Waterloo train sheds

This is a view of the iconic Waterloo Station train sheds (though not the originals). The station, among the busiest in the UK, has a rich and fascinating history. But here’s one of the most interesting facts. 

As the demand for burial sites increased in London, the government developed cemeteries on the outskirts and this required the efficient transport of bodies. Hence, the London Necropolis Railway (1854) which was housed at Waterloo Station. The Necropolis was a private railway that transported coffins to the new Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey—one carriage for the coffins, the other carriages for the mourners. The station closed in May 1941 after a German air raid. In its 87 year history over 200,000 bodies were transported.

The entrance to the former Necropolis is on Westminster Bridge Road although it’s been boarded up for many years. In extras there’s a shot of a derelict window at the entrance. The tiled passage to the former station is still visible. Apparently the floors above are now used as office space.