Grubbiest or most dilapidated station on the network in 2023

[380101]

Ayr Railway Station has to be in the top 10!

 

[urbophile]

It is indeed quite grim. Has a feel a bit like London Underground in the 80s.

I'm not a fan of rampant commercialism in general, but a few colourful advertising posters would brighten it up no end. I suppose advertisers won't bother with it because it's not very well-used; on the other hand, maybe it's not well-used partly because it's so grotty.

 

[CptCharlee]

Plymouth is a mess with mix n match of different design. Platforms are soulless and barren. Everytime I visit I think "you could do so much more with this station"

Severn Tunnel Junction is another that just feels rundown and neglected.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm not a fan of rampant commercialism in general, but a few colourful advertising posters would brighten it up no end. I suppose advertisers won't bother with it because it's not very well-used; on the other hand, maybe it's not well-used partly because it's so grotty.

Plenty of Merseyrail stations are a bit grotty, to be fair. I think it's not well used just because it doesn't have a massive catchment (being only about 400m from Birkenhead Central), and the catchment it does have is low density housing and industry. It would not be hard to argue for its closure and relocation about 300m to the south and renaming to Tranmere or Mersey Park.

 

[Kite159]

Big Basingstoke News! Amazingly, the scruffy and cold Network SouthEast / SWT toilets on Platform 1 are FINALLY, I repeat, FINALLY, being refurbished as we speak!

It's just a shame that the rest of the recently repainted parts across the station are already looking scruffy already - it seems to be a symptom of the repainting program across the SWR network, it's either poor prep or poor paint application or both. Mind you, they've finally settled on the location of the PA screens on the country end of Platform 2/3 and have since demolished the planter down there too.

It can't be any worse than platform 4 when they swapped over male & female toilets (reducing the male from one bog & 2 urinals to a single bog). Or the style over substance taps in the toilets on P2/3

 

[greyman42]

Last time i passed through Bath it looked like it could do with a major spruce up for a touristy town.
If you walk down some of the platforms at Edinburgh to under Waverly bridge you can see and smell the damp which is in contrast to the rest of the station.

 

[py_megapixel]

I don't think there's that much wrong with Cheltenham station. The platforms and waiting rooms are nothing glamorous but fit for purpose. My main criticism would be having only one set of toilets which is very pokey and stuck out at the southern end of the platform 1 building, as well as lacking anywhere to buy refreshments now the Pumpkin Cafe is gone, but what they do have seems to be maintained and cleaned reasonably well.

 

[Parallel]

Yeovil Pen Mill is another that looks a bit dilapidated, lots of things boarded up, cracked glass on the canopy, with wood rotting too, and cobwebs over everything too. (Photos attached) The toilets were like stepping back into a time warp of 2-3 decades, but they were at least clean!

Seems a lot of GWR stations need smartening up. The island platforms at Swindon and Chippenham could also do with a repaint and some repairs to the canopies.

 

[GoneSouth]

I don't think there's that much wrong with Cheltenham station. The platforms and waiting rooms are nothing glamorous but fit for purpose. My main criticism would be having only one set of toilets which is very pokey and stuck out at the southern end of the platform 1 building, as well as lacking anywhere to buy refreshments now the Pumpkin Cafe is gone, but what they do have seems to be maintained and cleaned reasonably well.

I read somewhere that the Pumpkin was damaged in a ram raid incident… welcome to classy Cheltenham. It has been replaced now with a Starbucks which nobody can afford to use!

It’s the dirty glass/plastic roof that gives Cheltenham that grubby feel, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if that was cleaned up, or just removed/replaced. Oh, and the crumbling bridge that passengers are no longer allowed to use!

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It can't be any worse than platform 4 when they swapped over male & female toilets (reducing the male from one bog & 2 urinals to a single bog).

Well I hope the females made good use of their 2 urinals

 

[Benjwri]

Yeovil Pen Mill is another that looks a bit dilapidated, lots of things boarded up, cracked glass on the canopy, with wood rotting too, and cobwebs over everything too. (Phots attached) The toilets were like stepping back into a time warp of 2-3 decades, but they were at least clean!

Seems a lot of GWR stations need smartening up. The island platforms at Swindon and Chippenham could also do with a repaint and some repairs to the canopy.

Another example has to be Cholsey. The entire station is falling apart. Pretty much any repairs have been done by the Cholsey and Wallingford railway.

