An interview with Justin Jones of London & Contintental Railways
Justin Jones, Development Projects Surveyor at London & Continental Railways, the company behind the new st Pancras International station in London, tells us more about the project.
When did construction start on the new St Pancras International?
Construction work began at St Pancras in October 2001. Work had already started on High Speed 1 in 1996.
Why was St Pancras chosen as the new Eurostar terminal? For instance, has it better train links from the north of England than Waterloo did?
The combination of St Pancras International, King’s Cross and Euston provides much better access to Eurostar’s services for many more people across the UK. Between them, these stations provide connections with seven domestic mainlines and St Pancras International is served by six underground lines. The northern route also provided the opportunity for the railway to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of major sites at King’s Cross, Stratford and Ebbsfleet as well as the Thames Gateway.
Who was behind the new vision/plans for the station?
London & Continental Railways (LCR) won the government tender to deliver the High Speed 1 project. This included the provision of 68 miles of new high speed rail, new international stations at Ashford, Ebssfleet and Stratford as well as the renovation and modernization of the existing St Pancras station to become St Pancras International – Europe’s first ‘Destination Station’
What has the redevelopment plan involved?
A complete overhaul, repair and renovation of the Barlow Trainshed at St Pancras to house Eurostar train services, the renovation and modernisation of the Midland Grand Hotel, refurbishment of the Undercroft area from warehouse storage area to Eurostar arrivals and departures and a shopping arcade while more than doubling the size of St Pancras by extending the station northwards to accommodate Midland Mainline services and, from 2009, the Kent Domestic High Speed services . LCR’s remit also included the provision of a new subterranean station for Thameslink (now First Capital Connect) services.
How much did it cost?
£800m as part of a total project cost of £5.8bn. The entire High Speed 1 project has been delivered on time and within budget.
Where there any difficulties experienced during the project?
Keeping St Pancras running as an operational station throughout the works was a major challenge. This was achieved by delivering the Interim station and associated works.
Were coach groups considered as part of the new plans and how?
Yes they were. The six coach bays within the coach road were designed to make group travel to and from St Pancras as seamless as possible. The pedestrian route takes passengers directly into the Circle area which is then only a short walk to National and International Services.
Has anything specific been added for groups? For instance, is there now a groups check in desk for Eurostar or through booking for those groups travelling by train from the north of England to the Continent?
Eurostar does have a group welcome desk at St Pancras International and since the 14th November individuals from over 68 UK towns and cities have been able to buy through fares to destinations thoughout France and Belgium. As part of the next phase of developing through fares, Eurostar plans to include tickets from more UK towns and destinations and to introduce a range of group through fares.
There are currently six coach bays at the new station for picking up and dropping off; has there been any discussion about a booking in system yet?
There are currently no plans for a booking-in system. Coaches dropping groups off for departure can simply turn up. However, we would ask coaches picking arriving groups up to arrive no earlier than the specified arrival time of the train, on which the group is arriving at St Pancras International.
Staying on this subject, when the station opened, there was nowhere for coaches to wait if, for instance, the train they were waiting to pick a group up from was delayed. Has the problem of a holding area for coaches been resolved yet?
The issue of a holding area for coaches is still being examined.
There has been some talk of the distance between the Eurostar platform and the coach drop off/pick up point being too far – perhaps you could clarify how far a coach group would actually have to walk?
The walk between the coach drop off/pick up point and the Eurostar platforms is a five minute walk.
Have you had any feedback yet from passengers, particularly groups, about the new station and how they find it?
Our feedback so far has been generally positive.
Are there any further plans for St Pancras or is the project now complete?
The redevelopment is part of a much wider regeneration project in Kings Cross. Wider plans include the Kings Cross Central Regeneration Project scheme, the completion of the London Underground improvement works, the refurbishment of King’s Cross station and the development of the Chambers into the Marriott Hotel.