107-727: Waterloo station ( / ˌ w ɔː t ər ˈ l uː / ), also known as London Waterloo , is a major London terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth . It is connected to a London Underground station of the same name and is adjacent to Waterloo East station on the South Eastern Main Line . The station is the terminus of
214-431: A Class 456 electric multiple unit collided with an engineers' train at the station. The passenger train was derailed, causing disruption for the remainder of the day. Three people were checked for injuries, but nobody was hospitalised. The cause was both a change to the interlocking, that failed to be accounted for in the test regime and that a temporary connection for testing had not been removed (probably added to overcome
321-405: A M7 class tank engine was pushing loaded coal wagons onto it. The engine dropped into the hoist's shaft , ending up upside-down and spurting steam over it. The driver and fireman managed to jump free, and the locomotive was rescued piecemeal and used for spares. On 3 June 1960, an empty stock train formed of two 4COR electric multiple units overran signals and was in a sidelong collision with
428-535: A siding remained until 3 May 1925. The bridge remained in place and was used as a walkway between the two stations. Construction of the main station continued sporadically throughout World War I , and the new station finally opened in 1922, with 21 platforms and a 700-foot (210 m) long concourse. The roof and platforms were initially designed by J. W. Jacomb-Hood, who travelled to the US to look at station designs for inspiration. Following Jacomb-Hood's death in 1914, work
535-458: A steam-hauled passenger train that was departing for Weymouth , Dorset . A few people suffered slight injuries. On 11 April the following year, an electric multiple unit overran signals and was in a head-on collision with a steam locomotive . One person was killed and fifteen were injured. On 10 March 2000, a passenger train collided with an empty stock train in platform 5 due to driver error. Thirty-five people were injured. On 15 August 2017,
642-549: A branch to Camberley and Aldershot, which was designed equally for the anticipated increase in military traffic in the area as well as commuters. Waterloo was bombed several times during World War II . On 7 September 1940, the John Street viaduct immediately outside the station was destroyed by a bomb, which prevented any services running for 12 days. Full services did not resume until 1 October, which particularly affected mail traffic with over 5,000 unsorted bags piling up on
749-474: A dedicated building in 1902, as part of the reconstruction of Waterloo in the early 20th century. Traffic and passengers to Waterloo increased throughout the century, and Waterloo was extended in an ad hoc manner to accommodate this. In 1860, new platforms were added on the northwest side of the station; these were known as the Windsor Station after its intended destination. An additional dock siding of
856-473: A departing passenger train. Five passengers were injured. On 5 May 1904, a linesman accidentally stepped on a signal wire. This gave a false clear signal to a goods van, which collided with a passenger train, killing one, while on 25 October 1913, a collision between two passenger trains at Waterloo Junction killed three people. On 13 April 1948, the goods hoist to the Waterloo and City line began to sink while
963-581: A false feed to the detection relay. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) investigation into the accident concluded that mistakes were made similar to those which caused the Clapham Junction rail crash in 1988. The RAIB expressed concerns that lessons learnt from that accident were being forgotten over time. The major transport interchange at Waterloo comprises London Waterloo, Waterloo East, Waterloo Underground station , and several bus stops. There are more than 130 automated ticket gates on
1070-603: A flat fare of 1/- (£4.29 as of 2023). These were suspended during World War II . All stations except Fenchurch Street and Blackfriars provided integrated taxi services on opening. These originally had dedicated access roads to the station platforms when cabs were horse-drawn, while later purpose-built roads were built for road traffic. In the early 20th century, stations were expanded and upgraded to fit demand. Six terminal stations (Victoria, Waterloo, Euston, Cannon Street, Blackfriars and London Bridge) have been completely rebuilt and London Bridge has seen multiple rebuilds. Although
1177-469: A joint opening ceremony with Queen Elizabeth II and the French president François Mitterrand . Regular services began on 14 November. Construction necessitated the removal of decorative masonry forming two arches from that side of the station, bearing the legend "Southern Railway". This was re-erected at the private Fawley Hill Museum of Sir William McAlpine , whose company built Waterloo International. In
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#17327721266331284-654: A journey from Brighton cannot use a "London Terminals" ticket to travel to Euston or Paddington, as there is no permitted route to them using National Rail services alone. The concept of permitted routes did not exist until the National Routeing Guide was introduced: British Rail used the term "reasonable route", and in respect of the London station group merely stated that journeys between the origin station and London were "subject to normal route availabilities". The first London terminal stations were built in
1391-488: A main central station at Farringdon , which would connect out to all branch lines. In 1846, the Royal Commission on Metropolitan Railway Termini was established to see if it was appropriate to bring the terminal stations any further and possibly connect with each other, as per Pearson's plans. The report concluded this was unnecessary, a single terminal was undesirable as it would create too much congestion and it
