Watchdog warns of delays to vital link at Stratford station

Brian Cooke, chairman of London TravelWatch, has written to ministers expressing his "deep concern about the lack of progress on interchange arrangements" at the already busy east London rail hub.

Mr Cooke said there is still no "satisfactory arrangement" for passengers to transfer between the new Southeastern high-speed domestic trains and rail and Tube services at Stratford.

The new services, which will run on the Channel Tunnel link from Ashford into St Pancras via the new international station at Stratford, are due to begin in December next year. They will use the "Olympic Javelin" trains and will run between Eurostar services.

But, said Mr Cooke, arrangements have still not been worked out about how passengers can transfer safely and quickly between the old and new stations - and whether work will be finished in time for the Olympics.

In a stinging attack, Mr Cooke said: "It is London TravelWatch's view that it is essential that the Southeastern services call at Stratford from December 2009 to allow passengers to interchange for destinations in the City and Docklands and that this interchange needs to be welcoming and safe for passengers."

He said if the new high-speed servicesare unable to stop at Stratford it will put "unacceptable levels" of overcrowding on existing Southeastern services into Cannon Street and London Bridge, and also the Jubilee line which connects London Bridge with Stratford and Docklands by Tube.

Mr Cooke said the interchange facilities-would require construction of a new bridge for passengers between the old and new stations at Stratford, a new entrance for the existing station and a "safe means" of getting passengers between the two sites until building is finished by 2012.

The watchdog continued: "As we understandit, until the permanent pedestrian route, the new ticket hall and the Docklands Light Railway extension are in place, a shuttle bus will be needed. But there have been no assurances given by the Olympic Delivery Authority or the contractors that the roadway necessary for this service would be available by December 2009. This is unacceptable."

Mr Cooke said he was also concerned that plans for a moving walkway - as used at airports - have still not been agreed and there was doubt about whether one would ever be built.

He concluded: "A huge sum of public money went into building the highspeed line and stations at St Pancras, Ebbsfleet and Stratford.

"It is a thorough disgrace that Stratford is not being brought into use."