All those cheap flights to Europe may have had an unintended consequence in East London and the local property market there, writes David Lawrenson.

Many people have invested in property in the area in the hope that when international trains stop, it should give the location a real boost.

Stratford International station which cost £210m to build will be very busy in 2012 with people heading to the Olympic park, and it will be used for domestic services from Kent from 2009.

The station was also originally planned to be the stop in London for trains to and from the north of England that would skirt around the capital on their way to Paris and Brussels.

But the growth of cheaper air travel to Europe from cities like Manchester and Leeds has meant the need for such a service has diminished.