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Oliver Bonas joins the retail line-up |
UK. London Waterloo railway station has unveiled its new 220m-long balcony, featuring several F&B and retail outlets.
Operator Network Rail said the opening aims to reduce congestion on the concourse level in time for the London 2012 Olympic Games starting next week.
The new balcony, featuring 20,000sq ft of retail space, provides passengers with a wider choice of places to eat and shop. New brands include Yo! Sushi, Fat Face, Hotel Chocolat, Oliver Bonas, Links of London, Thomas Pink and the first ever station outlet of fashion brand Joules.
Further outlets opening soon will include Italian eatery Carluccio’s, Kiehl’s, Sports Bar & Grill, Benugo, and Corney & Barrow’s new concept bar The Cabin. Once all the new units are open, the retail capacity within the station will total 55,000sq ft across 38 stores.
The new balcony – the longest at any British rail station – is part of Network Rail’s £25 million improvement project to “transform the station and smooth the journey” for the 300,000 passengers passing through each day.
As part of the project Network Rail installed escalators and relocated retail outlets from the middle of the main concourse onto the balcony. With new escalators and lifts installed in May, Waterloo station now offers step-free connection to the adjacent Waterloo East station.
Network Rail Director of Property David Biggs commented: “We are dedicated to improving the facilities, layout and retail experiences for millions of commuters nationwide through various station expansion projects within Britain’s major cities.
“As with the new western concourse at King’s Cross earlier this year, the Waterloo balcony project forms part of our wider retail strategy to create “˜destination’ stations for both rail passengers and non-travelling customers. It also provides a crucial, sustainable source of income for the station, which can be reinvested directly into the rail network to continuously improve our services to passengers.”
Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of the Network Rail/South West Trains alliance said: “We have over 90 million passengers passing through Waterloo every year, with +30% growth predicted by 2030. Our challenge is to deliver extra capacity so our passengers can get the rail services they rely on.
“We needed to find a radical solution to improve the space and facilities at Waterloo. The opening of the balcony, with the removal of retail units from the concourse, reduces congestion while still providing the facilities expected at a modern station. Passengers will now find it easier to get to and from their trains. The next crucial stage is to extend the platforms so we can run longer trains with more capacity, to cater for the predicted growth in passenger numbers.”
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The new balcony at Waterloo railway station features a varied F&B and retail offer |
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