I’d add to thatVirgin?
They've been at it since 1997 (January and March for the Xc and WC portions respectively), so that's 22 years. But it's not the longest.Virgin?
Good thinking (and in a direction I hadn't considered)!He's asking for company, not franchise, so I'll say Stagecoach.
That's the answer on my card: they started operations in 1994.Eurostar?
I think it was more likely the first Tay Bridge.
A barrow crossing?All railway stations have their oddities, but Waterloo has one large scale feature that you wouldn't expect in a major terminus. What is it and why is it that way?
I have no Idea if it does, as I've never been there. But it was something I wouldn't expect at a major terminus.Neither a barrow crossing (does Waterloo have one?)
Is it something to do with the old link roads to Waterloo East?
Ok I’ll go for there being a redundant bridge (that’s now used for storage I believe), and the remains of the route that linked the two stations. In other words that part of Waterloo wasn’t a terminus at all?Yes. Keep thinking. If you look at a detailed OS map of the station it's obvious.
Ok I’ll go for there being a redundant bridge (that’s now used for storage I believe), and the remains of the route that linked the two stations. In other words that part of Waterloo wasn’t a terminus at all?
I think I know what you’re saying, but I’m going to back away now as I don’t have a question to set and even if I did I know that I won’t have any reception all day tomorrow...That's very close to the mark, but not on it. As you imply, the original Waterloo was designed to be a through station. Look at a map and see what effect that had on its overall shape. (I think the word "characteristic" might have been better than "feature" in the original question).
Platform 1 is not at one extreme of the station as usual. (Assuming no Platform 0)
Being on a curve, it is difficult to see the whole train to ensure it is safe to startNo - simpler than that. Hint - what is it about a station that makes dispatching a long train more difficult?
Being on a curve, it is difficult to see the whole train to ensure it is safe to start
Due to the original intention of Waterloo being a through station, the line continuing to the City, the station developed in a haphazard fashion, resulting difficulty in finding where a departure was leaving from. The situation was lampooned (with artistic licence regarding "Waterloo High Level") by Jerome K Jerome in Three Men in a Boat,
"No one at Waterloo Station could tell the men where to catch their train. They ran around questioning railway employees from those with the simplest of jobs to the traffic superintendent to no avail. Finally, they slipped a porter from the Exeter Mail some extra money to take them to Kingston........ the railway looked for the train for hours, but they got where they wanted to go."