Eurostar third rail operations meet their Waterloo!

You can see here one very good reason the high speed link in tunnels under London as been built! 373201+373202 thread their way through the inner suburbs - in this case Brixton.

photograph by Stephen Hodgson

373013+373014 pass through Penge East.

photograph by Stephen Hodgson

Unfortunately 's last afternoon on the Southern third rail network was marred by an incident in the Brixton area resulting in nothing running for about two hours. By this time all five platforms at Waterloo International were full. When the line was cleared there were three outbound and one inbound services within fifteen minutes. Here 373229 and 373230 pass Vauxhall outbound on what appears to be an empty stock movement.

One casualty of this hold up was 373221+373222 with the 13.04 departure from Paris which was held at Kent House, from where the train is seen finally departing.

photograph by Stephen Hodgson

The band on the platform plays minutes before 373003 and 373004 leaves with the final departure for Paris, train 9O48, at 18.09.

photograph by David Staines

The last Eurostar departure from Waterloo, train 9I54, was from platform 24 at 18.12 to Brussels, the honour falling to 373007 and 373008. The power car of 3007 (Waterloo end) was displaying a Farewell Waterloo decal.

photograph by David Staines

For pictures of trains on the Southern third rail system in the final weeks, please click here.