Waterloo International railway station facts for kids
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Waterloo International was a special train station in London. It was the very first place where Eurostar trains started their journeys. These fast trains connected the United Kingdom with countries like France and Belgium. Even though it was right next to the main London Waterloo station, it was treated as its own separate place. It had five platforms, numbered 20 to 24, just for international trains.
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What Was Waterloo International?
Waterloo International was built especially for the new Eurostar train service. Eurostar trains are high-speed trains that travel through the Channel Tunnel. This tunnel goes under the sea and connects England to France. Before Eurostar, people had to take a ferry or a plane to cross the English Channel. Eurostar made it much faster and easier to travel between London and cities like Paris and Brussels.
A Special Station for International Travel
The station was designed to handle many passengers and their luggage. It had special areas for customs and immigration checks. These checks are needed when you travel between different countries. This made sure that passengers could easily get on and off their trains. The platforms were long enough for the Eurostar trains, which are quite long.
Why Did Waterloo International Close?
Waterloo International closed its doors in 2007. All Eurostar trains then moved to a new station. This new home for Eurostar is called St Pancras International railway station. The move happened because a new high-speed railway line was built. This line, called High Speed 1, connects London directly to the Channel Tunnel. St Pancras International was a better fit for this new, faster route.
What Happened to the Platforms?
After Eurostar left, the platforms at Waterloo International were not used for a while. They sat empty for several years. However, train companies in the UK needed more space. South West Trains eventually started using some of these platforms. They planned to use them for longer trains with more carriages. This helped to carry more passengers on busy routes.
Images for kids
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South West Trains units occupying platforms 21 and 22, Waterloo (ex-International Terminal) station at 15:30 on 23 July 2015.
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Waterloo International arch
