Favourite stations

[tel]

Hi all reading a christmas present, Simon Jenkins Britain's 100 best railway stations, got to thinking about my best and worst stations, anyway here is my list:
BEST STATIONS only by architecture and in no particular order
Bristol TM, York, London Padd, London Kings Cross, London St. Pancras, Glasgow Cent, Birmingham Moor St, Wemyss Bay, Norwich (my local station,) Crystal Palace and Kidderminster SVR
and WORST
Birmingham New St (what a horrible place), Coventry and Milton Keynes (concrete) Manchester Victoria (because it was destroyed when renovated), Edge Hill (a disgrace to the railway) can't think of anymore but i'm sure there are plenty.

Tel

 

[DH1Commuter]

Best - Durham: I have an obvious bias, but the refurbishment a few years ago was tastefully done and made some of the older features more prominent again. Newcastle is also an obvious contender, sharing many features with York.

Worst - Another vote for Birmingham New Street.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

For the purposes of this thread, are we restricted to the 100 stations which are included in Simon Jenkins' book?

 

[Bletchleyite]

By architecture, I think it'd have to be Bristol TM, though Paddington a close second - the GWR really did these things well. Though in terms of passenger experience it's rather poor, with a dingy subway and poor retail facilities. Honourable mention for St Pancras but the modern bits don't really fit that well.

By passenger experience, Manchester Piccadilly or the tarted-up Kings Cross probably equal.

Worst...well, I suppose it'd be some suburban shack at the back of an industrial estate with a tin shed for a waiting shelter with a Class 150 every couple of hours (Chassen Road and Trafford/Humphrey Park must be close), but if we're talking major stations Manchester Victoria is a dump. I don't share the dislike of New St, as while the platforms are grim the facilities are superb.

 

[yorksrob]

I think Bristol TM is a good station. Yes, it doesn't have room for a glorified shopping centre, but it's got everything you need in a suitably comfortable environment for a major hub.

 

[tel]

For the purposes of this thread, are we restricted to the 100 stations which are included in Simon Jenkins' book?

No totally your own free choices, just be interesting to see what other people think.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

My favorite is London Kings Cross, the new concourse really transformed the station and turned it into something utterly magnificant. One of my favorite places in the country.

I also really like London Blackfriars although its freezing, London Bridge, London St Pancras, London Liverpool Street, London Paddington and Manchester Piccadilly in terms of major stations.

Garsdale is also in my opinion the perfect, rural countryside station.

There are not many stations I don't like.

I'm not a big fan of London Euston, the station is so ugly and the tube station is very small and cramped. But the concourse is nice and big, and I very much enjoy travelling by train from Euston, once you get on the train.

Green Park is probably my least favorite due to how long it takes to walk from the Piccadilly to the Jubilee Line. It takes over 5 minutes, I actively avoid using the station, the only station in the country I actively avoid using.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It would be far too obvious for me to suggest Huddersfield, so I'll just hint at it...

Besides the obvious, I'm rather fond of Taunton, Exeter Central and Ormskirk. Nottingham, Aberystwyth, Shrewsbury and Surbiton get honourable mentions.

 

[Sod]

Surbiton and any of the Piccadilly Line stations designed by Charles Holden get my vote. However, Coventry is a lovely essay in fifties / early sixties modernism (alongside Stafford) which needs to be viewed in the context of its time.

I wouldn't want to judge any stations as bad, in that many of those which do not receive acclaim are either neglected or have had ill-judged alterations foisted upon them. The careless way in which conduits, trunkings, guard rails and security cameras have been strung around blameless structures shows a complete lack of aesthetic awareness, even if they do appease the Elf 'n Safety Brigade; surely this could be acheived in a less intrusive way with a little thought?

 

[swt_passenger]

I wonder if people’s opinions will be very different to the last “favourite stations“ thread, only about 3 weeks ago:

Favourite UK Stations?

Hello all. As I'm new here, it would be nice to hear from you on what your favourite UK stations are! A reasoning behind why is not needed, but it would be cool regardless! For me, my favourite station is Baldock. Baldock was the most common place I had visited on the Great Northern network...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Neptune]

Best: Glasgow Central - can’t get enough of this wonderful station in my favourite British city
Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street - both superbly restored small terminal stations book ending a mainline between the country‘s biggest 2 cities.
Wemyss Bay - Just perfect

Worst: Leeds - Rubbish food outlets, horrible tin roof from the last refurb in 2000 and I’m based there which doesn’t help.
Bradford Forster Square - a depressing dump by a retail park.

