Trivia: Largest request stops / staffed request stops

[fairysdad]

Just something I was thinking of the other day, and inspired by the request stop thread on the main board; two questions:

What's the largest station that is a request stop? (This could be broken down into two categories - the largest physical station (ie number of platforms) and the largest in terms of trains that serve it)

Are there any stations that are request stops, but are staffed? (This probably has the answer 'no', but worth asking regardless!)

 

[najaB]

What's the largest station that is a request stop? (This could be broken down into two categories - the largest physical station (ie number of platforms) and the largest in terms of trains that serve it)

I'd be surprised if any has more than two platforms.

JAre there any stations that are request stops, but are staffed? (This probably has the answer 'no', but worth asking regardless!)

I'm going to go with 'No' as well.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Can't think of any staffed request stops: surely if they were busy enough to warrant staff then they would be too busy to warrant request status?

 

[Quakkerillo]

Tal-y-Cafn is manned (due to level-crossing)
Umberleigh (30k passengers/year largest)

That's what I could find. If I am to trust wikipedia, Conwy and Delamere are also request stops (and larger stations) but I do not really believe they're request stops.

 

[najaB]

Tal-y-Cafn is manned...

Is it actually staffed though, or does it just happen to be that the crossing-keeper hangs around the platform? National Rail doesn't class it as staffed on the station information page.

 

[Parallel]

RTT lists Conwy as a request stop, so that's probably one of the larger examples.

In terms of staff, a member of NR staff resides in the portacabin on the disused platform of Dyffryn Ardudwy. They supervise the gates to the road either side of the track when trains approach/leave.

The station isn't staffed by ATW, though the NR staff are usually happy to help if you have a query.

 

[Quakkerillo]

Is it actually staffed though, or does it just happen to be that the crossing-keeper hangs around the platform? National Rail doesn't class it as staffed on the station information page.

I said manned (and not staffed) for a reason. I know question was about staffed, but of all the request stop stations I saw, this one was the only which had any employee at the station at all, which is why I thought it was mentionworthy, being the closest to the question.

 

[SprinterMan]

RTT lists Conwy as a request stop, so that's probably one of the larger examples.

In terms of staff, a member of NR staff resides in the portacabin on the disused platform of Dyffryn Ardudwy. They supervise the gates to the road either side of the track when trains approach/leave.

The station isn't staffed by ATW, though the NR staff are usually happy to help if you have a query.

As someone who regularly passes through Conwy, I can confirm it is a request stop. All stations between Llandudno Junction and Holyhead are request stops except Bangor. Personally, I am of the feeling that all the request stops except Ty Croes and Bodorgan should be normal timetabled stops as they all have decent passenger numbers, but this is not practical due to scheduling as I understand it.

Adam

 

[krus_aragon]

Gowerton would have fitted into this category, until the redoubling at Loughor. 80,000 journeys p.a. when it was still a request stop.

 

[najaB]

I said manned (and not staffed) for a reason. I know question was about staffed, but of all the request stop stations I saw, this one was the only which had any employee at the station at all, which is why I thought it was mentionworthy, being the closest to the question.

Okay, I wasn't sure if NRE was wrong - wouldn't be the first time.

 

[krus_aragon]

As someone who regularly passes through Conwy, I can confirm it is a request stop. All stations between Llandudno Junction and Holyhead are request stops except Bangor.

Curiously, the current timetable has the 07:15 departure from Holyhead stopping at all the Anglesey stations, as corroborated by OpenTrainTimes. They're back to request stops in the forthcoming timetable.

 

[Parallel]

Gowerton would have fitted into this category, until the redoubling at Loughor. 80,000 journeys p.a. when it was still a request stop.

I recall it was still being listed as a request stop on a couple of services a day on RTT until recently. I think one was on the Holyhead to Llanelli train, although this is no longer listed as such.

Another oddity is Wem. It is a mandatory stop for all usual services, but when Birmingham International - Holyhead trains were diverted via Crewe instead of Wrexham due to engineering work, Wem was a request stop for these diverted trains (yet Whitchurch was still a mandatory stop) Hmm.

 

[greatkingrat]

Deganwy is the request stop with the most frequent service, 26 trains per day in each direction.

 

[backontrack]

Aspatria has always struck me as odd seeing as it's a town big enough to have its own mayor; but then it is served by a more frequent Stagecoach Gold bus service in each direction.

