Waterloo International railway station

Infobox London station
name = Waterloo International



manager = Until 14/11/2007 Eurostar
Since 14/11/2007 - Department for Transport
zone = 1
locale = South Bank
borough = London Borough of Lambeth
latitude = 51.5032
longitude = -0.1135
years = 14th November 1994
13th November 2007
events= Opened
Closed| platforms = 5 (no. 20-24)
railexits0405 =
railcode = WAT

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 Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners over 5 years, it cost £135 million and was completed in May 1993, in time for the scheduled completion of the Channel Tunnel. However the construction of the Tunnel was delayed and the station did not open until November 1994, when it won the Royal Institute of British Architects' Building of the Year award. [cite news |first=Madeleine |last=Bunting |title= Few passengers and trains but Waterloo's tunnel vision wins award for elegance |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2210285,00.html |work=The Guardian | date=2 December 1994 |accessdate=2007-11-14 ]

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 [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Waterloo International: 1994-2007 |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2007/nov/13/railtravel?picture=331254132 |work= |publisher=Guardian Unlimited |date=13 November 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-18 ] 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. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= St Pancras Eurostar service opens |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7093761.stm |work= |publisher=BBC News |date=14 November 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-14 ]

The Waterloo International station then reverted to the ownership of the Department for Transport. Future use of all the Eurostar platforms is unclear. [cite news |first=Dan |last=Bell |title=Terminal faces uncertain future |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6146690.stm |work=BBC News |date= 14 November 2006|accessdate=2007-11-14 ] Some reports had suggested that they might be used for shops, [cite news |first=Dick |last=Murray |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Shops plan for Waterloo International |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-17731832-details/Shops+plan+for+Waterloo+International/article.do |work=Evening Standard |publisher= |date=6 April 2005 |accessdate=2007-11-14 ] 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. [ [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-06-04b.207333.h Waterloo Station: 4 Jun 2008: Written answers (TheyWorkForYou.com) ] ] . The infrastructure outside Waterloo, not the number of platforms, limits capacity and so current planning focuses on enabling longer trains to use Waterloo, with a lower priority for bringing further International platforms back into use. The tracks used by Eurostar have limited access to those of the mainline station and extensive track and signalling work would be needed to gain much benefit from using the International platforms for local services.

ee also

* St Pancras International
* List of closed railway stations in London
* Eurostar
* South West Trains
* Network Rail

Gallery

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