Waterloo International railway station
Encyclopedia
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.
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
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.
Ownership of Waterloo International station passed to BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
. Future use of all the Eurostar platforms is unclear. Some reports had suggested that they might be used for shops, 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. Network Rail has no immediate plans to use the other four former international platforms for domestic use and the platforms have not been used since November 2007.
. The audience was seated either side of the actual railway track. The show includes the use of a steam engine, coupled to one of the original carriages from the 1970s film, being shunted in and out of the theatre area as required by a Class 08
shunter.
The performance moved to London after two sell out and critically acclaimed summer runs at the National Railway Museum
in York.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
terminus of the Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
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
Grimshaw Architects
Grimshaw Architects is an architectural firm based in London. Founded in 1980 by Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, the firm was one of the pioneers of high-tech architecture...
over five years, it cost £135 million and was completed in May 1993, in time for the scheduled completion of the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
. 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
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
' Building of the Year award.
Waterloo International has five platforms
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple 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
British Rail Class 373
The British Rail Class 373 or TGV-TMST train is an electric multiple unit that operates Eurostar's high-speed rail service between Britain, France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel...
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.
Ownership of Waterloo International station passed to BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
BRB Limited is the successor to the British Railways Board. It is a private company limited by shares, with 100% of the issued share capital owned by the Secretary of State for Transport.-Background:...
. Future use of all the Eurostar platforms is unclear. Some reports had suggested that they might be used for shops, but a parliamentary written answer of 4 June 2008 stated platform 20 was to be used by some South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
services from December 2008. Network Rail has no immediate plans to use the other four former international platforms for domestic use and the platforms have not been used since November 2007.
The Railway Children
From 4 July 2010 to 2 January 2011 two of the disused platforms hosted theatrical performances of E. Nesbit's The Railway ChildrenThe Railway Children
The Railway Children is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in The London Magazine during 1905 and first published in book form in 1906...
. The audience was seated either side of the actual railway track. The show includes the use of a steam engine, coupled to one of the original carriages from the 1970s film, being shunted in and out of the theatre area as required by a Class 08
British Rail Class 08
The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel-electric shunting locomotive. From 1953 to 1962, 996 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous of all British locomotive classes....
shunter.
The performance moved to London after two sell out and critically acclaimed summer runs at the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
in York.
In film
- The station is shown repeatedly in The Russian DollsThe Russian DollsThe Russian Dolls is a 2005 French-British film, the sequel to L'Auberge espagnole . Cédric Klapisch wrote and directed the film, whose settings include Paris, London, Saint Petersburg and Moscow...
(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 UltimatumThe Bourne Ultimatum (film)The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 American spy film directed by Paul Greengrass and loosely based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same title. This film is the third in the Bourne film series, being preceded by The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy...
, Jason Bourne arrives from Paris and steps out onto Waterloo International's Eurostar platforms. Further action takes place in the rest of Waterloo station.