Old school stations from a Virgin Conductor

[xotGD]

Newcastle Central will always be known as such. Locally it is just referred to as the Central Station, and of course that is also the name of the Metro station.

 

[Richard Hall]

Yeh heard Newcastle Central recently. ..as a local I would call it Newcastle only central when on metro

 

[RJ21]

I've heard Carlisle announced as Carlisle Citadel by a VT guard, also once heard Newcastle announced as tha Toon.

 

[a_c_skinner]

I know it isn't historical but I rather liked "the vast sprawling metropolis of Rowlands Castle" which I heard a few years ago on SWT.

 

[fairysdad]

There was a guard on SWR the other day who implored us to change at Wimbledon for the London Transsport District Line, and similar on the approach to Vauxhall and Waterloo.

 

[paddington]

Nothing to do with trains but some people keep referring to the Inland Revenue

 

[Crossforth]

There is a certain TPE conductor (Lime Street based) who announces "This is the xx:12 service to" Newcastle Central" and also says "Leeds City"!

I’ve been caught :P

 

[leshuttle]

Southeastern guard announced the other day regarding the Christmas closures that trains will be diverted to Waterloo International.

 

[Train wasp]

I remember some time ago being on a service from Waterloo to Bournemouth. When approaching Eastleigh the guard saying change at Eastleigh for the trains to Pompey.

 

[Nean]

You can often tell when 'local' crews are on train services, in particular many times on Northern stops have been referred to as 'Cas Vegas' and 'Ponte Carlo'

One TPE guard occasionally uses "StalyVegas" which has been known to arouse a cheer from some well-lubricated locals!

 

[xotGD]

One TPE guard occasionally uses "StalyVegas" which has been known to arouse a cheer from some well-lubricated locals!

Doesn't scan as well as Cas Vegas or even Bish Vegas. Obviously some competition to be the 'Vegas of the North'!

 

[mikeg]

Newcastle was referred to as Newcastle Central on the departures boards at York until a few years ago. I believe it's still referred to as Central on the Metro.

Still, haven't heard my local station referred to as 'Thirsk Junction', even though it was once thus called as there was a Thirsk Town. But not since the Victorian times iirc. Not that it's a junction anymore as such, realtimetrains used to have an entry for Thirsk EWS sidings but can't find it anymore, have the sidings closed? If so it's passed me by! Have however heard it referred to as 'The Sprawling Metropolis of Thirsk' by two separate guards.

Much less have I heard my brother's local station referred to as Carnforth Yealand, but then that would be going back even further!

 

[Tracked]

Doesn't scan as well as Cas Vegas or even Bish Vegas. Obviously some competition to be the 'Vegas of the North'!

Have had a guard on an EMT service announce Chesterfield as "Ches-Vegas" and "The Village of Chesterfield" in the same announcement.

And a Northern guard going through the carriage asking for "tickets from Meadowhell" ...

 

[SPADTrap]

There’s a TM on VTWC I’ve heard referring to Rugby as Rugby Midland. Almost certainly the same guy.

And almost always found on the Mk3 rake when they had it!

 

[paulcleaver]

I've always love hearing Nuneaton Trent Valley. It always conjures up images of yesteryear akin to Brief Encounter in my mind.

As for Lincoln Central, its still on the destination board for the Leicester to Lincoln train I think.

 

[iainbhx]

Some Virgin West Coast train managers to be "funny" have been known to refer to Sadwell and Dudley, with Dudley in a "Lenny Henry" style. It's generally not appreciated by the local passengers. Still waiting for one to refer to Wolverhampton High Level.

 

[MedwayValiant]

For a slightly different one, was the main station for Colchester ever officially called North Station?

That's how it is known to locals, and I've heard it announced as such a number of times. Not always by a guard who also announced "calling at St Bot ..., I mean, Colchester Town", although I've heard that more than once too.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Woof Woof Woof
(A Barking train)

 

[onlinespotting]

How many of these actually retain the old names though; Lincoln Central, for example, is still officially named Lincoln Central.

 

[WL113]

I heard a London Midland conductor on a Walsall-Wolverhampton a while ago announce Duddeston as Vauxhall and Duddeston and Wolverhampton as Wolverhampton High Level. Thought it was rather nice

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Wigan North Western (though it does need to be distinguished from Wallgate) is usually announced though some Virgin conductors just announce Wigan. Norwich Thorpe seems to be used on a lot locally.
Shotton (High Level) and (Low Level) are occasionally heard. Haven't heard Harringay Stadium used since the automated announcements started some years back. Eventually though it will all be recorded corporate monotones

 

[Bletchleyite]

I find it grates that VT like omitting “Central” when announcing MKC.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

But nothing seems to kill off Edinburgh Waverley, whatever the official name.

 

[Dr_Paul]

I tend to refer to 'Farringdon Street', although it lost its 'Street' suffix years ago. As an historian, however, I do claim the right to live in the past.

 

[xotGD]

Does anyone still refer to 'Bodmin Road'?

 

[acned]

Carlisle Citadel anyone?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Does anyone still refer to 'Bodmin Road'?

That would confuse people surely as it is changing the name of the present Parkway station altogether isn’t it?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

How many of these actually retain the old names though; Lincoln Central, for example, is still officially named Lincoln Central.

I still refer to Lincoln Central as Lincoln Central even though St Mark's is now a shopping centre.

There's Rotherham Central which still retains its suffix despite Rotherham Masborough been closed for quite a while. There's also Sheffield which for some reason or other is sometimes refred to as Sheffield Midland, again Sheffield Victoria has been closed for years.

I do wonder why Penistone wasn't known as Penistone Junction, what with it being a former junction for Woodhead services.

 

[mike57]

Hull Paragon seems to crop up frequently as an earlier post pointed out. What is surprising is that the other Hull terminus, Cannon Street closed to passengers in 1924, so there are probably very few living people who would remember it, although I think it became a goods station. A lot of people in Hull actually say "Paragon station"

 

[route:oxford]

Sometimes it's about being tourist friendly. I've been on a service that was stopping at "not quite Royston Vasey" - There was a stag party all dressed as "local" characters on their way to Hatfield.

(I was sitting opposite "Bernice", who explained the decision on Hatfield instead of Hadfield).

I'm very much in favour of Carlisle Citadel and Edinburgh Waverley, but Edinburgh Haymarket is an abomination.