1498-706: A terminus station, and with the old station becoming a source of increasingly bad will and publicity amongst the travelling public, the L&;SWR decided on total rebuilding, in a project they called the "Great Transformation" Legal powers to carry out the work were granted in 1899 and 1900. About 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) of land was purchased to accommodate the new building, which included six streets (and part of two others), along with All Saints' Church. The L&SWR built six blocks of flats to rehouse around 1,750 people as compensation for those displaced. Extensive groundwork and slum clearance were carried out before construction on
1605-477: A ticket to take a train to several different London terminals, including London Bridge , London Charing Cross , London Cannon Street , Victoria , Blackfriars , City Thameslink or Waterloo via Clapham Junction . The ticket cannot be used to travel to any station using any non-National Rail modes of transport, including the London Underground , Docklands Light Railway or London Buses . Therefore,
1712-496: Is cleaned by rain. To guard against the possibility of further subsidence from scour, each pier was given a number of jacks that can be used to level the structure. Construction of the new bridge began in 1937 and it was partially opened on Tuesday 11 March 1942 and "officially opened" in September 1942. However, it was not fully completed until 1945. It is the only Thames bridge to have been damaged by German bombers during
1819-534: Is in London fare zone 1 . Waterloo has been Britain's busiest railway station by patronage, with just under 100 million National Rail passenger entries/exits in 2015–16. Waterloo railway station alone is the 91st-busiest in the world as of 2013. However, including National Rail interchanges, the Underground station, and Waterloo East, the complex handled a total of 211 million arrivals and departures in
1926-490: Is now policed from a new Inner London Police Station a few yards from Waterloo at Holmes Terrace. Until July 2010, the Neighbourhood Policing Team for Waterloo consisted of an inspector, a sergeant, two constables, special constables , and 13 police community support officers . A large number of London Buses routes serve the station area day and night. A bus station on Waterloo Road located opposite
2033-467: The BFI IMAX was opened in summer 2004. The main part of the railway station complex is known as "Waterloo Main" or simply Waterloo. This is the London terminus for services towards the south coast and the south-west of England. All regular trains are operated by South Western Railway . Waterloo main line station is one of nineteen in the country that are managed by Network Rail and the station complex
2140-560: The City of London . The L&SWR purchased several properties along the route, before plans were cancelled following the Panic of 1847 . In October 1882, Waterloo Bridge station was officially renamed Waterloo, reflecting long-standing common usage, even in some L&SWR timetables. Throughout the 19th century, the L&SWR aimed to extend its main line eastward beyond into the City of London, and
2247-505: The Great Eastern Railway and North London Railway with Liverpool Street and Broad Street respectively. The only main railway line built across Central London was the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) line connecting Blackfriars to Farringdon via Snow Hill Tunnel in 1866. Railway construction in London reached a peak between the mid-1850s and 1870s, where an estimated £40 million (£4,691 million as of 2023)
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#17327721266332354-590: The Hounslow Loop Line on 12 March and Hampton Court on 18 June. Ownership of Waterloo underwent a succession, broadly typical of many British stations. Under the 1923 Grouping it passed to the Southern Railway (SR). The SR continued the third rail electrification of lines from Waterloo, including a full service to Guildford on 12 July 1925, and to Windsor on 6 July 1930. A public address system first ran in Waterloo on 9 March 1932, and by
2461-590: The Metropolitan Board of Works , which removed the toll from it. Michael Faraday tried in 1832 to measure the potential difference between each side of the bridge caused by the ebbing salt water flowing through the Earth's magnetic field using magnetohydrodynamics . Serious problems were found in Rennie's bridge piers from 1884 onward, after scour from the river flow (which had increased following
2568-666: The South West Main Line to Weymouth via Southampton , the West of England main line to Exeter via Salisbury , the Portsmouth Direct line to Portsmouth Harbour which connects with ferry services to the Isle of Wight , and several commuter services around west and south-west London, Surrey , Hampshire and Berkshire . The station was opened in 1848 by the London and South Western Railway , and it replaced
2675-845: The Soviet security agency, the KGB . He was killed with a poisoned pellet possibly fired from an umbrella. Granite stones from the original bridge were subsequently "presented to various parts of the British world to further historic links in the British Commonwealth of Nations ". Two of these stones are in Canberra , the capital city of Australia, sited between the parallel spans of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge , one of two major crossings of Lake Burley Griffin in
2782-540: The West End via an underground railway since the 1860s. The Waterloo & Whitehall Railway began construction of a line towards Whitehall , but it was abandoned in 1868 because of financial difficulties. The first underground line to be opened at Waterloo was the Waterloo & City Railway to Bank , colloquially known as "The Drain" owing to its access via a sloping subway at the Bank end. It opened on 8 August 1898, and
2889-555: The "Cyprus Station", and the six built in 1885 for use by trains on the Windsor line became the "Khartoum". Each of these stations-within-a-station had its own booking office, taxi stand and public entrances from the street, as well as often poorly marked and confusing access to the rest of the station. By 1899, Waterloo had 16 platforms but only 10 numbers allocated in different sections of the station or on different levels; some numbers were duplicated. This complexity and confusion became
