What the budget funding would cover

Stratford International is set to receive funding in next week's budget to enable international trains to serve the east London station, according to reports. Chancellor John Healey is reportedly planning to approve the mayor's proposal to create a business rate retention zone, per the Financial Times.

Such zones let local authorities keep all of the business rates growth collected in their area, rather than the standard half, to fund regeneration directly.

The station would require a significant upgrade from its current two platforms, including:

• a border post
• security checks
• a check-in zone
• a waiting area
• passenger facilities

Reopening the mothballed international section, including platforms and a waiting area, would cost an estimated £20m, according to the Standard.

Khan's plan for a truly international station

London mayor Sadiq Khan has been lobbying ministers for funding to upgrade the station for international rail services. His plan, per the Standard, is for one in three trains to and from France to stop at the station, and for it to become a hub for rail services from the continent to the Midlands and the north of England.

"We've been working closely with the government to make Stratford International truly 'international' for the first time," Khan said, describing the gains to jobs, investment, tourism and a direct link to Europe. "It's time to unlock the full potential of this station."

Khan has also recently argued it would be better to improve Stratford International than expand Heathrow airport by building a third runway, citing international rail growth and environmental concerns.

A station built for Eurostar that never served it

The station, near Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, opened in late 2009 and was originally designed and built with the intention of handling Eurostar trains, but this was never fully developed. Today only domestic routes to central London and Kent stop there, while Eurostar services pass through on the way to and from St Pancras.

Operators circling Stratford

Virgin and other rail companies have been in talks with City Hall in recent months about running international services from Stratford. Virgin is planning to launch rail services from London to the continent in 2030 - the first direct competition to Eurostar since the Channel Tunnel opened - and has been granted access by the rail regulator to the track and to Eurostar's nearby Temple Mills depot.

A Virgin Group spokesperson said the operator was "looking forward to exploring additional stops, including Stratford International", adding that it had been "actively engaging with stakeholders to explore future expansion".

• Gemini Trains, chaired by Labour peer Tony Berkeley, hopes to run trains to France, Belgium and Germany and has said it wanted to use Stratford as its London hub
• Gemini Trains has not yet been granted depot and track access

The funding is expected in next week's budget; Virgin aims to begin its cross-channel rail services in 2030.