 

[tel]

Worst...well, I suppose it'd be some suburban shack at the back of an industrial estate with a tin shed for a waiting shelter with a Class 150 every couple of hours (Chassen Road and Trafford/Humphrey Park must be close), but if we're talking major stations Manchester Victoria is a dump. I don't share the dislike of New St, as while the platforms are grim the facilities are superb.

By your reply you aren't thinking of Coleshill Parkway by any chance, horrible place in a industrial estate.

Forgot about Huddersfield lovely station and Surbiton with it's art deco buildings.
London Euston too i just hate it's a real dump.
Didn't realise there has been another thread and so close to mine as well.

Tel

 

[Neptune]

Huddersfield would be up there for me if they did something about the overall roof. Filthy and bereft of glass it just looks unloved. Such a shame as the buffet is one of if not THE best on the network.

 

[YorksLad12]

Best: Glasgow Central - can’t get enough of this wonderful station in my favourite British city
Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street - both superbly restored small terminal stations book ending a mainline between the country‘s biggest 2 cities.
Wemyss Bay - Just perfect

Worst: Leeds - Rubbish food outlets, horrible tin roof from the last refurb in 2000 and I’m based there which doesn’t help.
Bradford Forster Square - a depressing dump by a retail park.

+1 for Bradford FS. Not helped by being in a cutting in a valley. Never saw it before the old platforms were taken out and the new ones built further away but it really does need something doing to it. In fact... I remember doing some stakeholder stuff on 'gateways improvements', at least six years ago.

Where's the tin roof at Leeds? Do you mean the platform canopies?

Huddersfield... looks good on the outside but could do with some internal sorting-out, which it should get when the TRU circus comes to town. Ilkley and Dronfield I haven't been to for ages but didn't mind waiting for a train at. Loughborough is a lot of station outside (car park, mostly) for what happens inside! Wakefield Kirkgate is still scary, even in the daytime.

Apperley Bridge, Kirkstall Forge and Low Moor are obviously the best as I did the comms work on them

 

[Llandudno]

By architecture, I think it'd have to be Bristol TM, though Paddington a close second - the GWR really did these things well. Though in terms of passenger experience it's rather poor, with a dingy subway and poor retail facilities. Honourable mention for St Pancras but the modern bits don't really fit that well.

By passenger experience, Manchester Piccadilly or the tarted-up Kings Cross probably equal.

Worst...well, I suppose it'd be some suburban shack at the back of an industrial estate with a tin shed for a waiting shelter with a Class 150 every couple of hours (Chassen Road and Trafford/Humphrey Park must be close), but if we're talking major stations Manchester Victoria is a dump. I don't share the dislike of New St, as while the platforms are grim the facilities are superb.

Users of Manchester Piccadilly Platforms 13 and 14 might disagree....!

 

[Mike99]

Mrs Mike very kindly bought me Simon Jenkin's Britain's 100 best railway stations for Christmas, (for our younger members via Father Christmas obviously), I haven't looked at it yet, but along with many others Wemyss Bay, Huddersfield and Bristol TM are all great buildings. I grew up in Penge so Crystal Palace gets my vote. I agree with the comment about the café on the platform at Huddersfield. I also give a vote for a full English Breakfast at the café on the platform at Worksop. There is a few to vote as poor, but I give my vote to Blackpool South.

 

[Neptune]

+1 for Bradford FS. Not helped by being in a cutting in a valley. Never saw it before the old platforms were taken out and the new ones built further away but it really does need something doing to it. In fact... I remember doing some stakeholder stuff on 'gateways improvements', at least six years ago.

Where's the tin roof at Leeds? Do you mean the platform canopies?

Huddersfield... looks good on the outside but could do with some internal sorting-out, which it should get when the TRU circus comes to town. Ilkley and Dronfield I haven't been to for ages but didn't mind waiting for a train at. Loughborough is a lot of station outside (car park, mostly) for what happens inside! Wakefield Kirkgate is still scary, even in the daytime.

Apperley Bridge, Kirkstall Forge and Low Moor are obviously the best as I did the comms work on them

Leeds would have been better if the overall roof had have been all glass rather than metal sheet on the long curved sections.

Forster Square was on a long decline before the new station was built. Originally a very nice station but it was down to two usable platforms with everything crumbling around it. It was embarrassing when the London service moved to there from the Interchange. The new station is just a halt at the end of the line. Poor for a busy station for a so called major city (which as a Bradfordian I’m qualified to say it no longer is). I have doubts the improvements will ever be made.

 

[MargaretNoodle]

Personally I've always loved Ely station, nicely looked after and well presented, and staff always seem helpful plus I found the shop/cafe quite handy with good prices for being on the railway.

