Waterloo plan 'to cost £100,000'

The last Eurostar left Waterloo International earlier this month

The cost of decommissioning the disused Eurostar platforms at Waterloo has been officially estimated at up to £100,000.

And it could cost a further £500,000 a year to keep the "wider facilities" at Waterloo International safe and secure.

Junior transport minister Tom Harris gave the figures in a Commons written reply to Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers.

It follows concern about the future use of five platforms now that continental services have moved to St Pancras.

Mr Harris said Eurostar was decommissioning them ahead of transfer to the Department for Transport at the end of March.

Domestic services

The work involved taking out all the equipment needed for an international station, such as passport controls, and would cost between £50,000 and £100,000.

In a further written reply, Mr Harris said officials were currently working with Network Rail and Stagecoach South West Trains on the partial conversion of platforms to accommodate some domestic passenger services.

Services are expected to operate from platform 20 of Waterloo International from December 2008.

Options for the medium to long-term use of all five platforms are being assessed as part of a wider strategy for the upgrade of the station, Mr Harris said.