If you commute into London Waterloo each day, you might soon notice something very different at the train station, as a big change is being made this summer.
The station, which is thought to be used by an average of 250,000 people each day, is getting a new addition.
As well as the numerous shops, cafes, and restaurants, already on offer at the station, a brand new Wetherspoons pub is set to open, meaning you’ll be able to grab a cheeky pint after a long day at work before heading home.
The Lion and the Unicorn is set to open in The Sidings at Waterloo, with the popular pub chain investing a whopping £2.5 million into its development.
The name of the new Spoons is inspired by the Festival of Britain which was held at the nearby South Bank in 1951 and showcased British achievements in the arts, architecture, science and technology.
No official opening date has been given yet for the pub, but it’s thought it will create 120 new full-time and part-time jobs.
The Sidings is the ‘social side’ of Waterloo and features a number of other popular businesses such as Nando’s, Brewdog, Blank Street coffee, and a Lucky Voice karaoke bar.
Nearby Brewdog is an impressive establishment, which features a giant slide and a secret speakeasy bar inside, but the new Wetherspoons will also offer customers a unique drinking experience — especially if they’re a fan of trains — with floor-to-ceiling glazing offering views of the concourse.
The pub will be across one level and will be serving up a full food menu from 11.30am to 11pm every day and a breakfast menu from opening to noon.
Tim Martin, Wetherspoons’ founder and chairman said: ‘We are looking forward to opening our new pub. We are confident it will appeal to a wide range of people and be a great asset to the station itself.’
Sian Evans, management director of LCR property developers, added: ‘The Sidings at Waterloo is set to become one of London’s leading leisure and entertainment destinations.
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‘The new Wetherspoons pub will provide another great reason for people to visit.’
We’ll have to wait and see how prices at the newest London Spoons will fare against others in the capital, after two of the chain’s pubs were recently revealed to be the most expensive Wetherspoons in the UK for a pint, charging an eye-watering £7 for a Corona.
And this might not be the only change to Waterloo that’s made in the future, as ambitious plans to revamp the station and parts of the surrounding area were recently unveiled.
The proposal aims to make the station far more pedestrian-friendly by knocking out ‘barriers’ to movement and turning traffic-heavy Cab Road into a ‘piazza’ accessible only by foot.
Concourses would also be widened and unused underground arches would be converted into shops and restaurants.
The designs were drawn up by architects from Grimshaw, who designed the western wing of the station with its iconic curved glass roof, completed in 1993.
This comes after plans for a revamp to another busy commuter station were shared, with more than 2,100 people objecting to the proposed changes to London Liverpool Street.
The public, local authorities, Historic England and Westminster City Council all raised concerns about the project, with some branding it ‘ugly and uninspired’.
It’s not cheap either. Liverpool Street’s new look will cost £1.5billion, with part of the Victorian station being knocked down and a 20-storey tower built above the neighbouring Grade-II* listed former Great Eastern Hotel.
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