 

[Starmill]

That's what I could find. If I am to trust wikipedia, Conwy and Delamere are also request stops (and larger stations) but I do not really believe they're request stops.

RTT lists Conwy as a request stop, so that's probably one of the larger examples.

Conwy and Deganwy are definitely request stops. In the case of Conwy I wonder how often a train which is booked to call there there on request doesn't stop!

 

[185143]

That's what I could find. If I am to trust wikipedia, Conwy and Delamere are also request stops (and larger stations) but I do not really believe they're request stops.

RTT lists Conwy as a request stop, so that's probably one of the larger examples.

Conwy and Deganwy are definitely request stops. In the case of Conwy I wonder how often a train which is booked to call there there on request doesn't stop!

Delamere isn't a request stop

 

[DarloRich]

Umberleigh (30k passengers/year largest)

Umberleigh! I used that station ( or Portsmouth Arms) when i lived in Devon. I didn't realise so many people used it - it always felt like my own personal station

 

[Trackman]

As someone who regularly passes through Conwy, I can confirm it is a request stop. All stations between Llandudno Junction and Holyhead are request stops except Bangor. Personally, I am of the feeling that all the request stops except Ty Croes and Bodorgan should be normal timetabled stops as they all have decent passenger numbers, but this is not practical due to scheduling as I understand it.

Adam

I was on the Conwy service the other week from Chester. It announced straight away that it would stop there. Someone asked about the request stop earlier and the guard said it would stop there anyway. The service was busy (4 carriages packed!), this got me thinking, after the stop at Llandudno Junction they would be little time to go through the train to see if anyone wanted the station! I wonder if this is a regular occurrence?

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Conwy and Deganwy are definitely request stops. In the case of Conwy I wonder how often a train which is booked to call there there on request doesn't stop!

I have never been on a train (travelling towards Holyhead) that hasn't stopped at Conwy in recent memory, it is 3 minutes from Llandudno Junction and rarely will the guard have the time or inclination to rush through the train to see if anyone wishes to alight and normally there is at least one person wishing to alight.

Very similar story with Deganwy travelling towards Llandudno, around 3 minutes from Llandudno Junction and a bit of a rush. Although there is the odd guard who will do a mad dash, not for tickets but just asking if anyone is for Deganwy.

This is a rarity though and most services just stop as a matter of course.

 

[fairysdad]

Umberleigh! I used that station ( or Portsmouth Arms) when i lived in Devon. I didn't realise so many people used it - it always felt like my own personal station

I've been using Umberleigh most of the time since being back in this area, mostly because it's closer and I can park there for free (adds a bit of time to the journey compared to going from Tiverton Parkway, but not a huge problem!). It is quite a well-used station from my experience, I don't think I've boarded there as the only passenger, and that's getting on at a variety of times during the day. I've possibly been the only person alighting a couple of times.

In the context of this thread though, Umberleigh is a weird one given that in some timetables it's not been a request stop, or it's not been a request stop on some trains but it has on others. Personally, I think it could be 'upgraded' to a compulsory stop, as well as being marketed as the railhead for South Molton given that it has a good road link to the town and a sizeable area that could be used as a car park; at the very least they could extend the bus out to Chittlehampton there! (Yes, there're two points with this; I know that traditionally King's Nympton was that line's station for South Molton, but access and parking isn't brilliant there; I also know that there are timetabling reasons that stop the Chittlehampton bus from being extended to there, but hey ho!)

 

[Tetchytyke]

Aspatria has always struck me as odd seeing as it's a town big enough to have its own mayor

Dalston is the one that really makes no sense. Only a few minutes out of Carlisle, it is rare for the guard to get down the train in time, so it nearly always seems to stop there.

 

[bunnahabhain]

Leicester Central was the largest unstaffed station in the UK I believe, during the late 1060s. Six platforms, the through ones long enough to accommodate approximately 18 carriages, tended to be served by 2-3 car diesel railcars with around 8 each way per day shuttling between Rugby Central and Nottingham Victoria (latterly Arkwright Street).

Actually ignore me, Leicester central was unstaffed, but a compulsory stop.

 

[Parallel]

Llwyngwril is another very well used request stop on the Cambrian Coast line. Currently at around 35,000 for reported passenger usage, but has been up to nearly 40,000 in recent years before the issues the line faced more recently. I've never been on a train that hasn't stopped at Llwyngwril!