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London Waterloo
Location
Place	South Bank
Local authority	London Borough of Lambeth
Coordinates	51°30′11.8″N, 0°6′48.6″W
Operations
Managed by	Network Rail
Platforms in use	19
National Rail
Station code	WAT
Annual entry/exit	62.388 million **
Transport for London
Zone	1
History
1848	Opened
Transport for London List of London stations: Underground | National Rail
** based on sales of tickets in 2004/05 financial year which end or originate at this station. Disclaimer (PDF)
UK Railways Portal

Waterloo Station, (official name London Waterloo [1]) is a major railway terminus in London, England and is by passenger numbers the busiest station in the UK.

The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened the station on 11 July 1848 when its mainline was extended from Nine Elms. The unfulfilled intention was for a through station with services to the City.
The name on opening was 'Waterloo Bridge Station', from the nearby Waterloo Bridge across the Thames. In 1886 it officially became 'Waterloo Station' reflecting the long-standing common usage, even of some L&SWR timetables.
As the station grew it became increasingly ramshackle, a little-used railway line even crossed the main concourse on the level and passed through an archway in the station building to connect to the South Eastern Railway's smaller station, now Waterloo East, whose tracks lie perpendicular to those of Waterloo. Passengers were confused by the layout and by the two very close stations called 'Waterloo'. This complexity and confusion became the butt of jokes by writers and music hall comics. In Jerome K. Jerome's book Three Men in a Boat no one at Waterloo knows the wanted train's platform, departure time or destination.

Extensive reconstruction between 1900 and 1922 gave 21 platforms and a concourse nearly 800 feet (244 m) long. The main pedestrian entrance, the Victory Arch, serves as a memorial to company staff who were killed during the two world wars. Damage in World War II required considerable repair but entailed no great changes of layout.

Waterloo: The Victory Arch

A past curiosity of Waterloo was that a spur led to the adjoining dedicated station of the London Necropolis Company from which funerary trains, at one time daily, ran to Brookwood Cemetery bearing coffins at 2/6 each. This station was destroyed during World War II.^[1]

On privatisation of British Rail in the 1990s, ownership and management of Waterloo passed to Railtrack, and subsequently to Network Rail.
Platforms 20 and 21 were lost as part of the site of Waterloo International railway station which from 1994 to 13 November 2007 was the London terminus of the Eurostar international services. Waterloo International closed when those services transferred to St Pancras railway station. The international platforms are to be reinstated for some use by domestic services from late 2008 but substantial track-work is needed to obtain great advantage.

A 1948 poster showing the main concourse.

Waterloo is a major transport interchange comprising the mainline station, Waterloo East, Underground station, and an amorphous bus station.
Waterloo station connects to Waterloo East, across Waterloo Road, by a high-level walkway constructed mostly above the bridge of the former little-used connecting curve.

The complex, in the London Borough of Lambeth, near the South Bank, is in Travelcard Zone 1. The station is linked to the South Bank by elevated walkways which until partial demolition for the reconstruction of the Hungerford Footbridge gave a continuous high-level footpath from the concourse of Waterloo to that of Charing Cross railway station on the north side of the River Thames. River services operate from nearby Waterloo Pier next to the London Eye.

A large four-faced clock hangs in the middle of the main concourse. Meeting "under the clock at Waterloo" is a traditional rendezvous.^[2]

Left luggage services are available between platforms 11 and 12 (charge per item: £6 for 24 hours in early 2007) and in the basement near the entrance to the Waterloo and City line (charge: £12 for up to 30kg per day). Waterloo has a Lost Property [2] service with an efficient online form and contact service, with a minimal charge.

Waterloo station from the London Eye with Waterloo International on its western flank.

Farewell message from Eurostar to the erstwhile International station, viewed from western side of main concourse, December 2007

Main article: Waterloo International railway station

Waterloo International was the terminus for Eurostar international services between 1994 and 2007. It was replaced by a new international station at St. Pancras station. The service is now branded High Speed 1. During its operational life, Waterloo International was served by five platforms numbered 20 to 24, platform 20 originally being part of the domestic station.

Main article: Waterloo East railway station

Waterloo East is a through station, the last stop on the South Eastern Main Line prior to the terminus at Charing Cross.

Main article: Waterloo tube station

Waterloo is the third busiest station on the Underground network, with the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Charing Cross branch of the Northern, and Waterloo & City lines all stopping.

Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
Embankment towards Harrow & Wealdstone		Bakerloo line		Lambeth North towards Elephant & Castle
Embankment towards Edgware, Mill Hill East or High Barnet		Northern line		Kennington Terminus
Westminster towards Stanmore		Jubilee line		Southwark towards Stratford
Terminus		Waterloo & City line		Bank Terminus

• The station is the subject of John Schlesinger's documentary film Terminus.
• Several scenes in The Bourne Ultimatum, starring Matt Damon, took place, and were filmed, at Waterloo Station during mid-April 2007
• Bollywood film Jhoom Barabar Jhoom was filmed extensively within the Waterloo main station and the storyline was set around two people awaiting passengers arriving at the station.

• Waterloo station and the Waterloo Underground station are the setting for the Kinks song "Waterloo Sunset", written by Ray Davies and recorded in 1967. Its lyrics describe two people meeting at Waterloo Station and crossing over the river (via Waterloo Bridge, as Davies has confirmed^{[citation needed]}). The song has been recorded by Cathy Dennis and Def Leppard, whilst other acts (like David Bowie and Elliott Smith) have covered the song in live performances.
• Adrian Evans wrote the song "London Waterloo", which is dedicated wholly to the station.
• The lyrics in the 1979 song "Rendezvous 6:02" by British progressive band U.K. describe a meeting at Waterloo Station.
• The lyrics to "Torn On The Platform" by Jack Penate refer to the station ("train leaves at two, platform 3, Waterloo").
• Carl Barat's band Dirty Pretty Things' debut album is called Waterloo to Anywhere.
• The booklet accompanying The Who's album Quadrophenia includes a photo of the album's protagonist on the steps of Waterloo Station (depicting a moment from the song 5:15).
• The music video to 'West end girls' by the Pet Shop Boys was part filmed on the Waterloo Station concourse in the mid 80's.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Waterloo station

• Station information for Waterloo station from Network Rail
• Train times and station information for Waterloo station from National Rail (Station code: WAT)
• London Transport Museum Photographic Archive
  • Waterloo Underground Station Bakerloo Line entrance to station in 1925
  • Waterloo Underground Station building in 1964 after rebuild
  • Waterloo Mainline station in 1925
• Waterloo Station Central Telephone Enquiry Bureau (CTEB) History

• Waterloo station is at coordinates 51°30′11″N 0°06′48″W / 51.5031, -0.1132Coordinates: 51°30′11″N 0°06′48″W / 51.5031, -0.1132