2996-751: The 2015/2016 financial year (not including interchanges on the Underground). It is therefore the busiest transport hub in Europe. It has more platforms and a greater floor area than any other station in the UK (though Clapham Junction , just under 4 miles (6 km) down the line, sees the greatest number of passengers alighting or departing trains). As of 2017, the South Western Railway run around 1,600 trains per day, used by over 651,000 passengers, making it Europe's busiest commuter service. According to
3103-767: The British, Dutch and Prussians at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Thanks to its location at a strategic bend in the river, the bridge offers good views of Westminster , the South Bank and the London Eye to the west, and of the City of London and Canary Wharf to the east. The first bridge on the site was designed in 1809–10 by John Rennie for the Company of Proprietors of The Strand Bridge (the Strand Bridge Company). The Strand Bridge Company built
3210-590: The Estimates of Station Usage, there were 94,192,690 entries and exits at Waterloo during 2018–19, continuing to be the highest in the country. Along with other stations, usage dropped dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2019, Waterloo was the busiest railway station in the UK, with an estimated 86.9 million passenger entries/exits. It had been the busiest in the country for 16 consecutive years until patronage fell 86% in 2020/21 to 12.2 million due to
3317-540: The LCDR's line via Blackfriars and Farringdon almost bankrupted the company and left it in financial ruin for the rest of its existence. The 1864 Joint Committee on Railway Schemes (Metropolis) decided that, following the success of the underground Metropolitan Railway , that a circular railway should be built to connect the terminals, which eventually became the Circle line , though it was not completed until 1884. By 1870,
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3424-566: The Second World War. The building contractor was Peter Lind & Company . At the outbreak of war, despite an immediate order being issued by the Ministry of Transport, that the bridge construction was of national importance, the supply of male labour to execute the heavy works became acute. From the start of the war through to the bridge completion, women became the preponderant members of the construction workforce. This resulted in
3531-463: The UK's largest station in terms of floor space and has the greatest number of platforms. The station's formal name is London Waterloo, and appears as such on all official documentation. It has the station code WAT. It is in the London Borough of Lambeth on the south bank of the River Thames , close to Waterloo Bridge and northeast of Westminster Bridge . The main entrance is to the south of
3638-404: The areas around them. Both Kings Cross and St Pancras stations have been modernised in the 21st century, and are now better regarded. Many goods sheds have been removed, and the area surrounding the stations includes a natural swimming pool, and numerous new apartments. The four former London and North Eastern Railway terminals (King's Cross, Marylebone, Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street) are
3745-542: The boom in building London terminals had finished. The final one to open was the Great Central Railway 's Marylebone , in 1899. By this time, around 776 acres (1.21 square miles; 3.14 square kilometres), or 5.4% of land in the central zone of London was owned by railway companies, more than the Corporation of London . The problem of connecting the various London terminals was ultimately resolved by
3852-674: The bridge privately, in return for charging tolls to cross it. Originally named 'the Strand Bridge', following the victory of the Battle of Waterloo, the bridge was renamed in 1816 (before its opening) to 'the Waterloo Bridge'. The bridge company was at the same time renamed 'The Company of Proprietors of The Waterloo Bridge'. It opened in 1817 as a toll bridge . The granite bridge had nine arches, each of 120 feet (36.6 m) span, separated by double Doric stone columns, and
3959-694: The bridge were used for shelves and wall panels in the library at Anglesey Abbey. The south end of the bridge is in the area known as the South Bank , which includes the Royal Festival Hall , London Waterloo , Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal National Theatre , as well as the BFI Southbank , which is directly beneath the bridge. The north end of the bridge passes above the Victoria Embankment where
4066-458: The butt of jokes by writers and music hall comics for many years in the late 19th century, including Jerome K. Jerome in Three Men in a Boat . It was criticised and satirised in several Punch cartoons. The L&SWR spent the 1880s and 1890s trying to finalise plans to continue the line beyond Waterloo to the City. An overhead line was proposed in 1882, and again in 1891, but both times
4173-460: The change to the interlocking – it was entirely undocumented and unapproved) which meant that a set of points not correctly set was not detected. This allowed a proceed signal to be shown when it should not have been possible to do so. The problem would have been indicated to the signaller when a previous train 'ran through' the points and moved them had the temporary connection been removed. The temporary connection prevented this detection by providing
4280-521: The clock at Waterloo" is a traditional rendezvous. There are 24 platforms at this station, numbered 1-24 from the South East to the North West (left to right when viewed from the passenger entrance): In contrast, platforms at London Waterloo East are lettered to avoid confusion with the numbered platforms at this station. Network Rail has constructed a balcony along almost the whole width of
