The Waterloo Story

The Waterloo Story recounts the sometimes surprising history of this 175 year old railway station.

It’s a story that begins with its opening in 1848 as a ‘roadside station’, supposedly just a stop on the way to a planned for major city terminus that was never realised, through years of resultant chaotic growth which brought it repeated public ridicule, and finally to its ‘Great Transformation’ into the much loved station that we know today. Mike Lamport, railway historian and South Western Circle member curated the free to view exhibition that opened on the main concourse of Waterloo station at 12.00hrs on Tuesday 11 July 2023 (the station opened on Tuesday 11 July 1848). It was well received by passengers and visitors to the station alike. Since then, Network Rail have been working with Mike, South Western Railway (SWR) and the station team at London Waterloo to find a permanent home for the exhibition. This has resulted in the historical exhibition being recreated into vinyl artworks, which are now installed in the glass panels on the perimeter of the waiting area in the Waterloo International Terminal. It can also be viewed on the Network Rail website here.