Waterloo International has partially reopened to passenger traffic for the first time in six years.
Under an agreement with the Department for Transport (DfT), South West Trains can now use the station’s Platform 20 to relieve congestion at peak times ahead of a full opening to timetabled services in May next year.
The South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance has plans to reopen more of the former Eurostar terminal over the coming years, with proposals already in place generate additional capacity by opening platforms 21 to 24.
Reopening Waterloo International will also allow South West Trains to make the best use of its new fleet of refurbished Class 458/5s.
Tim Shoveller, managing director of the South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance, said: “This is the first step in our plan to provide extra capacity to and from the UK’s busiest station by re-opening the former Waterloo International Terminal and delivering additional carriages on our busiest routes.
“Over the coming months, we’ll be completing our driver training programme and ensuring that all of our trains are ready for the full re-opening of Platform 20 in May 2014. In the lead up to that, we have worked with the Department for Transport to successfully secure approval six months ahead of the full opening to help provide an improved service for our passengers.”
South West Trains has also announced that testing is now underway on its first two five-car refurbished Class 458/5s at Wimbledon.
Around £65 million has been spent refurbishing the new carriages at Wabtec depots in Doncaster and Loughborough – the first 60 of which were formerly being used by Gatwick Express.
The operator plans to introduce a total of 108 additional cars by the end of 2014 to generate additional capacity at peak times.
Don’t you mean class 458s?
It’s been about 20 years since a Class 108 was in use!
Can they afford to get a window cleaner in to clean the glass roof,when I last saw it about 6 weeks ago it was disgustingly filthy.