Trivia: Stations which have been renamed?

[SteveyBee131]

In South Yorkshire, Hatfield & Stainforth is actually situated in Stainforth (just), so it was originally called Stainforth & Hatfield. However, in the early 1990s, it was decided to let the larger of the two settlements take priority, and so it was changed to Hatfield & Stainforth

 

[richard1976]

Newton Junction > Warrington Junction > Earlestown Junction > Earlestown

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

This is all really interesting stuff, thanks to everyone who is contributing their knowledge!

 

[edwin_m]

Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway, possibly the longest station name, was opened in the 70s on the site of the former Alfreton station. When Mansfield got its own station it reverted to being Alfreton.

The Western Region had a bit of a thing for Parkways after the success of the one at Bristol. Bodmin Road (the traditional GWR suffix for "not particularly near") was re-named. Didcot and Port Talbot gained the suffix despite being quite close to the places they were named after, presumably because they were considered good places for car drivers to railhead.

The use of "Junction" meaning "not near but change for a connecting service to" must have caused a lot of confusion over the years. According to Wikipedia Feniton was opened as such and went through two other names before becoming Sidmouth Junction when that branch was opened. It closed with the branch but re-opened a few years later, back to being Feniton.

 

[LeeLivery]

Going way back to the 1830s on the London & Croydon Railway:
Forest Hill was Dartmouth Arms.
Norwood Junction was originally Jolly Sailor. I think it was renamed Norwood, then Norwood Junction and South Norwood and finally Norwood Junction.
Anerley was Anerley Bridge.
Penge West I assume was just Penge as it predates Penge East by around 30 years. Penge East was originally named Penge Lane.

Others:
East Croydon I believe was Croydon Central
Shortlands was apparently opened as Bromley, but was renamed after a month.
Lewisham was Lewisham Junction
Mortlake was Mortlake & East Sheen
West Norwood was Lower Norwood
Balham was Balham Hill
Queenstown Road was Queen's Road Battersea
Highams Park was Hale End
New Malden was Malden and I think Malden & Coombe at one point
Wandsworth Town was just Wandsworth
Wellingborough was Wellingborough Midland Road (because of Welly London Road)

I read somewhere that Stoneleigh should've been Stoneleigh Park, although I'm not sure if that's true or not.

 

[Kendalian]

Balloch central and Balloch are not the same station. Balloch central closed and was replaced by Balloch which is across the road.

Err yes. It's my age. Well it was 32 years ago

 

[robertclark125]

Heathrow Central on the Piccadilly line became Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 & 3 in 1986, when the Heathrow loop opened.

 

[mirodo]

East Croydon I believe was Croydon Central

Croydon Central was a different (short-lived) station, located where the Town Hall is now. East Croydon was opened as “Croydon”, renamed as “Croydon East” before gaining its current name.

 

[fairysdad]

Barnstaple became Barnstaple Junction in the 1870s then not-quite-100 years later in 1970 reverted back to Barnstaple when the Ilfracombe branch closed to passengers. Further up the line, Kings Nympton was once South Molton Road (changed, I believe, when the GWR Taunton-Barnstaple line opened their own South Molton station much much closer to the town - on which topic, their Barnstaple terminus was just 'Barnstaple' until the route round to Junction opened up and it gained its 'Victoria Road' suffix), and further up the North Devon Line still, Yeoford was once Yeoford Junction, again, changed when the LSWR line to Okehampton and beyond closed to passengers.

Sampford Peverell station is now Tiverton Parkway, but that probably doesn't count as the original station was closed in the '60s and Tiverton Parkway was built and opened in the '80s!

London Waterloo was also originally Waterloo Bridge.

 

[edwin_m]

Croydon Central was a different (short-lived) station, located where the Town Hall is now. East Croydon was opened as “Croydon”, renamed as “Croydon East” before gaining its current name.

I think it was actually "Central Croydon", unless it got renamed as well. There was a short branch diverging to the right just south of East Croydon, and the retaining wall can still be seen in the park near the Town Hall.

 

[Martin66]

Hampstead tube has wall tiles saying Heath Street

 

[CarltonA]

Some Chiltern examples:

Wembley Hill now Wembley Stadium - (the Empire Stadium and Pool were once served by Wembley Complex - now obliterated)
Northolt Junction now South Ruislip
Beaconsfield Golf Links now Seer Green and Jordans

The Gerrards Cross name boards originally had: "For The Chalfonts" - very uncomfortable.

 

[JWK]

Was slightly surprised to see the name still given on the SBB timetable app for the first stop out of Ashford on the line towards Hastings...

 

[SwindonBert]

Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway, possibly the longest station name, was opened in the 70s on the site of the former Alfreton station. When Mansfield got its own station it reverted to being Alfreton.

The Western Region had a bit of a thing for Parkways after the success of the one at Bristol. Bodmin Road (the traditional GWR suffix for "not particularly near") was re-named. Didcot and Port Talbot gained the suffix despite being quite close to the places they were named after, presumably because they were considered good places for car drivers to railhead.

The use of "Junction" meaning "not near but change for a connecting service to" must have caused a lot of confusion over the years. According to Wikipedia Feniton was opened as such and went through two other names before becoming Sidmouth Junction when that branch was opened. It closed with the branch but re-opened a few years later, back to being Feniton.