Other stations I like are Sheffield, Birmingham New Street (Contrary to popular opinion, although I do agree the platforms are a bit grim and nasty), Norwich and Ilkley.

My least favourite stations I've been to so far are Coventry, Burton on Trent and there is just something I don't like about the platforms at London Liverpool Street.

 

[Class800]

Favourite: York, Bristol Temple Meads, Glasgow Queen Street (why you may ask - just had some good times there, and staff have been very helpful - unlike Glasgow Central).

Least favourite: Glasgow Central, London Kings Cross, Exeter St Davids - all due to a combination of awkward layouts and unhelpful staff

 

[Ken H]

Favourite. Carlisle. but Crewe, Liverpool Lime St and York are nice too. And I agree with the comment above about Garsdale. But Ribblehead has better views!

Worthy of merit. Bingley, Lancaster, Arnside, Pity they cant find uses for Hellifield or that would be there. But why to they stop the westbound trains short of the canopy? Grrr.

Birmingham New St. Just horrid. Not a fan of Leeds or Bradfords 2 stations. And Blackpool North - like where are the canopies?

 

[yorksrob]

Favourite. Carlisle. but Crewe, Liverpool Lime St and York are nice too. And I agree with the comment above about Garsdale. But Ribblehead has better views!

Worthy of merit. Bingley, Lancaster, Arnside, Pity they cant find uses for Hellifield or that would be there. But why to they stop the westbound trains short of the canopy? Grrr.

Birmingham New St. Just horrid. Not a fan of Leeds or Bradfords 2 stations. And Blackpool North - like where are the canopies?

Hellifield has a nice little cafe occupying the building. Bought a slice of babka and a coffee last time I was there. Gave a nice opportunity to explore the non NR part of the station.

 

[306024]

Here’s a link to one station few will know about, Wickham Market on the East Suffolk line. Remarkable what has been achieved here.

https://www.stationhousecampseaashe.co.uk/home

Woodbridge and Beccles are excellent too, both worth a stop off rather than doing the whole East Suffolk line in one go. And with the excellent class 755s working the route there’s nothing to dislike.

Agree Ely is fascinating, the staff certainly need good geographical knowledge there, and has a good choice of refreshments.

Another favourite no one will agree with is Stratford, but each to their own.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Here’s a link to one station few will know about, Wickham Market on the East Suffolk line.

https://www.stationhousecampseaashe.co.uk/home

Woodbridge and Beccles are excellent too, both worth a stop off rather than doing the whole East Suffolk line in one go. And with the excellent class 755s working the route there’s nothing to dislike.

Another favourite no one will agree with is Stratford, but each to their own.

I love Beccles station and the East Suffolk Line in general. Its rarely ever spoken about, but its a lovely, rural, country branch line.

 

[Peter C]

Some of my favourite stations are Paddington, Moreton-in-Marsh, Highley (SVR), Toddington (GWSR), York, and pretty much any other station which isn't just a block with two platforms.

-Peter

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If heritage railway stations are permitted (noted that Simon Jenkins includes Loughborough Central and Goathland in his book), I'll nominate Bolton Abbey station over in Yorkshire.

 

[tommy2215]

The small Yorkshire station Hutton Cranswick is one I found surprisingly nice. It is very well decorated and very well looked after by the local station adopters.

 

[A S Leib]

Favourite: London Marylebone, London Blackfriars, Norwich, Brighton, York, Great Malvern, Liverpool Lime Street, Bristol Temple Meads and Shrewsbury

Least Favourite: I'm not entirely sure; I can't say that I enjoy changing at Moor Park (tube), Gatwick Airport or Birmingham New Street but I wouldn't say that the stations themselves are particularly bad.

 

[PaulC1309]

Aberdour is one of my favourites it's a really nice station with reasonably interesting traffic passing through and the bakers beside it is good too!
Other favourites are Glasgow Central, Aviemore and Crainlarich. Largs used to be a really attractive station before it was remodelled by a 318.

 

[Ken H]

Here’s a link to one station few will know about, Wickham Market on the East Suffolk line. Remarkable what has been achieved here.

https://www.stationhousecampseaashe.co.uk/home

Woodbridge and Beccles are excellent too, both worth a stop off rather than doing the whole East Suffolk line in one go. And with the excellent class 755s working the route there’s nothing to dislike.

Agree Ely is fascinating, the staff certainly need good geographical knowledge there, and has a good choice of refreshments.

Another favourite no one will agree with is Stratford, but each to their own.

opon Avon or E London?

 

[306024]

opon Avon or E London?

East London. Where is that other one?