4387-503: The concourse at the first-floor level. The project's aims were to provide 18 new retail spaces and a champagne bar, reduce congestion on the concourse, and improve access to Waterloo East station by providing additional escalators leading to the high-level walkway between Waterloo and Waterloo East. Retail and catering outlets have been removed from the concourse to make more circulation space. First-floor offices have been converted into replacement and additional retail and catering spaces. Work
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4494-400: The construction of a spur, from Staines on the Waterloo to Reading line , to Heathrow Airport , creating direct rail links from the airport to Waterloo, Woking and Guildford . Airtrack was planned to open in 2015, but was abandoned by BAA during 2011. That October, Wandsworth Council proposed a revised plan called Airtrack-Lite , which would provide trains from Waterloo to Heathrow, via
4601-461: The conversion of the remaining platforms was delayed as it required alterations to the track layout outside the station. Platforms 20–22 were reopened for domestic use at the end of 2018. The final set, 23–24, opened in May 2019. The refurbishment and reopening of platforms 20–24 increased capacity at Waterloo by 30%. The international platforms were only designed to cope with six trains per hour, well below
4708-465: The current capacity for commuter services. The project was criticised for its delayed completion date; in 2009 the Department for Transport confirmed that Network Rail was developing High Level Output Specification options for the station, with an estimated date for the re-opening of the platforms of 2014, seven years after their closure. The cost of maintaining the disused platforms up to late 2010
4815-449: The demolition of Old London Bridge ) damaged their foundations. By the 1920s the problems had increased, and settlement at pier five necessitated the closure of the whole bridge while some heavy superstructure was removed and temporary reinforcements were put in place. In 1925, a temporary steel framework was built on top of the existing bridge and then placed next to it for the use of southbound vehicles (the postcard image shows this, and
4922-552: The departure of the final steam service to Bournemouth . The electrified service began the next day. The station was managed by Network SouthEast also under BR. Following the privatisation of British Rail , ownership and management passed to Railtrack in April 1994 and finally, in 2002, to Network Rail . Although the London terminus of the international railway connection via the Channel Tunnel had long planned to be in
5029-601: The design, despite the fact that, by the time the station opened, the Railways Act 1921 had been passed, which spelt the end of the L&SWR as an independent concern. Waterloo was a major terminal station for soldiers in World War I, and for sailors travelling to Southampton for the British Expeditionary Force . It also handled ambulance trains and mail from overseas. A free buffet operated at
5136-412: The development of the Underground. The Metropolitan Railway, which opened in 1863, was designed to connect Paddington with King's Cross. The Circle Line was designed specifically to connect the London terminals together. All terminal stations had at least one underground connection by 1913, except Fenchurch Street , Ludgate Hill and Holborn Viaduct . As an alternative to the tube, buses have connected
5243-521: The earlier Nine Elms as it was closer to the West End . It was never designed to be a terminus, as the original intention was to continue the line towards the City of London , and consequently the station developed in a haphazard fashion, leading to difficulty finding the correct platform. The station was rebuilt in the early 20th century, opening in 1922, and included the Victory Arch over the main entrance, which commemorated World War I . Waterloo
5350-548: The earlier Nine Elms , which opened on 21 May 1838 and had connected London to Southampton since 11 May 1840. By the mid-1840s, commuter services to Wandsworth , Wimbledon , Kingston upon Thames , Ditton Marsh and Weybridge had become an important part of L&SWR traffic, so the company looked for a terminus closer to Central London and the West End . An act of Parliament , the London and South Western Railway Metropolitan Extensions Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. clxv),
5457-574: The following decade was regularly broadcasting music around the station. In 1934, the SR planned to invest £500,000 (£45 million as of 2023) to improve the signalling and track layout to allow better use of all platforms. A full electric service to Woking, Guildford and Portsmouth Harbour (for the Isle of Wight ) opened on 4 July 1937, as did connecting services to Aldershot and Alton . On 1 January 1939 an electric service opened between Waterloo and Reading, with
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#17327721266335564-478: The footways, leaving the road to be supported by transverse slabs, was difficult to implement. The pairs of spans on each side of the river were supported by beams continuous over their piers, and these were cantilevered out at their ends to support the centre span and the short approach slabs at the banks. The beams were shaped "to look as much like arches as ... beams can". They are clad in Portland stone , which
5671-564: The former Eurostar connection line between Vauxhall and Clapham High Street whilst engineering works took place between Hither Green and London Charing Cross/Cannon Street/Blackfriars via London Bridge. London River Services operate boats from nearby London Eye Pier (also known as the Waterloo Millennium Pier) and Festival Pier , and run to the City and Greenwich . The piers also provide access to corporate and leisure services. There had been plans to connect Waterloo to
5778-438: The former Eurostar entrance to access the platforms. In May 2016, it was announced that platforms 1 to 4 would be lengthened to allow new ten-car Class 707 trains to run. Work started on 5 August 2017, and was completed on 28 August. There have been relatively few accidents at Waterloo compared to other London terminal stations. On 21 August 1896, an engine leaving the locomotive yard overran its clearance point, colliding with
