Waterloo’s incredible transformation from Eurostar to world’s biggest Brewdog

If you’re a regular traveller through Waterloo station, you’ll know that much of the former international terminal, which was abandoned in November 2007 following the transfer of Eurostar services to St Pancras, has been reallocated to South Western Railway (SWR) services. That’s only half the story though. Platforms 20 to 24 sit on the ground floor, but underneath there are three floors of the station which have been out of use – until now.

Most of this space was used as Eurostar’s check-in, security and back office area from when the service started running to mainland Europe in 1994. There’s even a disused underground car park. After its departure in 2007, London and Continental Railways (LCR, the government’s railway-related property development arm) which owns the space, embarked on a project to return the space to public use.

After 15 years of complicated redesigns and revised plans, it finally has a name and an opening date – it’s called ‘ The Sidings ‘ and it opens in stages starting this June. ‘The Sidings’ is a multi-purpose leisure complex which will make the station a destination of its own.

READ MORE: Inside Blackfriars Station: Behind the scenes at the heart of Thameslink

It is not a shopping centre, although there will be some retail units – it’s more similar in nature to St Pancras’ offering than Grand Central at Birmingham New Street. It will include the biggest Brewdog in the world at 26,500 square feet, with multiple bars, a slide, ten-pin bowling, coffee shop and shuffleboard over two floors, an ‘immersive theatre’ which will use the sound of the trains above as part of its experience, an outdoor terrace called ‘Waterloo Curve’ and a restaurant, all of which will be open by the end of the year.

To get a complete look of ‘The Sidings’, take a look at our exclusive photo gallery below.

Nigel Crainey, chief operating officer for LCR, explained to MyLondon: “It’s been a complex project, particularly in a highly regulated environment, more complex than something you would just level and build up from the ground. Refurbing what is effectively a disused station plus a car park, and bringing it up to habitable standards, has been challenging.

“Trains have been running above throughout, so it has been delicate – we can’t just drill holes in pillars without having the right level of approvals but we’ve been working hand-in-glove with Network Rail over the last three of four years to make sure we’re all joined up. We have tenants like Brewdog ready to move in and we’re starting now to see the value of it all.”

Over the past few weeks, there have been up to 300 construction workers on the site 24/7 but since Monday (May 30), the construction phase is coming to an end and the incoming tenants, such as Brewdog, Neuhaus Chocolates, WHSmiths and Kiehl’s will be able to fit out their units, with the first ones opening within weeks.

London’s railway stations are increasingly finding innovative ways to use their floor spaces to improve the environment around them and bring the railway additional sources of revenue. This was demonstrated by St Pancras International which stayed afloat during the pandemic despite its rail traffic almost vanishing overnight.

Making stations multi-purpose destinations of their own also gives them the added benefits of better integrating into their local community, providing extra amenities and jobs and improving the attractiveness of the railway. Network Rail is undertaking concurrent works to improve the rest of Waterloo Station too, to this effect.

You can already get a sneak peek of the new arcade part of ‘The Sidings’, by going down one level from the platforms 20-24 mezzanine or by exiting the London Underground Bakerloo line ticket hall and following signs for National Rail platforms 20-24, which will now route you through ‘The Sidings’.

Once the development is completed at the end of the year, you will be able to exit the station through ‘The Sidings’ and directly access Leake Street Market, St Thomas’ Hospital and County Hall.

What are your thoughts and impressions on the rebirth of Waterloo Station? Tell us in the comments below.

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