Pupils of Waterloo school and rail staff mark a century since Victory Arch was opened at station

A crucial war may be raging in Eastern Europe but rail chiefs were yesterday remembering those who died much closer to home.

A century ago, four years after the Great War ended, London Waterloo station’s Victory Arch was opened in tribute to the railway staff who fought and died for their country.

Yesterday (Monday, 21 March) the arch was rededicated by the Reverend Christopher Henley, Railway Chaplain, supported by a host of senior colleagues from the London and South Western Railway’s successors at Network Rail and South Western Railway, along with those from the Railway Heritage Trust, British Transport Police and the armed forces.

Network Rail Southern region managing director John Halsall said: “Most people travelling through Waterloo probably don’t give the Victory Arch a moment’s thought, but you only have to stop and look at the names to see the sheer scale of the loss of life, and the huge sacrifices made by the people of the railway and their families. By rededicating the arch today we’re paying tribute not just to them but all those who lost their lives in war. I’m proud to be working for the same railway they did.”

South Western Railway’s Managing Director Claire Mann said: “Today brought home to me how all of us working in the rail industry are carrying on a tradition, following in the footsteps of thousands of people before us. Rededicating the Victory Arch and seeing the names on the walls reinforces how special this is. It’s important we don’t just reflect on the past, but to use it to inspire us to carry on the tradition of selflessness and dedication that our predecessors possessed.”

Victory Arch was designed by J R Scott, the LSWR’s chief architect, and was built of Portland stone and bronze. It depicts War and Peace, with Britannia holding the torch of liberty above. Leading from Station Approach onto the concourse, the Victory Arch forms the main entrance to Waterloo.

The Victory Arch is the only part of London Waterloo station to be listed Grade One.

Waterloo Station was comprehensively rebuilt from effectively four stations in one. Nicholas Grimshaw’s international terminal was added to the northern side in the 1990s.

From July 2012 a first-floor balcony helped cut concourse congestion for the London Olympic Games.