Inside London's 'ghost' station where international trains could finally stop after 24 years

The Standard gets exclusive tour of London’s ‘ghost’ station at heart of plan to expand international train services in capital

Eurostar trains thunder past at nearly 90mph.

Platforms shudder and an eery wind sweeps across the rails.

But there is no-one in sight.

The international station concourse in Stratford

LS

It is London’s “ghost” station at the heart of plans to improve international train services for millions of Londoners.

Despite remaining empty for so long, revamping Stratford to be a fully-functioning international station could cost as little as £20 million as so many of the facilities are already in place.

A passport control booth at the station

LS

A double door on a nondescript, blank wall is the entrance to the station, hugely underwhelming given that it could soon be the gateway to some of Europe’s most exciting cities.

An eery feeling echoes around the complex, including through the grandiose concourse with vast windows beckoning in natural light and offering views over Stratford, the Westfield shopping complex and the trains passing below.

A view of a passing train from inside Stratford International Station

The Standard

It is easy to imagine how passengers could soon be moving through the station, from ticket scanning, to security, bag checks and passport controls before descending to the platforms by escalator or lift.

Even the toilets are in place, having been put in long ago.

The Government is in talks with the French authorities about a Stratford halt and signs in both English and French speak to the ambitious yet doomed plans of the past.

Signs in both French and English at the station

LS

Unlike Grade I listed St Pancras International, Stratford is a modern facility that can be expanded or built on top of, with swanky plans for a spiral staircase to a premier mezzanine for a first class lounge.

The departures board at Stratford International Station

LS

Security cameras are already in place to ensure the safety of passengers in such a major transport hub.

The first international services could stop at Stratford from 2030 under the plans drawn up by City Hall.

The Mayor of London is seeking Government approval for a Business Rate Retention Zone to fund the transformation of the station.

But, the departures board at Stratford still remains blank.

Some 40 years on from when Sir Stephen first raised the possibility of a Stratford halt - when he was chairman of Newham planning committee in the late 1980s - international trains may finally be stopping in east London.