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Rail bosses reveal radical revamp plan for Waterloo
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard28.07.08
Waterloo station is set to be transformed, with the concourse sunk to the level of the Eurostar terminal, under plans revealed today.
Network Rail wants a radical redevelopment of Britain's largest station and plans to remove the roof and lengthen the platforms to ease overcrowding.
The revamped station would be similar to St Pancras with escalators taking passengers up from street level to the trains.
It is hoped to emulate the success of the recently revamped St Pancras, whose features, such as Europe's longest champagne bar, have proved a hit with passengers.
The plans could see Waterloo's platforms lengthened to cater for longer trains. Some of the shops are already set to be removed in the next few months to create space.
A Network Rail spokesman said: "We need to do something quite radical because of an increasing number of people using the station.
"The number has grown by 40 per cent over the last 10 years and we expect it to increase by another 30 per cent over the next 10. These proposals will not only mean more people can fit on trains but it willprovide an easier link with the Underground." The plans support the Evening Standard's A Seat for Every Commuter Campaign, with the 84 million people using the station each year set to increase.
The proposals have been challenged by English Heritage which wants the entire building to be Grade II listed. At present, only the station's victory arch is Grade II listed. It follows news that it could cost £50 million to convert the mothballed Waterloo Eurostar station into a commuter terminal.
The award-winning terminal, designed by Nicholas Grimshaw, was originally built at a cost of £135million but has been defunct since Eurostar was transferred to St Pancras at the end of last year.
Network Rail will begin the search for a developer within a year, and aims to fund the scheme by freeing up space for commercial development. Work on the site is unlikely to begin before 2014.
Reader views (10)
Have we not learned from the mistakes of our ancestors who tore down the historic Euston Station and replaced it with an ugly new station which has no soul and is unpleasant to use? Waterloo is a splendid terminus - our finest Edwardian station - it should be listed and adpated to accomodate a 21st Century railway just like the St Pancras make-over.
- Thomas, London
We are often too precious about old buildings. A major transport terminal such as Waterloo Station must provide for the needs of its users, so if the present station has outlived its usefulness, it is time to move on. As a daily commuter, I want an efficient, attractive 21st century terminus, not a museum where everything is a compromise.
To see what I mean, take a look at poor old Clapham Junction station, which is crying out for redevelopment, but hardly anything can be done because of our nostalgia for old buildings (and it's not even very old).
When the London and South Western Railway built the present Waterloo Station between 1911 and 1921, they had no qualms about demolishing the old station to build one better suited to their passengers' needs, and we must do the same. The present station is not even a historic or architecturally significant building.
- Martin Platt, London, UK
When I went to Waterloo station a couple of weeks ago there were just two ticket counters open and a queue of over 100 people. I waited 17 minutes to buy my ticket and missed my train. Network Rail's contempt for passengers is unbelievable and I don't believe for a moment that this new scheme is designed with passengers in mind. It's just another property development.
- D Green, London, UK
Turn Eurostar platforms over to the longer distance trains to the SW; leaving the rest of the station for shorter distance suburban services. With their longer platforms and better luggage facilities they would be suited to longer distance train passengers.
And of course remove all the shops that have appeared in the last 10 years from the middle of the concourse.
But what we will get is similar to St Pancras. A shopping mall with a train station attached.
Although the thameslink station at St Pancras is a great improvement the interchange to the tube is far longer than before.
The solution is simple but will Network rail be willing to give up on rental revenue?
- Terry, London
What network rail is proposing is todemolish the station and shove all the passengers waiting for trains into an artificially lit basement - and have offices above the platforms (even the platforms will be dank and dark).
This is very different from St Pancras where the Champaign Bar is filled with natural light from the restored roof.
- John, Twickenham
So Network Rail plans to fund these improvements by freeing up space for commercial development? Given the massive cost of such an improvement scheme, I would imagine the only way this could be achieved would be by high rise development on the site. As Boris recently instructed Lambeth Borough Council to decline planning permission to "The Ugly Sisters" towers adjacent to the site, I cannot see this as being feasible. It looks like Boris may have to make a tough decision, have Waterloo improved for the benefit of commuters, or protect his cronies views from Westminster.
- James, London
A difficult issue - on the one hand Waterloo is an historic station which is deserving of protection but on the other it is no longer fit for purpose and cannot possibly compete on equal terms with a modern station in terms of efficiency for large passenger numbers. However, as someone who actually lives in the 21st century and not the 19th, when I visit London I would much prefer to use a safe modern station than a museum.
- Jeff, Hobart, Australia
I really don't care about the longest Champagne bar in Europe or other marketing rubbish. A better selling point will be to have all the trains on time, at a reasonable fare, everyday of the year, with sitting place for us all. But that will never happen, as it seems in this country is satisfied with appearances is what counts, as that the bosses, fill their pockets.
Ask any foreigner visiting, and one will understand, that London is still middle age, with the price tag in the Queens name.
- Lauren, London UK
Hopefully this will include a revamp of London Underground's Northern and Bakerloo line platforms underneath - talk about depressing. I used to wonder what international visitors thought when they had to head down to them when Eurostar was operating there.
- David, North London
This could totally destroy the character of Waterloo Station -- one of the great landmarks of London. I'd be against a holus-bolus change to everything in the station.
- Phil Jones, London UK
