Waterloo Station

About Waterloo Station

Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a terminal station on the National Rail network in central London. It is located in the London Borough of Lambeth, in the Waterloo area. Waterloo East on the South Eastern Main Line is adjacent to its London Underground station of the same name.

Almost one hundred million people enter and exit Waterloo every year, making it one of the busiest stations in the country. It also has the most platforms and the largest floor space.

It is connected with the South West Main Line to Weymouth via Southampton, with the West of England Main Line to Exeter via Salisbury, the Portsmouth Direct line to Portsmouth Harbour, with ferry services to the Isle of Wight, as well as several commuter services around London, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire in the west and south-west.

History of Waterloo Station

London and South Western Railway opened the station in 1848, replacing Nine Elms, which was closer to the West End. The station was never intended as a terminus, as the original intention was to continue the line to the City of London, so it developed in a haphazard manner, making it hard to locate the correct platforms.

In 1922, the station opened after being rebuilt in the early 20th century and was marked by the Victory Arch above the main entrance. Steam-powered trains ended at Waterloo Station in 1967. This station served as the London terminus for Eurostar international trains from 1994 until 2007, when they were moved to St. Pancras.

Station Facilities

In addition to London Waterloo, Waterloo East, and Waterloo Underground station, there are a number of bus stops and more than 130 automated ticket gates on the concourse and 27 more in the subway.

Platforms at London Waterloo

This station has 24 platforms, numbered 1-24 from south east to north west (left to right if viewed from the passenger entrance):

On the South West Main Line, platforms 1-6 are used for suburban services to Wimbledon, Guildford and Woking.
On the South West Main Line, Platforms 7-15 are usually used for long distance services to Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Weymouth, and Exeter.
Waterloo-Reading services are typically carried out on platforms 14-24.

To avoid confusion with numbered platforms, platforms at London Waterloo East are lettered.

Retail at Waterloo

On the first floor, Network Rail built a balcony that almost covered the entire concourse. By providing additional escalators leading to the high-level walkway between Waterloo and Waterloo East, the project improved accessibility to Waterloo East station by providing 18 new retail spaces and a champagne bar, as well as reducing congestion on the concourse.

First-floor offices have been converted into replacement and additional retail and catering spaces. Work was completed in July 2012 at a cost of £25 million.

Location of Waterloo Station

The station's formal name is London Waterloo, which appears as such on all official documentation. It’s located on the south bank of the River Thames, near Waterloo Bridge and northeast of Westminster Bridge. On all official documentation, its name appears as such. To the south of the Waterloo Road and York Road junction, there is the main entrance. The bridge was named after the Battle of Waterloo, which occurred exactly two years before the bridge's opening ceremony.

The station is served by London Bus routes 1, 26, 59, 68, 76, 77, 139, 168, 172, 176, 188, 211, 243, 341, 381, 507, 521 and night routes N1, N68, N171 and N381.