Before the iconic Eurostar terminal moved to the stunning St Pancras International, London Waterloo International was the beating heart of high-speed train travel between the UK and mainland Europe.
From 1994 to 2007, it served as the gateway to the Continent, welcoming thousands of passengers a day as they embarked on their journeys to Paris, Brussels, and beyond.
Situated in the heart of the capital, Waterloo International offered a glimpse of a futuristic era of travel when it first opened its doors.
With its sleek, modern design and its special international platform, it was a far cry from the traditional stations London was known for.
The Waterloo International platforms were home to the revolutionary high-speed trains of Eurostar, which whisked passengers from London to Paris in just over two hours.
Designed by Nicholas Grimshaw, the station was an elongated, four-platform concourse with a snaking glass-and-steel roof – a huge 400 metres long with 36 arches.
To make it look really exclusive a structural glass wall separated the existing Waterloo Station from the International station.
But, as the demand for Eurostar services grew and the need for more capacity became clear, Waterloo’s limitations became apparent.
The station’s tracks, designed primarily for suburban services, were unable to handle the additional international traffic without major modification.
This led to the decision in 2007 to relocate Eurostar’s services to St Pancras International, a move that would allow for faster, more efficient connections and greater capacity.