5885-506: The former Eurostar platforms 20–24 of Waterloo International remained unused until they were fully brought back into service in May 2019, after partial re-opening in December 2018. Waterloo suffered significant capacity problems, until the former international station were brought back into service for domestic use. In December 2008 preparatory work was carried out to enable platform 20 to be used by South West Trains suburban services. However,
5992-581: The group fall within London fare zone 1 . A ticket marked "London Terminals" allows travel to any station in the group via any permitted route, as determined by the National Routeing Guide . Most London terminal stations were developed in the mid-19th century during the initial boom of rail transport. Many stations were built around the edge of central London, stopping at what is now the London Inner Ring Road , because it
6099-632: The group includes four stations ( City Thameslink , Old Street , Vauxhall and Waterloo East ) that are not technically terminals but are used enough as a destination by National Rail to be considered appropriate as a "London Terminal" for ticketing purposes. The composition of the group has changed several times since 1983, when 18 stations were included: Blackfriars, Broad Street, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Fenchurch Street, Holborn Viaduct, Kings Cross, Kings Cross Midland City, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Marylebone, Moorgate, Paddington, St Pancras, Vauxhall, Victoria and Waterloo. Waterloo East
6206-650: The heart of the city. Stones from the bridge were also used to build a monument in Wellington , New Zealand, to Paddy the Wanderer , a dog that roamed the wharves from 1928 to 1939 and was befriended by seamen, watersiders, Harbour Board workers and taxi drivers. The monument, built in 1945, is on Queens Wharf, opposite the Wellington Museum . It includes a bronze likeness of Paddy, a drinking fountain, and drinking bowls below for dogs. Another piece of
6313-403: The junction of Waterloo Road and York Road . It is named after the eponymous bridge, which itself was named after the Battle of Waterloo , a battle that occurred exactly two years prior to the opening ceremony for the bridge. Waterloo was built by the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR). It was not designed to be a terminus , but a stop on an extension towards the City. It replaced
6420-480: The late 1830s (starting with London Bridge in 1836) and the early to mid 1840s. Those north of the Thames came up to the edge of richly-developed property that was too expensive to demolish, while property south of the river contained slums and cheap property, making it easier to have terminal stations close to the City and West End, both the main desired areas. The solicitor and railway planner Charles Pearson proposed
6527-585: The main station is Waterloo East , the last stop on the South Eastern Main Line towards London before the terminus at Charing Cross . Waterloo East has four platforms, which are lettered A to D rather than numbered to avoid confusion with the numbered platforms in the main station by staff who work at both stations. Waterloo East is managed and branded separately from the main station. Trains go to southeast London, Kent and parts of East Sussex. All regular services are operated by Southeastern. During August 2017, some Southeastern trains were diverted into Waterloo via
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#17327721266336634-604: The main station opened on 17 March 1869. A 5-chain (330 ft; 100 m) link to the South Eastern Railway (SER) line from London Bridge to Charing Cross opened in July 1865. It was diverted from London Bridge to Cannon Street on 1 February 1867, before being withdrawn the following year. The SER opened Waterloo Junction station on 1 January 1869 as a replacement, that allowed LSWR passengers to change and access services to Cannon Street. A further extension on
6741-598: The meantime, London and Continental Railways (LCR), created at the time of British Rail privatisation, was selected by the government in 1996 to reconstruct St Pancras railway station , which it had owned since privatisation, as well as a new rail connection, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), to link St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel. Construction of the CTRL, the second phase of High Speed 1 ,
6848-488: The modern concept of listed buildings had been introduced with the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act 1947 , stations were not high priority to be listed. While some had impressive facades and entrances, Victorian stations were not looked upon favourably in the 1960s and had become gradually neglected. One of the most significant examples was the demolition of the Euston Arch in 1962 as part of modernisation works to
6955-517: The name "LONDON BRIT RAIL" was adopted. After the privatisation of British Rail , the name "LONDON" on its own was used from the end of 1997 until April 1998, when the present designation "LONDON TERMINALS" was introduced. All stations in the London group are in London fare zone 1 and most are at the end of a railway line. This includes major national terminals such as Waterloo , Paddington , Euston and King's Cross , and local commuter terminals such as Cannon Street and Moorgate . In addition,
7062-457: The network; the first London terminal, London Bridge has been rebuilt and expanded on numerous occasions, and of the major 19th century terminals, only Broad Street and Holborn Viaduct have closed. The latter was replaced by the nearby City Thameslink . The London terminals had a significant impact on the local area. Originally, the demolition of poor properties, particularly south of the River Thames , caused blight and deprived areas around
