Station Codes

[pitdiver]

As a matter of interest does anybody know how many permutations there are of the 3 letter station codes. Will there be a situation when they run out.

What is the most unusual ie. the code bears very little similarity to the station it represents.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I get there to be 17,576 possible codes under the current system (26 x 26 x 26 ), however the usefulness of a lot of them for one specific station is perhaps debatable.

The most unrecognisable code as per the name currently would perhaps be Harwich International's HPQ (harking back to the days it was Harwich Parkestone Quay) or Dinas / Garth, whose codes are DMG and GMG respectively, the 'MG' indicating Mid-Glamorgan.

 

[Qwerty133]

Birmingham new street is BHM and not BNS which is Barnes which is one that people always get confused.

 

[laphroaig]

WCX for Wembley Stadium, been a good few years since it was called Wembley Complex.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The most unrecognisable code as per the name currently would perhaps be Harwich International's HPQ (harking back to the days it was Harwich Parkestone Quay) or Dinas / Garth, whose codes are DMG and GMG respectively, the 'MG' indicating Mid-Glamorgan.

I was half-expecting you to have mentioned that the BSV code for the relatively new station of Buckshaw Parkway was because of the original intention of it being named as Buckshaw Village, which was not then used.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=44910

Some related reading which may or may not be interesting. There are far far far more possible codes than there are stations on the network by the way.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=44910

Some related reading which may or may not be interesting. There are far far far more possible codes than there are stations on the network by the way.

The Station Codes quiz referred to in this link is now only three weeks away from celebrating its second anniversary on the Quizzes and Games forum. It has had 6,428 postings made upon it to date.

 

[telstarbox]

What is the most unusual ie. the code bears very little similarity to the station it represents.

Heathrow Airport's codes are unusual because the codes can't include numbers:

Terminals 1, 2 and 3 - HXX
Terminal 4 - HAF
Terminal 5 - HWV

There are some codes for locations outside Great Britain, including Dublin Ferryport (DFP) and Dublin Port - Stena (DPS).

 

[stut]

Manchester International Airport is MIA, although the airport is MAN, from where you can fly to MIA (Miami).

Luton Airport Parkway is LTN, just like Luton Airport, but since FCC started charging for the bus trip, the airport itself is now LUT.

The "St Albans City" designation lives on in SAC, but Waverley is nowhere to be seen in EDB.

 

[mrcheek]

Can anyone tell me why Heysham Port is HHB?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Manchester International Airport is MIA, although the airport is MAN, from where you can fly to MIA (Miami).

This reminds me of the faux pas made many years ago by the advertising agency employed by Manchester Airport who came up with the "catchy" phrase..."FLY VIA MIA"....until they were informed that they were giving free publicity to the airport at Miami.....

 

[Widnes Planner]

Liverpool South Parkway (High Level) is ALE - I reckon that has to be fairly high on the list of "codes you'd never guess". Unless you happened to know that it used to be Allerton.

 

[tractakid]

Can anyone tell me why Heysham Port is HHB?

Heysham HarBour I believe, the 3 capital letters forming the code.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The "bus connection" codes are quite unusual.....
XBP...Bristol Airport (by bus)
XGO..Catterick Camp (by bus)
XBV...Minehead (by bus)
XCG...Oakhampton (by bus)

There are some codes for connection points....
GOZ...Goldthorpe police station
WTZ...Whitby bus station

There more examples of both of these types.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Forgive me for lowering the tone with juvenile humour here, but there's these few:

POO=Poole
CUM=Culham
WEE=Weeley
BBW=Berry Brow
LOO=Looe
ASS=Alness
BAB=Balcombe

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Forgive me for lowering the tone with juvenile humour here, but there's these few:

POO=Poole
CUM=Culham
WEE=Weeley
BBW=Berry Brow
LOO=Looe
ASS=Alness
BAB=Balcombe

What do you think the code is for the genteel seaside resort of Bognor Regis...but BOG..:roll:

 

[tractakid]

When were station codes implemented?

 

[CC 72100]

And some political ones:

BNP = Barnstaple
CON = Connel Ferry.

Although for me, I find the weirdest one to be Canada water: ZCW... well, the 'Z' bit!

 

[pitdiver]

And some political ones:

BNP = Barnstaple
CON = Connel Ferry.

Although for me, I find the weirdest one to be Canada water: ZCW... well, the 'Z' bit!

Doesn't the "Z" first letter signify a LUL stn that National Railways stop at? Farringdon is ZDF

Further the post about lowering the tone my local stn is BDM.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Further the post about lowering the tone my local stn is BDM.

Bedford Midland ?

 

[maniacmartin]

Doesn't the "Z" first letter signify a LUL stn that National Railways stop at? Farringdon is ZDF

Yes, all LUL managed stations have the Z prefix. Even LUL stations which National Rail doesn't stop at have codes starting with Z.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

There are of course a few that don't need shortening: IBM; WEM; WYE; RYE; ORE; PAR.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I still have the record of all the original 3-letter railway station codes for all the railway stations on the Oldham Loop Line that were closed in recent years in order to facilitate the line conversion to the Manchester Metrolink system. Send me A PM if anyone wants the code for any of these.

 

[maniacmartin]

When were station codes implemented?

Stations actually have multiple codes, used by different departments (engineering, signalling, ticketting etc).

The ones referred to in this thread are CRS codes (Computer Reservation System codes), also referred to as National Reservation System (NRS) codes.

They were created to enable the booking of seat reservations by (station-based) computers

 

[tractakid]

yes, all lul managed stations have the z prefix. Even lul stations which national rail doesn't stop at have codes starting with z.

gfd? Weh? Clw? Ric? Amr? Cfo? Hoh?

I'm not sure why it's uncapitalising these. :/

 

[hairyhandedfool]

There are of course a few that don't need shortening: IBM; WEM; WYE; RYE; ORE; PAR.

Not forgetting ELY....

Doesn't the "Z" first letter signify a LUL stn that National Railways stop at? Farringdon is ZDF.

Farringdon is ZFD. Z usually signifies a London Underground managed station, however, it is not always the case. If you wanted FCC train times or tickets to or from Moorgate you would use MOG, not ZMG (Moorgate Underground). Kentish Town has a similar arrangement (KTN/ZKT).

Stratford International DLR station is a potentially mind boggling ZAW.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Not forgetting ELY....

Or Lye One of only two anagrams of stations in the UK as far as I know - the others being Bridgeton and Tonbridge.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

There are of course a few that don't need shortening: IBM; WEM; WYE; RYE; ORE; PAR.

And LYE

 

[Crossover]

Birmingham new street is BHM and not BNS which is Barnes which is one that people always get confused.

That's probably the most common misconception.

In a similar manner, NEW is not Newcastle (NCL) but Newcraighall in Scotland!

Heysham HarBour I believe, the 3 capital letters forming the code.

Since the guard on the train that I first took there called it Heysham Harbour, I believe your interpretation to be correct

gfd? Weh? Clw? Ric? Amr? Cfo? Hoh?

I'm not sure why it's uncapitalising these. :/

My bold - if you make a post containing all capital letters, the forum interprets it as shouting and makes everything lowercase

 

[IanXC]

There are some codes for locations outside Great Britain, including Dublin Ferryport (DFP) and Dublin Port - Stena (DPS).

For Eurostar there are of course also:

AVI - Avignon
BXS - Brussels Midi
FRH - Calais Frethun
LIU - Lille Europe
MCK - Marne La Vallee
PBN - Paris Nord
XIB - Bourg St Maurice