay in funding
jeopardizes the effective dispersal of passengers arriving at
St Pancras International from 2007.
4.3 If the delay in the funding and construction
of the Thameslink box continues, it will jeopardize the efficient
movement of passengers for the Olympics.
Crossrail
4.4 The success of the Olympic bid has called
into question the timely construction of Crossrail. Some transport
commentators have suggested that Crossrail will need to be delayed
until after the Olympics, as the requisite skill base is likely
to be diverted to competing projects, with labour costs rising
accordingly.
4.5 If the start of construction of Crossrail
is delayed, there is a danger that the necessary skills base and
expertise could be dispersed and will be harder and more expensive
to replicate for Crossrail. These may include, although are not
limited to, engineers with tunneling experience, those who understand
the complexity of planning and design plus the logistics required
to engineer and build the ventilation systems, the track laying,
the signal systems plus station design and build.
Will the transport legacy be appropriate to the
needs of east London in the next two to three decades?
5.1 The CTRL will greatly enhance the quality
of transport throughout London and the South East. The quality
and speed of international and domestic services for passengers
will be transformed, offering a stimulus to many sectors of the
local economy.
5.2 The construction of the entire rail
link is estimated to have created almost 8,000 jobs. However the
long-term economic benefits have been estimated to include the
creation of more than 50,000 jobs around London and the South
East, and attract up to £8 billion in investment. Substantial
urban regeneration opportunities will be developed at Stratford
City and Kings Cross Central.
5.3 The construction of CTRL was also undertaken
with consideration of the environment in the area. Recognising
that all major infrastructure projects have an impact on the landscape,
plans for the CTRL were frequently scrutinised to ensure the minimum
disruption to the local environment .
SUMMARY OF
EVIDENCE
6.1 LCR will be the principal contributor
of new passenger transport infrastructure to London's Olympic
Park. The high speed railway and the stations at Stratford, St
Pancras and Ebbsfleet will all be operational from 2007, five
years ahead of the Olympics.
6.2 However, LCR is concerned that opportunities
could be missed to strengthen the integration of London's transport
network. Most notably this would include the delay in fitting
out of the new Thameslink station, a delay in the provision of
the Northern Ticket Hall, or postponing the beginning of construction
of Crossrail until after 2012.
19 October 2005
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