7169-473: The north of London, the major construction works required to accommodate this plan had not started by the time the Channel Tunnel was completed in 1994. Instead, five new platforms were built on the western side of Waterloo station, replacing platforms 20 and 21. The new Waterloo International railway station was the first London terminus of Eurostar international trains to Gare du Nord , Paris and Brussels-South . An inaugural service left Waterloo on 6 May for
7276-563: The overall extension from Charing Cross to Kennington . The Jubilee line station opened on 24 September 1999 as part of the eastward extension to Stratford . London station group The London station group is a group of 18 railway stations served by the National Rail network in central London , England. The group contains all 14 terminal stations in central London, either serving major national services or local commuter routes, and 4 other through-stations that are considered terminals for ticketing purposes. All current stations in
7383-754: The pandemic, ranking it fourth in terms of usage. In 2023, London Liverpool Street overtook it as the busiest in London, as well as the United Kingdom as a whole, following the completion of the Elizabeth line . London Paddington also exceeded London Waterloo in terms of passenger entries and exits, leaving London Waterloo as the 3rd busiest station in the United Kingdom. The following off-peak weekday services are operated in trains per hour (tph) as of December 2023: Main Line Inner Suburban: Main Line Outer Suburban and Regional: Windsor and Reading Lines: Adjacent to
7490-650: The poem " The Bridge of Sighs ", which concerns the suicide of a prostitute there. The bridge was depicted by the French Impressionist Claude Monet in his series of 41 works from 1900 to 1904, and by the English Romantic John Constable , whose painting depicting its opening is displayed at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire. The bridge was nationalised in 1878 and placed under the control of
7597-443: The project being referred to for many years as "The Ladies' Bridge". Lind used elm wood from the old bridge for the dining room floor of Hamstone House , his house that he commissioned and built in 1938 at St George's Hill in Surrey. Georgi Markov , a Bulgarian dissident , was assassinated on Waterloo Bridge on 7 September 1978 by agents of the Bulgarian secret police , the Committee for State Security , possibly assisted by
7704-409: The same proposed spur from Staines to Heathrow, but, by diverting or splitting current services, the frequency of trains over the existing level crossings would not increase. BAA's earlier plan had controversially proposed more trains over the level crossings, leading to concerns that they would be closed to motorists and pedestrians for too long. After the transfer of Eurostar services from Waterloo,
7811-531: The settlement especially to the left of the fifth pier). In the 1930s, London County Council decided to demolish the bridge and replace it with a new structure designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott . The engineers were Ernest Buckton and John Cuerel of Rendel Palmer & Tritton . The project was placed on hold due to the Second World War . Scott, by his own admission, was no engineer, and his design, with reinforced concrete beams (illustrated) under
7918-488: The southeastern side of Waterloo, to provide more services, opened on 16 December 1878. A further extension to the north, beyond the Windsor Station, opened in November 1885. For each extension, the long-term plan was that the expansion was "temporary" until the line was extended past Waterloo, and these additions were added alongside and around the existing structure instead of an overall architectural plan. This resulted in
8025-422: The station becoming increasingly ramshackle. The platform numbering had grown in an ad hoc manner, resulting in the confusing situation of No. 1 being in the middle of the station complex, where it had been since 1848. The original station became known as the "Central Station" as other platforms were added. The new platform sets were known by nicknames – the two platforms added for suburban services in 1878 were
8132-461: The station between December 1915 and April 1920. The station itself saw little damage, except for an explosion on one of the lines on 29 September 1917. The rebuilt station was formally opened on 21 March 1922 by Queen Mary . The main pedestrian entrance, the Victory Arch (known as Exit 5), was designed by Scott and is a memorial to company staff who were killed during the war. Upon opening, it marked 585 employees who had been killed in World War I. It
8239-418: The station concourse, along with another 27 in the subway below. A four-faced clock hangs in the middle of the main concourse. Each panel has a diameter of 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m). It was erected as part of the early 20th century rebuilding and designed by Gents' of Leicester . In 2010, the clock was fitted with technology to automatically switch to and from British Summer Time . Meeting "under
8346-479: The station platform. Waterloo was closed again after bombing on 29 December 1940. It re-opened on 5 January 1941, on the same day that station offices on York Road were destroyed by bombing. The station took heavy damage again after an overnight raid on 10–11 May 1941, with fires lasting for four days. One 2,000-pound (910 kg) bomb was not discovered until it was uncovered during building work along York Road in 1959. Following nationalisation in 1948, ownership of
8453-468: The station transferred to British Railways (BR) as part of the Southern Region . Under BR, more of the network was electrified and boat train traffic declined in favour of air travel. Waterloo was the last London terminus to run steam-hauled trains. The final journey took place on 9 July 1967 and featured a large group of rail enthusiasts with cameras and recording equipment, attempting to capture