The underpass has standing water year round, with plants growing through it. The windows are pretty much all cracked, and dirty to the point they cannot be seen through.

The car park also has a hole in it where it was resurfaced but they went round a car which someone had left, and never can back to fix.

 

[GoneSouth]

The car park also has a hole in it where it was resurfaced but they went round a car which someone had left, and never can back to fix.

Now that is astonishing, how is nobody accountable for this type of bone idle dumb f******

 

[Benjwri]

Now that is astonishing, how is nobody accountable for this type of bone idle dumb f******

Yep, they put up signs saying the car park would be closed about 3 days before, which anyone with an ounce of common sense can tell you isn’t long enough for a long stay car park, and presumably therefore couldn’t legally move the car.

 

[dk1]

I read somewhere that the Pumpkin was damaged in a ram raid incident… welcome to classy Cheltenham. It has been replaced now with a Starbucks which nobody can afford to use!

I don’t know about that. Starbucks at most stations I see are usually doing a good trade often with quite a queue.

 

[Howardh]

Southport. It's horrible. Not dilapidated but a very uncomfortable place to wait for a train.

 

[D6130]

Passed through Fflint this afternoon (courtesy of 67 029) and the station building was looking decidedly tatty....as do the intermediate stations between Llanfair PG and Valley.

 

[nanstallon]

Vastly improved now (so not in the running) but before they moved the access to the down platform at Clifton Down, the stairs used to emerge under the shops. Now that really was grotty and run down (not to mention pretty frightening later on on the evening).

I remember taking photos at Clifton Down some years ago, and being jeered at by some idiots who had been patronising the pub on the up platform.

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Perhaps a shorter list would be: “which stations are not dilapidated?”

Very true. British stations are generally grotty, reflecting the state of a country where public space is not respected, unless someone can make a fast buck out of it. Britain compares badly with other countries which have more self respect.

 

[GoneSouth]

I remember taking photos at Clifton Down some years ago, and being jeered at by some idiots who had been patronising the pub on the up platform.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Feb 2023 ==


Very true. British stations are generally grotty, reflecting the state of a country where public space is not respected, unless someone can make a fast buck out of it. Britain compares badly with other countries which have more self respect.

I honestly think this is true. I look back at photos from the 60s or 70s at how well maintained public parks and municipal gardens were compared to today. Now there’s no planting unless backed up with a sign saying this bunch of daffodil bulbs is sponsored by your local solicitor, garage or butcher. I think you’re right, there’s no pride left in the uk, just hunger for cash.

I’m not saying everything in the 70s was perfect, but there was still some pride on display.

 

[urbophile]

I remember taking photos at Clifton Down some years ago, and being jeered at by some idiots who had been patronising the pub on the up platform.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Feb 2023 ==


Very true. British stations are generally grotty, reflecting the state of a country where public space is not respected, unless someone can make a fast buck out of it. Britain compares badly with other countries which have more self respect.

To be fair, I could point to several stations in Italy or France which are similarly neglected. I've only used a couple of trains in Poland but the smaller stations there were abysmal.

 

[nanstallon]

To be fair, I could point to several stations in Italy or France which are similarly neglected. I've only used a couple of trains in Poland but the smaller stations there were abysmal.

I found Portuguese (my favourite destination) stations well kept.

 

[markymark2000]

As much as I love Crewe station, it's definitely a contender for grubbiest dilapidated station.

Fully agree

Once you get on platform 12 and get to see all the long abandoned overgrown bay platforms looking unwanted and wasting away. Between the main platforms there are weeds and bits just left from however long ago.

Platform 12 is really abandoned. On the plus side, there are the nicer toilets over there, mainly because the platform is so rarely used.

Then there is the horses landing area which no-one really knows exactly what it is. Part staff car park, rail replacement buses area, deliveries, viewpoint over the freight avoiding lines, entrance to station if gates unlocked (via the long term temporary wooden tunnel onto platform 12) and even a waiting room although I've never been in. All looks so very tired as if time has stood still for a few decades.

I don't understand why they don't fill in the disused platforms and make that all into the bus replacement area. It could become a much higher quality facility then for those passengers rather than the horrible walk through what feels like areas of the station that the public aren't meant to be in. Especially when between the bus stop and that tunnel thing is also used as a stock room.

The waiting room isn't awful but nor is it the best. It's suitable to spend short amounts of time and don't want to stand outside watching the cat sized mice and rats running about near the bin storage.

