Trivia: Downsized stations that are shells of their former selves?

[Pete 1981]

Surprised nobody has yet mentioned Manchester Victoria. Yes it still has 6 platforms plus Metrolink but back in the day that number was 17. And more if you count the adjacent and linked Manchester Exchange station. How we could do with (some of) that lost capacity today.

It always feels tiny to me compared to how I first remembered it

 

[birchesgreen]

Lapworth is another former junction station, it used to be the terminus of a line from Henley-in-Arden. The third platform edge is still there (behind fencing).

 

[oddiesjack]

Chinley, once an important main line junction with five platforms. Now just an unstaffed island platform, essentially a wayside local station.

To be pedantic, Chinley had 5 through platforms, plus one south/east facing bay. And there were two signal boxes (Chinley Stations North and South) in the station vicinity. As far as staff went, I have a photo somewhere showing at least a dozen railwaymen.

 

[Mr. SW]

No-one has mentioned... Newmarket

Me. Post #16.

 

[steamybrian]

Me. Post #16.

Sorry..!

 

[flixtonman]

Buxton's two side-by-side stations (now just one station) had the following services:
(i) To Manchester via Stockport
(ii) To Manchester via Chinley
(iii) To Ashbourne
(iii) To Rowsley and the south
(iv) To Millers Dale

Only the first remains.

 

[MichaelTrains]

Didn't Halifax have seven, now reduced to two?

 

[xotGD]

Sunderland used to be a proper railway station, before it became a hobbit hole.

This article includes a photo of how it used to be:

The History of Sunderland Station, from glorious, to eyesore, to a new and brighter future - SGM

The exterior of Sunderland Railway Station has been completely rebuilt. The notorious box design, a source of local discontent for decades, was knocked down in late 2022, with a multi-million investment new design built by the following summer. It's a new start for the city, people could not...

sunderlandglobalmedia.org

 

[Scouseinmanc]

Liverpool Central lost 6 mainline platforms, down to just the 2 remaining low level (pre Wirral Railway now Northern Line). Plus new ‘77 deep level platform (Wirral Line) So a net reduction of 5.
Southport originally a 13 platform station (London Street excursion platform incl.) Now down to just 6.

 

[D6130]

Saltburn?

 

[BeijingDave]

Didn't Halifax have seven, now reduced to two?

Yes.

Prestatyn from 5 to 2 (you can still see remnants when you pass through)

 

[zwk500]

Despite the loss of Platform 4 at Eastbourne in the late 20th Century (think it was removed some time in 1991), is Eastbourne station really a "shell of its former self"?

Agreed, it's hardly a shell of what it had been. It retains a lovely concourse and you barely notice the missing platform. Similar situation at Lewes, where yes it's been slimmed down - having lost the Down London and Down Brighton loops (which you can still see where they would have been) and the junction for Uckfield/East Grinstead, it's still a pretty nicely looked after station.

Having mentioned them, East Grinstead and Uckfield are far more 'shells' of their former selves than any of the coastway stations.

 

[satisnek]

Hiw many platforms did Petersfield and North Camp once have?

North Camp originally had 4 (checking the Vic Mitchell book) - an Up island platform and a south-facing bay on the Down side (Down is towards Reading), with a diamond crossing over the Down line and trailing into the Up. In later times there was an oil terminal on the Up side replacing the platform loop.

Not exactly a 'shell of its former self' but Aberdeen is very considerably downsized.

 

[BeijingDave]

North Camp originally had 4 (checking the Vic Mitchell book) - an Up island platform and a south-facing bay on the Down side (Down is towards Reading), with a diamond crossing over the Down line and trailing into the Up. In later times there was an oil terminal on the Up side replacing the platform loop.

Not exactly a 'shell of its former self' but Aberdeen is very considerably downsized.

Aberdeen has lost all the north facing bays. I think it went from 13 platforms to (now) only about 4-5 in use.

