The Union-Castle Express: London Waterloo

"The Union-Castle Express" Boat Train

(LONDON WATERLOO - SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS)

RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE THE CASTLES TO THE CAPE

Since the days of the Southern Railway before the Second World War, special trains called “Ocean Liner Specials” were operated to carry the passengers from the ocean liners that docked at the railway's Southampton Docks to London Waterloo. By 1952 British Railways had decided to give the more prominent boat trains to Southampton Docks special names, such as the Cunarder, the Statesman, the Union Castle Express, the Holland American, and the South American etc. However there were also a lot of boat trains without special names as well.

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One of the more famous boat trains from London Waterloo to Southampton Docks (Union-Castle Terminal) at this time was “The Union Castle Express” which was a special Boat Train to connect with the Union-Castle Line express mailships to South Africa that sailed from the Union-Castle Terminal at berth 102 in Southampton Western Docks. This boat train continued to operate until the end of the Union Castle Line service to South Africa in 1977.