RM Archive
FROM
THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE
ARCHIVES
100 YEARS AGO MAY 1922
Waterloo rebuild
RANKING first in the list of largest railway stations in Great Britain by virtue of its 21 platforms, Waterloo now takes its place also as the most modern and up-to-date due to the fact that, within the last 12 years or so, it has been almost entirely rebuilt and reconstructed. So much so that few traces remain of the Waterloo which existed when the twentieth century opened.
100 YEARS AGO:
The formal opening of the Victory Arch at Waterloo station, which celebrates its centenary this year.
The huge reconstruction, which was formally opened by Queen Mary on March 21, includes also the provision of head office quarters which rank among the finest provided for the administration of the business of a railway company, with many points of interest, not the least of which is the magnificent ‘Victory Arch’ incorporated into the architectural design in memory of London and South Western Railway employees who gave their lives in the Great War.
The first Waterloo station was opened in 1848 with three platforms when the London and South Western Railway was extended from Nine Elms.