Waterloo

Location type

Major station

Names and dates

Waterloo Bridge (1848-1882)
Waterloo (1882-)

Station code: WAT National Rail
Where: London and South East, England
Opened on the Waterloo Extension (London and South Western Railway).

Description

This is a major terminus in London. Officially it is known as London Waterloo.

The terminus is on the south bank of the River Thames, in the Borough of Lambeth. It is named for the nearby Waterloo Bridge.

It has 24 platforms and is the busiest station, when combined with Waterloo East and the underground platforms, not just in Britain but in Europe.

Construction of the station was piecemeal and for many years it was not intended to be a terminus.

In 1994 Waterloo International opened for Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel) trains and in the process platforms 20 and 21 became part of its platforms 20 to 24. This was opened on the west side of the station. In 2018 these platforms officially became part of the main station.

Tags

Station terminus


Dates

12/12/1988London and South Western Railway
Three trains are involved in crash at Clapham Junction killing 35 and injuring 500 due to a signal failure caused by incorrect wiring. A Poole to London Waterloo and a Basingstoke to Waterloo ran into empty stock. Signalling engineers were found to be working exceptionally long hours in the area.