8560-499: The station, while the area around Kings Cross became run-down. An important exception was the Victorian Gothic structure of St Pancras , which became a Grade I listed building in 1967 after being threatened with demolition. Similarly, King's Cross and Paddington became Grade I listed in 1954 and 1961 respectively. In 1986, Broad Street, which had been a major London terminal for local and commuter services, closed. It
8667-555: The station. This has changed in the 21st century, where development around the main terminals has been well-received and attracted occupants and businesses. Until 1970, railway tickets to London were issued to a specific named terminal. From April of that year, Southern Region terminals were grouped together as a "notional common station" called "LONDON S.R."; tickets issued to this destination were valid to Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Holborn Viaduct, London Bridge, Vauxhall, Victoria, Waterloo and Waterloo East. The concept
8774-401: The stations on a standard British Monopoly board. Download coordinates as: Notes Citations Sources Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge ( / ˌ w ɔː t ə ˈ l uː / ) is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London , between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges . Its name commemorates the victory of
8881-754: The stone is situated under the sundial in the Wellington Boat Harbour Park, next to Clyde Quay Marina, an area of historical significance in Wellington Harbour. Several stone balusters from the demolished bridge were sent in the late 1930s by the author Dornford Yates to be used in his French home 'Cockade', but the Fall of France in 1940 interrupted this project. They were shipped after the war to his new house in Umtali , Rhodesia (now Mutare , Zimbabwe ). Recovered timbers from
8988-476: The terminus proper began, including several rundown buildings that had been extensively used for prostitution. By 1903, the land had been cleared for work to start. The new station was opened in stages. It was partially ready in 1909, with the main booking hall opening on 11 June 1911. A vehicular roadway to the station opened on 18 December 1911. The connection to Waterloo Junction was removed in March that year, but
9095-532: The time the station was built, which was eventually cleared away in 1867 when the London and South Western Railway made a compulsory purchase order for the properties and demolished them, to accommodate an expanded station. A significant exception was the later-constructed Marylebone, while Charing Cross was less affected by slum building than neighbouring stations. Around Battersea and New Cross , railway lines and interchanges occupied about 300 acres (120 ha) of available space. The low-income property that
9202-599: The various terminals. In 1928, the Southern Railway , London and North Eastern Railway and Great Western Railway began to provide dedicated buses between their terminals for Pullman and Continental trains. These were taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) upon its formation in 1933, and replaced with regular bus services. From 1936, the LPTB supplied purpose-build 20-seater coaches for this services, with large luggage boots and
9309-479: Was 2,456 feet (748.6 m) long, including approaches–1,240 feet (378.0 m) between abutments–and 42 feet (12.8 m) wide between the parapets. During the 1840s the bridge gained a reputation as a popular place for suicide attempts. In 1841, the American daredevil Samuel Gilbert Scott was killed while performing an act in which he hung by a rope from a scaffold on the bridge. In 1844 Thomas Hood wrote
9416-440: Was available, creating slums, and the immediate area around the stations were filled with cheap souvenir shops and prostitutes. Conversely, the middle class moved out into suburbs which now had easy access to Central London via train, and railway traffic increased. Around 76,000 people lost their homes between 1853 and 1901 as a direct result of rail expansion. The area around Waterloo had already become notorious for prostitution by
9523-500: Was completed in 2007, and Waterloo International closed on 13 November 2007 when the Eurostar service transferred to the new St Pancras International station. Ownership of the former Waterloo International terminal then passed to BRB (Residuary) Limited . Waterloo station was to be the central London terminus for the proposed Heathrow Airtrack rail service. This project, promoted by British Airport Authority Limited (BAA), envisaged
9630-523: Was completed in July 2012, at a cost of £25 million. The British Transport Police maintained a police station by the Victory Arch at Waterloo, with a custody suite of three cells. Although relatively cramped, it served over 40 police officers until the late 1990s. The police station shut in February 2009, following the closure of the Eurostar Terminal at Waterloo. The railway station
9737-443: Was designed by William Tite and opened on 11 July 1848 as "Waterloo Bridge Station". Nine Elms closed for regular services at the same time, but Queen Victoria was fond of the privacy afforded by the old station, so it was kept open for her, and a replacement private station built on Wandsworth Road in 1854. Waterloo Bridge was originally laid out as a through station, as it was expected that services would eventually continue towards
9844-401: Was destroyed by building the stations was generally not replaced, and consequently the remaining accommodation became overcrowded. The proliferation of railway lines south of the Thames is why the Underground has more lines north of the river, as it did not have alternative overground services. In contrast to the 19th century impact of stations, newer developments have seen gentrification of
9951-418: Was extended to the rest of London's terminals with effect from British Rail 's fares update of May 1983, when the London station group was created: "as part of the progress towards simplification of routes and a reduction of [separate fares] ... a common origin/destination of LONDON BR has been adopted for most London fares". Tickets to the London station group were issued to "LONDON BR" until January 1989, when
