Waterloo International railway station

Waterloo International

Waterloo International Location of Waterloo International in Greater London
Location	South Bank
Local authority	London Borough of Lambeth
Managed by	Until 14/11/2007 Eurostar Since 14/11/2007 - Department for Transport
Station code	WIT
Platforms in use	5 (no. 20-24)
Fare zone	1 (no zonal fare services)
14th November 1994 13th November 2007	Opened Closed
List of stations	Underground · National Rail
External links	Departures • Facilities
London Transport Portal

Coordinates: 51°30′12″N 0°06′49″W / 51.5032°N 0.1135°W / 51.5032; -0.1135

Waterloo International station was the London terminus of the Eurostar international rail service from its opening on 14 November 1994 until 13 November 2007. It stands on the western side of Waterloo railway station, London. It was managed and branded separately from the mainline station.

Designed by the architectural firm Grimshaw Architects over five years, it cost £135 million and was completed in May 1993, in time for the scheduled completion of the Channel Tunnel. Construction of the Tunnel was delayed however, and the station did not open until November 1994, when it won the Royal Institute of British Architects' Building of the Year award.^[1]

Waterloo International has five platforms, numbered 20 to 24, one (20) taken from the mainline station, and four new ones, all covered by a new 400 m long glass and steel vault of 37 arches forming a prismatic structure, conceived by Anthony Hunt Associates. A two-level reception area fronts the main station concourse. The first Eurostar departure, on 14 November 1994, was formed of Eurostar units 373004/373003 ^[2] and the last service left at 18.12 GMT on 13 November 2007 for Brussels. From the next day Eurostar services used their new London terminus of St Pancras International.^[3]

v • d • e Railways around the South Bank
Legend Charing Cross River Thames Waterloo International Waterloo Waterloo East South Western Main Line Thameslink City Thameslink Blackfriars River Thames Elephant & Castle Thameslink and Sevenoaks Cannon Street River Thames London Bridge Brighton Main Line and South Eastern Main Line

Ownership of Waterloo International station passed to BRB (Residuary) Ltd.. Future use of all the Eurostar platforms is unclear.^[4] Some reports had suggested that they might be used for shops,^[5] but a parliamentary written answer of 4 June 2008 stated platform 20 was to be used by some South West Trains services from December 2008.^[6] Network Rail has no immediate plans to use the other four former international platforms for domestic use ^[7] and the platforms have not been used since November 2007 ^[8].

See also

• List of closed railway stations in London
• Network Rail

Gallery

Eurostar route map (before Channel Tunnel rail link)
Legend 0:00 Waterloo International 0:50 Ashford International Channel Tunnel (0:21 transit) 1:15 Calais-Fréthun 1:40 Lille-Europe 2:15 Brussels-South 2:35 Paris Gare du Nord 2:53 Marne la Vallée-Chessy (Disneyland) 6:00 Avignon Centre 6:47 Moûtiers (ski) 7:19 Aime la Plagne (ski: set down only) 7:37 Bourg Saint Maurice (ski) Times shown are fastest timetabled journey from London Waterloo.

Farewell message from Eurostar to its Waterloo terminus, early December 2007.

Waterloo International in early January 2008, at night.

Waterloo International May 2008, during the day.

Waterloo station from the London Eye with Waterloo International at the bottom of the picture.

In film

• The station is shown repeatedly in The Russian Dolls (Les Poupées russes), as the main character Xavier commutes frequently, by rail, between Paris and London.
• In Mr Bean's Holiday, Mr Bean sets out on this holiday from Waterloo International.
• In The Bourne Ultimatum, Jason Bourne arrives from Paris and steps out onto Waterloo International's Eurostar platforms. Further action takes place in the rest of Waterloo station.

References