The original Waterloo station opened on 11th July 1848 as a modest 4 platform 6 track through station (it was hoped to extend the tracks to London Bridge) on the south bank of the Thames after the LSWR extended from its original terminus at Nine Elms. In 1860 platforms serving the Windsor lines were added and then in 1864 a link to London Bridge was achieved by the expedient of extending a single track across the concourse and by a bridge across Waterloo Road to join the now open SER line from Charing Cross. The bridge across Waterloo Road still exists and for many years provided a footpath link for passengers between Waterloo and Waterloo East stations, however this was use superseded by a new high level bridge built directly above the original bridge in 1992. Development of the overall station continued in a hotchpotch fashion by adding two additional small stations either side of the original leading to supplementary names of Windsor, North, Central and South being applied at various times. Workings of services from the three stations was often chaotic leading to much confusion of passengers, and it was this that was parodied by Jerome K. Jerome in a chapter in his book "Three Men in a Boat" by describing a journey from Waterloo to Kingston. The LSWR commenced the rebuilding in stages into a single spacious attractive terminus between 1909 and 1918, with the new 21 platform station being officially commissioned on 21st March 1922.