Swindon station was Swindon Junction, connecting to the now closed Swindon Town station

 

[Dr_Paul]

JE Connor and BL Halford's The Forgotten Stations of Greater London (Colchester, 1991) gives a long list -- seven pages -- of station name-changes in and around London. I'll scan and post the pages as a PDF if anyone wants a copy.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Marsh Lane & Strand Road has become Bootle New Strand. Wikipedia helpfully dates this to 'some time during the 1960s'. And given that the Strand shopping centre is hardly new anymore, could it be time to rename the station again to just 'Bootle Strand'?

 

[LeeLivery]

Croydon Central was a different (short-lived) station, located where the Town Hall is now. East Croydon was opened as “Croydon”, renamed as “Croydon East” before gaining its current name.

I think it was actually "Central Croydon", unless it got renamed as well. There was a short branch diverging to the right just south of East Croydon, and the retaining wall can still be seen in the park near the Town Hall.

Ah yes! I totally forgot about that. My mate in Croydon Council was saying there are remains not too long ago.

 

[DavidGrain]

Cradley Heath has changed its name several times. Although the OP has requested since 1948, I think I should give the full history
1863 Opened as Cradley
1899 Renamed Cradley Heath and Cradley
1968 Renamed Cradley
1981 Renamed Cradley Heath
Local legend is that one platform was in Cradley Worcestershire and the other platform was in Cradley Heath Staffordshire.

 

[oglord]

Local legend is that one platform was in Cradley Worcestershire and the other platform was in Cradley Heath Staffordshire.

Unless they were either side of the River Stour, that seems unlikely!

https://wikishire.co.uk/map/#/centre=52.470,-2.089/zoom=14/base=outline

 

[DavidGrain]

Unless they were either side of the River Stour, that seems unlikely!

https://wikishire.co.uk/map/#/centre=52.470,-2.089/zoom=14/base=outline

I did say local legend

 

[gg1]

Sandwell and Dudley was Oldbury prior to 1984. (And I think it was Oldbury & Spon Lane prior to that)

It was Oldbury and Bromford Lane. Spon Lane was a seperate station between Oldbury and Rolfe Street.

Duddeston is another to be renamed. It was opened as Vauxhall, then renamed Vauxhall & Duddeston before becoming just Duddeston.

 

[gg1]

Unless they were either side of the River Stour, that seems unlikely!

https://wikishire.co.uk/map/#/centre=52.470,-2.089/zoom=14/base=outline

The county boundaries in the Black Country were changed in the mid 19th century (which amongst other things eliminated oddities like Halesowen being an enclave of Shropshire). Could it be the case that the platforms were in seperate counties when the station first opened?

 

[DavidGrain]

The county boundaries in the Black Country were changed in the mid 19th century (which amongst other things eliminated oddities like Halesowen being an enclave of Shropshire). Could it be the case that the platforms were in seperate counties when the station first opened?

Cradley Heath Station was rebuilt in the 1980s. Before that the two platforms were on opposite sides of the level crossing so it could be true that it crossed an old county boundary. However I did say it was a local legend. I did not say this as recorded fact.

 

[DavidGrain]

Knowle and Dorridge was renamed Knowle in the 1960s when someone sitting in Paddington decided to chop off the second names of all stations with double names. This annoyed the inhabitants of Dorridge whose station in the middle of their village was now named after another village some distance away so in 1974 they managed to get the station renamed as Dorridge.

My local station used to be Rowley Regis and Blackheath so it lost the Blackheath part of its name although it is in Blackheath. Fortunately the next station along the line called Oldbury and Langley Green managed to retain its local name of Langley Green presumably because there was another station called Oldbury (Bromford Lane) which is now called Sandwell and Dudley (station code SAD, no comment!)

 

[trash80]

To be honest if you go back far enough the majority of stations have changed their names at some stage (in some cases multiple times).

 

[robertclark125]

Wasn't Kings Cross Thameslink originally Kings Cross Midland City?

 

[Dr Hoo]

Wasn't Kings Cross Thameslink originally Kings Cross Midland City?

Yes, and it was known colloquially as King's Cross (Met) before then. Southbound trains from the East Coast Main Line to Moorgate, via the York Road Curve, unusually called at King's Cross (York Road) and King's Cross (Met) IIRC.

 

[martinsh]

Marsh Lane & Strand Road has become Bootle New Strand. Wikipedia helpfully dates this to 'some time during the 1960s'. And given that the Strand shopping centre is hardly new anymore, could it be time to rename the station again to just 'Bootle Strand'?

My 1965 rail atlas shows the "new" name. Bootle Oriel Road was also previously just Bootle

 

[Highlandspring]

Lambhill opened with the rest of the Maryhill line in December 1996 and was renamed Gilsochill in May 1998. Until a few weeks before it opened in 2002 Newcraighall was ‘Kinnaird Park’ and I believe nameboards for it were actually made.

 

[hexagon789]

Some Scottish ones I can think of:

Fairlie - was Fairlie High
Prestwick Town (was Prestwick until the airport station opened)
Langside - previously Langside and Newlands
Clarkston - previously Clarkston and Stamperland
Lochwinnoch - Lochside for a period