 

[The exile]

Last time i passed through Bath it looked like it could do with a major spruce up for a touristy town.

Work is (very slowly) under way - though I’m not quite sure what the extent of that work is.

 

[D6968]

Plus the dmu that ended up on the platform.

Thought it was a 24?

 

[py_megapixel]

I read somewhere that the Pumpkin was damaged in a ram raid incident… welcome to classy Cheltenham. It has been replaced now with a Starbucks which nobody can afford to use!

Yes I remember now, I'd forgotten they'd put the Starbucks in.

To anyone changing trains in Cheltenham, if you exit the station in the direction of the town centre there's a Tesco Express just across the road which has a small fresh bakery section, a Costa machine and of course the usual selection of crisps, sandwiches and so forth. This is probably a more attractive option mid-journey than Starbucks (at the expense of a longer walk and having to cross a rather unpleasant busy road).

It’s the dirty glass/plastic roof that gives Cheltenham that grubby feel, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if that was cleaned up, or just removed/replaced. Oh, and the crumbling bridge that passengers are no longer allowed to use!

That's a good point actually. I don't think removing the roof would go down well but they could at least give it a clean.

 

[Efini92]

Thought it was a 24?

The runaway was a 24. It was the DMU that got flung onto the platform.

 

[D6130]

The runaway was a 24. It was the DMU that got flung onto the platform.

The class 24 in the foreground of that photo is engaged in removing the undamaged - or slightly damaged - DMU vehicle to Chester Depot. The wreckage of the loco involved in the runaway collision (5028) is behind the badly-damaged DMU car in the background, which it pushed up over the buffers in bay platform 5 with such force that its fuel tank exploded, started a fire of such ferocity that it also engulfed the wrecked loco, part of the station buildings and brought down the (now missing) sections of the station roof.

 

[Ken H]

The class 24 in the foreground of that photo is engaged in removing the undamaged - or slightly damaged - DMU vehicle to Chester Depot. The wreckage of the loco involved in the runaway collision (5028) is behind the badly-damaged DMU car in the background, which it pushed up over the buffers in bay platform 5 with such force that its fuel tank exploded, started a fire of such ferocity that it also engulfed the wrecked loco, part of the station buildings and brought down the (now missing) sections of the station roof.

Accident report here

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/DoE_Chester1972.pdf

Locomotive 5028 was so extensively damaged first by the collision and then by the fire, that it was
subsequently written off as being beyond economic repair. The body of brake-van B.951200 was completely
demolished and the frame and running gear badly buckled. Whilst the tank of the 35 ton Esso tank wagon
No. 3390 was neither pierced nor ruptured, the frame and running gear were so badly buckled that it was
considered to be a complete write off...

Link goes to a PDF of the Railway Inspectorate report into the 1972 Chester Rail Crash.

 

[Bletchleyite]

All of the Northern City Line. It's a dump, and not even retro NSE any more.

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Correction, there is still a bit of NSE. And curiously a mobile signal!

Still a dump though.

Photos are of the poor condition of the platform area at Highbury and Islington, and of Network Southeast signage at Essex Road through the window of a 717.

 

[Mugby]

Stoke-on-Trent ?

Always feels bleak, unwelcoming and run down, entrance hall is very cramped since barriers were installed.
Hopelessly inadequate subway at busy times, always seems cold and not a nice place to hang around for long.

 

[Djgr]

Plenty of Merseyrail stations are a bit grotty, to be fair. I think it's not well used just because it doesn't have a massive catchment (being only about 400m from Birkenhead Central), and the catchment it does have is low density housing and industry. It would not be hard to argue for its closure and relocation about 300m to the south and renaming to Tranmere or Mersey Park.

It serves as a small Park and Ride as it has sixty free car park spaces and it is the nearest to the city centre to offer that.

Passenger numbers don't look too bad to be honest.

I would agree that it is a bit characterful.

 

[Timmyd]

Contrary to earlier posters, it feels to me most stations are better maintained than they were in the 80s, certainly here in London where what I recall historically was threatening subways and an overpowering smell of urine. The Tube is also transformed in the past 30 years too. Both the arrival of the Overground and addition of disabled access facilities have had an impact on some of the worst stations. Brixton and Elephant mainline stations remain pretty grim places with no sense of any ownership from the railway or anyone else, South Bermondsey and Essex Road as desolate as ever too.