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Retail revamp for Waterloo Eurostar terminal given green light

Lambeth Council have given the green light to a new shopping centre at the disused Waterloo International Terminal (WIT) as part of a wider project to expand the station.

The venture, organised by LCR, the DfT and Network Rail, will create 135,000sq ft of space in the former Eurostar terminal to house a mix of independent, high street and food outlets, with several new entrances also built to accommodate the station’s anticipated growth in passenger numbers in the coming decades.

This marks a rejuvenation for WIT, which has only seen limited use since the final Eurostar train left the station in 2007 as it moved to its new London terminus at St Pancras International.

The decision was made following an extensive engagement programme with local communities and officials from Lambeth Council regarding the proposals. A public consultation held between March and April this year demonstrated strong support for the project.

The retail development is intended to allow Waterloo station to offer a similar experience to St Pancras International and Birmingham New Street, providing modern retail facilities for commuters and the nearby communities in Southbank and Lambeth. The development will create about 700 new jobs in the terminal and generate substantial local investment.

Outside of the station, it is thought that WIT’s restoration will benefit the surrounding area by complimenting the wider regeneration of the Southbank and Leake Street – also known as Banksy Tunnel – where LCR and the DfT are currently reusing old railway arches.

WIT’s restoration forms part of the Wessex Capacity Improvement Programme, being delivered by Network Rail, which aims to provide the largest increase in capacity for decades at Waterloo, the UK’s busiest railway station by passenger usage. The project also features the reopening of platforms 20-24 for use by domestic rail services, new track and signalling and an improved layout.

 (Images c. Corstorphine + Wright Architects)

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