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Monday 16 Jan 2017

TIMELAPSE: Passengers get a behind-the-scenes peek at the Waterloo station upgrade

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Network Rail is giving passengers a behind-the-scenes look at the major upgrade of London’s Waterloo station, as work to deliver the £800 million Waterloo & South West Upgrade continues.

Timelapse footage shows engineers working within the former International Terminal at the station, which was once home to Eurostar services, to demolish the far sections of platforms 21-24 last autumn.

The platforms were originally around 400 metres long, long enough to allow six train services every hour, each with 18 carriages. However, the platforms have been reduced in length to allow Network Rail to alter the track layout. This enables a far higher-frequency service, necessary to deliver the additional capacity that is now needed to the south and west of London.

Becky Lumlock, route managing director at Network Rail, said: “Eurostar trains are some of the longest passenger trains to have operated on Britain’s railways but trains that long just wouldn’t fit onto the platforms in Britain’s network. On top of that, the old International Terminal was designed to only accommodate six train services every hour.

"So, as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan we are transforming the former International Terminal into a hub for trains from Waterloo to Windsor and Reading. To do this, we’ve shortened platforms 21-24 and we’re using this surplus space to install new sections of track in their place. This will allow us to vastly increase the maximum number of services that can arrive and depart in the former International Terminal from six trains to 18 trains every hour. Enabling a much higher frequency of services into Waterloo is essential to increasing capacity at the station by 30% and providing a better railway to passengers.”

ENDS