Trivia: Stations still known by old names

[Cloud Strife]

Edinburgh is still uncertain about what to call its station. More than 50 years after Princes Street closed the main station is still pretty universally known as "Waverley" rather than "Edinburgh station". Certainly back in BR days the large sign at the top of the ramps displayed boldly just "Waverley Station", and nowadays all the signage outside is Edinburgh Waverley. But the timetable, and the platform boards, just say Edinburgh.

I have to say, this is the first time I've ever heard any suggestion that the station is simply Edinburgh. Waverley is so deeply embedded in the public consciousness that it would seem surreal to call it anything else!

 

[Taunton]

I have to say, this is the first time I've ever heard any suggestion that the station is simply Edinburgh. Waverley is so deeply embedded in the public consciousness that it would seem surreal to call it anything else!

Indeed, the railway seems the only one who doesn't call it that :

 

[Cloud Strife]

Yes, it is very strange! I wonder why they do it when the name Waverley is in such widespread use? Edinburgh Waverley would make sense as the official name, wouldn't it?

 

[Mike Buckner]

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is still widely known as Victoria Terminus. Tell any taxi driver "V.T." and he will take you there.

 

[Taunton]

Yes, it is very strange! I wonder why they do it when the name Waverley is in such widespread use? Edinburgh Waverley would make sense as the official name, wouldn't it?

Yes. It's not as if it's the only significant station in central Edinburgh. Haymarket is extensively used for all the western side, and indeed even for the West End of Princes Street it's more convenient - in fact, I think it's probably the busiest of any inner city second station in the UK.

 

[InOban]

Indeed, the railway seems the only one who doesn't call it that :

And as has been pointed out above, the platform signs say Edinburgh (Waverley ).
To anyone who lives or has lived in Edinburgh (or possibly anywhere in Scotland) it’s Waverley. To visitors from foreign parts such as England, it's better identified as Edinburgh.

 

[Dr_Paul]

When in London, surely everyone uses the tradition names of the stations without prefixing London. So London Euston is just Euston and London Victoria is just Victoria.

That's right. The only one where the 'London' is said is London Bridge, for obvious reasons.

I still refer to train stations as railway stations

Nice one!

Kings Cross St Pancras underground station was given its full name in 1933 (1940 for the Metroplition line according to Wikipedia) but people always refer to it as Kings Cross, which was the original name, as well as obviously being shorter.

I've never heard anyone call it 'Kings Cross St Pancras'; the underground station is always called Kings Cross, even if the person wishes to go to St Pancras station.

I've also never heard anyone call Caledonian Road and Barnsbury on the North London Line anything other than 'Caledonian Road', adding 'on the North London Line' if necessary.

It's probably my habit of looking at old maps that makes me add 'Street' to Farringdon and an 's' to the end of 'Slade' with Slade Green (which provoked an immediate correction from an ex's kid who lived in that area), but I think I'm on my own with these two.

Dalston Junction always seemed to retain the suffix even though it was for a very long time the only station in Dalston with the area's name; my dad's family came from nearby and always called it that.

 

[Gloster]

My father (born 1928) always referred to the station as Alnmouth Junction, even though the name has been (according to Wikipedia) just Alnmouth since 1892. He presumably picked it up from relatives in the area, who must have themselves picked it up from their parents or grandparents. (He used to like saying that he had run faster than the Flying Scotsman: the train had been signal checked through the platforms.)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

My father (born 1928) always referred to the station as Alnmouth Junction, even though the name has been (according to Wikipedia) just Alnmouth since 1892.

It wasn't ever officially known as 'Alnmouth Junction' prior to then, was it?

 

[Calthrop]

Wiki tells us, re the station concerned: "...opened on 1 /7 / 1847 as Bilton by the Newcastle & Berwick Railway; and from 1854 run by the North Eastern Railway. On 19 / 8 / 1850 it became the junction for the Alnwick branch line ... On 2 / 5 / 1892, the station's name was changed to Alnmouth." Indeed, no indication of its ever having been officially called Alnmouth Junction.

 

[Par]

Knott Mill, rather than Deansgate. The station building still carries the old name "Knott Mill", with a nameboard "Deansgate" beneath it.

Quite, but I suppose what is good for the goose, is good for….

 

[DorkingMain]

Used to get the occasional older person who would refer to "Lyndhurst Road", two decades after the name change

 

[daodao]

Lyndhurst Road

I didn't even know it had been renamed. I once used it (45 years ago) to travel to Lyndhurst from Waterloo, catching a bus to complete my journey.

 

[Class800]

That's right. The only one where the 'London' is said is London Bridge, for obvious reasons.

Nice one!

I've never heard anyone call it 'Kings Cross St Pancras'; the underground station is always called Kings Cross, even if the person wishes to go to St Pancras station.

I've also never heard anyone call Caledonian Road and Barnsbury on the North London Line anything other than 'Caledonian Road', adding 'on the North London Line' if necessary.

It's probably my habit of looking at old maps that makes me add 'Street' to Farringdon and an 's' to the end of 'Slade' with Slade Green (which provoked an immediate correction from an ex's kid who lived in that area), but I think I'm on my own with these two.

Dalston Junction always seemed to retain the suffix even though it was for a very long time the only station in Dalston with the area's name; my dad's family came from nearby and always called it that.