 

[mlambeuk]

Tynemouth.

 

[D6130]

Eaglescliffe....originally four platforms with extensive canopies, booking office, refreshment room and waiting rooms. Now two platforms - for many years unstaffed, with only a small brick waiting shelter - but now upgraded to have a booking office and an improved waiting room. Still a shell of its former self though.

 

[John Luxton]

Bere Alston only one out of three platforms in use but if reopening to Tavistock ever happens perhaps one of the others will be reinstated?

Heysham - very basic facility for the one train a day service used to have three platforms and an overall roof.

Over on the Isle of Man, Douglas Station on the is about 50% of its original size 4 platforms down to 2 and loss of canopies. Other space given over to the bus depot.

 

[perkin]

Someone has already mentioned Llandudno, but other examples from the N.Wales coast are Rhyl, Bangor & Llandudno Junction - some platforms, but a lot of other stuff like goods yards, loco & carriage sheds/sidings have gone from each of these.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Didn't we have a thread on this subject a year or so back?

Anyway, I'll pitch Pontypridd again - don't know if anyone's mentioned it or not. Was massive back in the day.

 

[Tetragon213]

Andover once had 4 platforms and a large goods yard.

Now since reduced to just 2 platforms and some sidings. I believe the former Ludgershall depot has been closed, so there is vanishingly little reason for the tracks on the former M&SWJR to remain except for the expense of lifting the track.

The station had three through platforms and a termination bay platform with a pair of additional fast lines in the centre. Now there are only 2 (in use) tracks, 2 (in use) platforms, a "six foot" that is probably wider than a ten foot way, and the ghosts of 2 disused platforms with a ghost set of tracks that once went up to Cheltenham.

 

[MadMac]

Forres? Triangular station with platforms on all three sides which ultimately became a single platform on a single line.

 

[steamybrian]

Forres? Triangular station with platforms on all three sides which ultimately became a single platform on a single line.

deleted

 

[plugwash]

Which station was it, where the historic station is now used by a steam railway and the mainline station is now a single platform terminus on the other side of the road.

 

[urbophile]

Windsor and Eton Central? Original grand station is now a shopping centre, with the trains relegated to a single platform out the back.

Similarly, Morecambe Promenade.

 

[Sunil_P]

Which station was it, where the historic station is now used by a steam railway and the mainline station is now a single platform terminus on the other side of the road.

Sheringham?

 

[zwk500]

Which station was it, where the historic station is now used by a steam railway and the mainline station is now a single platform terminus on the other side of the road.

Sheringham?

In a Similar vein, Tunbridge Wells West is rather a comedown from it's heyday

 

[urbophile]

From the late 1800s to 1965, Skipton had 6 platforms for the Ilkley services, but was reduced to 4 from 1965 and 2 from 1970 until 1993 and put back up to 4 again after that.

Apart from the loss of the Ilkley platforms (which were some distance from the main line ones), Skipton has survived rather well. The buildings look better than they ever have, and although Scottish expresses are a thing of the past, the train service is probably better than it was too.

St Pancras once had seven platforms to serve the Midland mainline. Now it only has four...

and those banished to a plastic shed on the edge of what remains a magnificent station.

Liverpool Central lost 6 mainline platforms, down to just the 2 remaining low level (pre Wirral Railway now Northern Line). Plus new ‘77 deep level platform (Wirral Line) So a net reduction of 5.
Southport originally a 13 platform station (London Street excursion platform incl.) Now down to just 6.

I'd like to bet though that passenger numbers at Central are many times higher than they used to be.

 

[plugwash]

Sheringham?

Yup, that's the one I was thinking of.

 

[JohnElliott]

Sheringham?

In a Similar vein, Tunbridge Wells West is rather a comedown from it's heyday

So's Groombridge, for that matter.

 

[Rescars]

Aberystwyth is much slimmed down, even though it has acquired the Vale of Rheidol traffic.