Local campaigners propose new overground use for old Eurostar infrastructure

10.49.09am GMT Sat 24th Nov 2007

Oval Lib Dem Councillor Rob Banks and his family used the train from Waterloo for one last time

The last Eurostar trains service left Waterloo this month, almost 13 years after they started running direct trains to the continent.

Oval Lib Dem Councillor Rob Banks and his family used the train for one last time before the service started from St Pancras.

Rob said: 'On its way to Paris and Brussels, the Eurostar went from Waterloo through Vauxhall constituency to Brixton and was a feature of South London for 13 years. We are told that the trains will be 20 minutes faster from St Pancras - but what they have forgotten to say is that it will take us South Londoners another 20 minutes at least to get there!'

In addition to tube services to St Pancras, London Buses have also extended the 59 bus service so it now terminates at St Pancras, offering another way of getting to the new station.

Vauxhall Lib Dem Parliamentary Campaigner Caroline Pidgeon said: 'what we will now do is campaign with other Liberal Democrats across London to ensure the old platforms are brought back into use for overground train services as soon as possible - it is a disgrace that the Government is allowing these platforms to be mothballed for over a year. In particular we are calling for a direct overground train link from Waterloo to Brixton using the old Eurostar tracks, as well as allowing better rail services to the rest of South and South West London'.