10058-428: Was feared that Marylebone and St Pancras would follow, but both have been revitalised; the former became an alternative terminal for services to Oxford and Birmingham while the latter is now the main entry point for Eurostar services via the Channel Tunnel . The various terminal stations began to affect their surrounding area once built. Those displaced by the railways crammed into whatever existing accommodation
10165-441: Was flanked by two sculptures featuring Roman goddesses; "1914" with Bellona in armour with a sword and torch, and "1918" showing Pax, the goddess of Peace sitting on Earth. The LSWR began to look at electrification of suburban services during the 1910s, using a 600 volt DC third rail mechanism. The first such service to Wimbledon via East Putney opened on 25 October 1915, with services to Shepperton following on 30 January 1916,
10272-540: Was found via a Freedom of Information request to have been £4.1 million. South West Trains subsequently confirmed that platform 20 would be brought back into use in 2014, hosting certain services to and from Reading, Windsor, Staines and Hounslow. These would be 10-car trains newly formed from refurbished SWT and former Gatwick Express rolling stock. Platform 20 reopened in May, with access via platform 19, and platforms 21 and 22 in October after steps were constructed over
10379-446: Was granted in 1845 to extend the line towards a site on York Road, close to Waterloo Bridge . The extension past Nine Elms involved demolishing 700 houses, and most of it was carried on a brick viaduct to minimise disruption. The longest bridge was 90 feet (27 m) long and took the line over Westminster Bridge Road . The approach to the new station carried four tracks, with the expectation that other companies would use it. The station
10486-405: Was included separately from January 1984. Two years later, Moorgate was dropped from the group in favour of Old Street, and Kensington Olympia was included; this was in connection with its upgrade in early 1986 to an InterCity station with regular British Rail services from northwest England to the south coast. Moorgate was reinstated as a member of the group in May 1988, and Kensington Olympia
10593-598: Was part-owned by the L&SWR, who took over full ownership in 1907. It was primarily designed for commuters and not normally open on Sundays. Since the COVID-19 pandemic , the line has only been open on weekdays. The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway (now part of the Bakerloo line ) opened on 10 March 1906, and was initially accessed from Waterloo by lifts at the York Road end of the station. The Northern line 's station at Waterloo opened on 13 September 1926, as part of
10700-400: Was prohibitively expensive to build right into the centre, and because each railway was owned by a private company competing with the others. The creation of the London Underground provided a practical connection to the various terminals, which continues to be the case as of the 21st century. Many of the stations have been upgraded and modernised to provide a greater capacity and connections to
10807-439: Was rejected due to cost. In 1893, an act was passed for a tube railway. On 8 August 1898, the company opened the Waterloo & City line , a deep level underground railway that ran directly between Waterloo and Bank–Monument station in the City. This gave the company the direct commuter service it had long desired (albeit with the need to change from surface to underground lines at Waterloo). With Waterloo now destined to remain
10914-495: Was reluctant to construct a dedicated grand terminus at Waterloo. Consequently, the station had none of the usual facilities expected of a terminus until 1853, when a small block was built on the far east side of the station. In 1854, the London Necropolis & National Mausoleum Company opened a private station inside Waterloo that provided services to Brookwood Cemetery . The station was demolished and replaced with
11021-416: Was removed from the list in May 1994 as British Rail decided to make fares to and from the station identical to those of neighbouring station Willesden Junction . Tickets issued to "LONDON TERMINALS" can be used to travel from the station of origin to any London terminal that can be reached via a permitted route as defined by the National Routeing Guide . For example, a journey from Brighton can use such
11128-490: Was spent constructing routes around the capital. The competition between terminals led to increased costs and financial overruns. Around £2 million (£235 million as of 2023) was spent constructing the final approach of the GER main line from the original terminal at Bishopsgate to Liverpool Street, while the extension from London Bridge to Cannon Street and Charing Cross cost £4 million (£469 million as of 2023). The construction of
11235-417: Was taken over by Alfred Weeks Szlumper . It was built in an Imperial Baroque style out of Portland stone . James Robb Scott designed the office range. The new station included a large stained glass window depicting the L&SWR's company crest over the main road entrance, surrounded by a frieze listing the counties served by the railway (the latter still survives today). These features were retained in
11342-403: Was the last London terminus to provide steam-powered services, which ended in 1967. The station was the London terminus for Eurostar international trains from 1994 until 2007, when they were transferred to St. Pancras . Waterloo is the third busiest station in the UK, and was formerly the busiest railway station in the UK, handling 57.8 million passengers in the year to March 2023. It is also
11449-472: Was too expensive to demolish remaining property in the way. The Royal Commission recommended that no new stations should be built in the West End of London or the city, and that the New Road should be the northern boundary of railway development. This created competition between the individual railway companies, who could promote new terminals with individual financial backers. Exemptions were made for
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