Network Rail is offering visitors the rare chance to learn about the history of three London stations with tours of London Bridge, Victoria, and Waterloo.

Devised as part of Railway 200 which celebrates 200 years of railway history, the tours will be led by renowned railway historian Rachel Kolsky, and take visitors on a journey through time while discovering stations’ histories.

London Waterloo was opened in 1848 and is now the terminus of Network Rail’s Wessex route. Once described as catering to ‘a better class of commuter,’ visitors will discover the stories behind what was once seven stations, including one specifically for funeral trains to Brookwood cemetery near Woking.

There will be the chance to find out about Waterloo’s role during two World Wars, view artwork from the 1951 Festival of Britain, and explore luxury restaurants, contemporary public art, and numerous connections with the cinema including a news cinema, TV lounge, and iconic film locations.

London Victoria originally had two separate stations built by different companies. It was the starting point for the Night Ferry train to France and the Orient Express, and it had a terminal for Imperial Airways. Visitors will discover the station’s roles in World War One, books and films, and a luxury hotel.

London Bridge was built as part of London’s first railway line, and visitors will see how it is now a bright, spacious station, but has both stunning Victorian brickwork and breathtaking contemporary engineering.

Each tour costs £25 per person. Quiet Vox devices will be available for the hard of hearing.

For more details, please visit the Network Rail ticket page here

These tours are not the only ones to explore London’s stations; London Transport Museum has a programme of tours of hidden and disused parts of the Underground network. Also, as part of the Railway 200 campaign, the National Railway Museum has developed an interactive timeline of the history of Britain’s railways.

“London Waterloo is steeped in history, and a glimpse of this is available in the old international terminal with a series of vinyl plaques. This tour will expand on that snapshot of its 177-year history, providing an inspirational tale of how the railway grew and adapted over its lifetime, including a look at how Waterloo was once the grand gateway into Great Britain for visitors from the continent, offering them their first impression of the country when Eurostar served this station.”

Gerry Kitchener, Head of Managed Stations for the Wessex Route