'The Bridge' is quite common informally in South London for London Bridge
It's usually 'Cally Road' unless in writing

 

[Cricketer8for9]

And I’ve heard, from railway staff, Victoria as “The Vic”.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Used to get the occasional older person who would refer to "Lyndhurst Road", two decades after the name change

I didn't even know it had been renamed. I once used it (45 years ago) to travel to Lyndhurst from Waterloo, catching a bus to complete my journey.

Was renamed as 'Ashurst New Forest' in c. 1995.

 

[Scotrail84]

Rosyth Halt instead of Rosyth.

Dunfermline Upper and Lower.

Thornton village instead of Glenrothes with Thornton.

Pre A to B it wasn't uncommon for Livingston to be referred to as 'Deans'

 

[Huntergreed]

Stranraer is still often referred to as “Stranraer Harbour” by locals who were around when the port road was still open.

I’ve very occasionally heard someone ask for “Kirkintilloch” station (when looking for Lenzie).

Lancaster Castle and Carlisle Citadel both very common.

One I’m always unsure of is “Penrith”. I’ve heard it commonly referred to as:

“Penrith”
“Penrith North Lakes”
“Penrith for the North Lakes”

Which is correct. If I’m correct, ATOS Anne uses Penrith North Lakes, and the onboard Avanti and TPE PIS uses “Penrith”, with manual announcements using a mix of all three.

 

[Mag_seven]

Stranraer is still often referred to as “Stranraer Harbour” by locals who were around when the port road was still open.

I’ve very occasionally heard someone ask for “Kirkintilloch” station (when looking for Lenzie).

Lancaster Castle and Carlisle Citadel both very common.

One I’m always unsure of is “Penrith”. I’ve heard it commonly referred to as:

“Penrith”
“Penrith North Lakes”
“Penrith for the North Lakes”

Which is correct. If I’m correct, ATOS Anne uses Penrith North Lakes, and the onboard Avanti and TPE PIS uses “Penrith”, with manual announcements using a mix of all three.

It's always just been plain old "Penrith" in my book as that is what it has always been called up to relatively recently.

 

[The Quincunx]

I was at a disadvantage when I worked for the RUCC for NW England in the mid-90s, being from London. Apart from getting pronunciations wrong ("Blackley"), I spent ages trying to find a station called Trinity Street as referred to in a letter from someone from Bolton.

 

[xotGD]

Stranraer is still often referred to as “Stranraer Harbour” by locals who were around when the port road was still open.

I didn't realise the name had changed! Mind, I've not been there since the 1980s.

 

[Recessio]

Yes, the vast majority of coulsdon locals still refer to CDN as smitham. There's a school and a road nearby still with the name smitham as well.

Why did the DfT force the rename as a franchise condition, claiming "locals call it Coulsdon" if that clearly wasn't the case? Did some civil servant have a grudge on the name Smitham or something?

 

[SargeNpton]

Why did the DfT force the rename as a franchise condition, claiming "locals call it Coulsdon" if that clearly wasn't the case? Did some civil servant have a grudge on the name Smitham or something?

Did the DfT force it, or was it an initiative of the franchise holder at the time? May even have been requested by the local council.

 

[The Quincunx]

Did the DfT force it, or was it an initiative of the franchise holder at the time? May even have been requested by the local council.

The idea of a name change was already floating about (I cannot remember who launched it), so the DfT included a reference to it in the franchise consultation and then put a requirement into the new franchise itself. But this was only to undertake consultation and abide by the result. If the result had been "leave it as it is", then that would have happened.

 

[Mikey C]

The idea of a name change was already floating about (I cannot remember who launched it), so the DfT included a reference to it in the franchise consultation and then put a requirement into the new franchise itself. But this was only to undertake consultation and abide by the result. If the result had been "leave it as it is", then that would have happened.

From this link on the station Wikipedia page, it was the council who were pushing for the name change. To me (not a resident, but someone who'd visited Coulsdon a couple of times) Coulsdon Town makes more sense

London Borough of Croydon: End of the line for 'Smitham' station?

web.archive.org

 

[The Quincunx]

From this link on the station Wikipedia page, it was the council who were pushing for the name change. To me (not a resident, but someone who'd visited Coulsdon a couple of times) Coulsdon Town makes more sense

London Borough of Croydon: End of the line for 'Smitham' station?

web.archive.org

Thanks.

Bear in mind - DfT is always violently neutral when it comes to station name changes, on the basis that they don't want to be responsible for any associated costs.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Some locals still refer to Stockport as Edgeley station - or even in local dialect as Edgerley - and there are modern road signs in the town directing drivers towards Edgeley Station

 

[zwk500]

Some locals still refer to Stockport as Edgeley station - or even in local dialect as Edgerley - and there are modern road signs in the town directing drivers towards Edgeley Station

A confusion that is understandable given things like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@53.402...4!1skHXzscfMcAFIVEXzWBzhVg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 [link to Google Street view image of Mosaic Reading 'Edgeley Station' in Parapet of retaining wall on Small Heath Roundabout, Stockport]

 

[Cheshire Scot]

A confusion that is understandable given things like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@53.402...4!1skHXzscfMcAFIVEXzWBzhVg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 [link to Google Street view image of Mosaic Reading 'Edgeley Station' in Parapet of retaining wall on Small Heath Roundabout, Stockport]

Indeed, good spot. That 'wall' is obviously much more historic than the modern signs.

 

[Thebaz]

It's been a while since I was last there. Do the platforms still have, underneath the name boards, additional signs saying " formerly Smitham"?

There's at least one that I noticed when I was there a couple of weeks back.