- This morning, South Western Railway surprised customers with a fashion show at London Waterloo station
- SWR colleagues – from the head office to the ticket office - volunteered to walk the carriage catwalk to model 200 years of fashion
- The event kicked off with a show on board an Arterio train followed by celebrations on the concourse - all to commemorate Railway 200, an event marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway
Commuters on the South Western Railway (SWR) Arterio train to London Waterloo were greeted with a fashion show upon their arrival at 10:09am this morning.
Celebrating 200 years of fashion, the show took customers on a journey through the ages, with looks representing some of the most prominent decades - from 1825 to the modern day.
SWR and Network Rail colleagues walked the carriage catwalk - strutting down the aisles of the train and transporting customers back in time with designs curated by Kingston University fashion students.
Clothing was sourced from costume hire and charity shops - with outfits ranging from an 1870s taffeta pleated day suit to a 1920s sequin dress. Another notable ensemble was a 1960s three-piece camel suit with flares. Accessories were also borrowed from London Waterloo’s lost property cupboard, including forgotten umbrellas, top hats, walking sticks, and more.
The carriage catwalk was the first stop in a series of festivities taking place at London Waterloo today. Passersby were delighted to see another fashion show on the concourse, with models representing the last twenty decades of fashion against a soundtrack of music to match, with styles spanning 1825 to 2025.
Between walking, models mingled on the concourse alongside speeches and performances from a range of acts, including a song about trains written specifically for the event, debuted by Our Lady Immaculate Primary School choir. Live music by The Eel Pie Two included a variety of styles from rock ‘n’ roll to country and jazz.
The event was hosted by Kingston-based non-profit The Community Brain, supported by SWR, to celebrate Railway 200 - a year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway.
Lyndsey Robson-Malone, Service Delivery Director at South Western Railway, comments:
“It’s been a stylish morning at London Waterloo as we've celebrated 200 years of fashion, from the birth of the railway to today. From the carriage to the concourse, colleagues struck a pose in everything from top hats to flares. We hope our journey through the decades brought a smile to customers' faces, maybe even sparking memories of their own favourite outfits from years gone by."
