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Your top 10 rail stations in the UK?
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Badger
Member
I haven't really visited that many, so:
1. Birmingham Moor Street
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Moor_Street_railway_station
2. Leicester
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester_station
3. Stourbridge Town, strange as it seems
http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/stourbridge_town.php
1. Birmingham Moor Street
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Moor_Street_railway_station
2. Leicester
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester_station
3. Stourbridge Town, strange as it seems
http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/stourbridge_town.php
RichmondCommu
Established Member
For me on a summer's day Dent station wins hands down. Closely followed by St Pancras. I know people complain about the extension but as a passenger you really don't notice!
MidnightFlyer
Veteran Member
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In any order:
- Birmingham Moor St
- London Marylebone
- Hull Paragon
- Bristol Temple Meads
- Perth
- Stirling
- Newcastle
- York
- Norwich
- Nottingham
- Birmingham Moor St
- London Marylebone
- Hull Paragon
- Bristol Temple Meads
- Perth
- Stirling
- Newcastle
- York
- Norwich
- Nottingham
MCR247
Established Member
- Joined
- 7 Nov 2008
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- 9,596
hock:
SS4
Established Member
Birmingham Moor Street (although if I were delayed for a long period of time I'd go over the road to Subway or into town)
Four Oaks - the station could be nicer from the outside but on the inside it's lovely and quiet.
I'd not mind being delayed in Birmingham New Street, although far from structurally beautiful, there's enough going on to not get bored and the station is cool and dark so I don't have to bake in the sun (but by the same token the waiting rooms are sometimes heated)
edit: I'm kinda sad in that I rarely get out of the West Midlands
Four Oaks - the station could be nicer from the outside but on the inside it's lovely and quiet.
I'd not mind being delayed in Birmingham New Street, although far from structurally beautiful, there's enough going on to not get bored and the station is cool and dark so I don't have to bake in the sun (but by the same token the waiting rooms are sometimes heated)
edit: I'm kinda sad in that I rarely get out of the West Midlands
Last edited:
- London St Pancras
- London Kings Cross
- Birmingham Moor Street
- York
- London Marylebone
- Newcastle
- Manchester Piccadilly
- Nottingham
- Perth
- Sheffield
Stations of the Settle & Carlisle are nice, also worth a mention is Liverpool Lime Street, Norwich Thorpe, Glasgow Central & Queen Street, Edinburgh Waverly, Stirling, Bristol TM, Great Malvern, Exeter St Davids, Paddington, Hull Paragon, Doncaster, Brighton, Bournemouth and quite a few other smaller stations around the network too numerous to mention.
- London Kings Cross
- Birmingham Moor Street
- York
- London Marylebone
- Newcastle
- Manchester Piccadilly
- Nottingham
- Perth
- Sheffield
Stations of the Settle & Carlisle are nice, also worth a mention is Liverpool Lime Street, Norwich Thorpe, Glasgow Central & Queen Street, Edinburgh Waverly, Stirling, Bristol TM, Great Malvern, Exeter St Davids, Paddington, Hull Paragon, Doncaster, Brighton, Bournemouth and quite a few other smaller stations around the network too numerous to mention.
Manchester77
Established Member
Marylebone
York
Birmingham Moor Street
leicester
St pancras international
Waterloo
In my opinion
York
Birmingham Moor Street
leicester
St pancras international
Waterloo
In my opinion
chris89
Established Member
No order for these.
Birmingham Moor Street
Stourbridge Junction
Smethwick Galton Bridge
London Paddington
London Marylebone
Newcastle
Edinburgh Waverley
Glasgow Central
Glasgow Queen Street
Bristol Templemeads.
Chris
Birmingham Moor Street
Stourbridge Junction
Smethwick Galton Bridge
London Paddington
London Marylebone
Newcastle
Edinburgh Waverley
Glasgow Central
Glasgow Queen Street
Bristol Templemeads.
Chris
No particular order;
King's Cross - Most famous in the world. Home of the FS
St Pancras - Beautiful
Glasgow Queen St - For the destinations
Paddington - Grandest
York - perfect
Newcastle - Don't know why
Edinburgh Waverly - always enjoy arriving there
Bristol Temple Meads - Grandness
Marylebone - charming
Fort William - sleeper and/or Jacobite (2 of top 5 journies)
King's Cross - Most famous in the world. Home of the FS
St Pancras - Beautiful
Glasgow Queen St - For the destinations
Paddington - Grandest
York - perfect
Newcastle - Don't know why
Edinburgh Waverly - always enjoy arriving there
Bristol Temple Meads - Grandness
Marylebone - charming
Fort William - sleeper and/or Jacobite (2 of top 5 journies)
There are quite a few stations I've waited at that I like, but I think these are my top ten;
1) London St Pancras
2) York
3) Lincoln Central
4) Brighton
5) Bridlington
6) Hull
7) Sheffield
8) Birmingham Moor Street
9) Stratford upon Avon
10) Nottingham
Although St Pancras get criticised, I really like if for being clean and light - the shopping arcade is also excellent for when I've got time to kill waiting for my train. I'll still go there in preference to the new King's Cross.
1) London St Pancras
2) York
3) Lincoln Central
4) Brighton
5) Bridlington
6) Hull
7) Sheffield
8) Birmingham Moor Street
9) Stratford upon Avon
10) Nottingham
Although St Pancras get criticised, I really like if for being clean and light - the shopping arcade is also excellent for when I've got time to kill waiting for my train. I'll still go there in preference to the new King's Cross.
Robinson
Member
Out of the ones I've visited:
Glasgow Central
London Waterloo
London Marylebone
York
Carlisle
Bristol Temple Meads
Perth
Manchester Piccadilly
Birmingham Moor Street
... can't decide on a 10th really; there are a lot of stations that I haven't visited or I've only ever passed through without getting off...
Glasgow Central
London Waterloo
London Marylebone
York
Carlisle
Bristol Temple Meads
Perth
Manchester Piccadilly
Birmingham Moor Street
... can't decide on a 10th really; there are a lot of stations that I haven't visited or I've only ever passed through without getting off...
swcovas
Member
Pontypridd!!!??? Awful from the outside but fascinating inside just for the sheer length of it and its canopies. If you like DMUs you can certainly enjoy a day there.....a train about every 5 minutes. Plus a very occasional freight!
Scouseinmanc
Member
In no particular order:
Liverpool Lime Street
St Pancras International
Glasgow Central
Edinburgh Waverley
York
Newcastle Central
Hull
Cressington (Liverpool)
Liverpool Lime Street
St Pancras International
Glasgow Central
Edinburgh Waverley
York
Newcastle Central
Hull
Cressington (Liverpool)
Gwenllian2001
Member
The fine Taff Vale Railway Booking Hall, featuring the TVR Crest in Terra Cotta, was demolished in the Seventies and the present street level building put up in the
Eighties. The platform buildings are really beautiful in an 'Egyptian' style and, apart from the Downside Booking Office at Llandaf (no longer in railway use), are the only remaining buildings in that style. This was the Taff Vale's 'modernisation programme' which included the fine station at Taff's Well, since demolished and, on a larger scale, Aberdare (Low Level) which was flattened after the passenger service was withdrawn.
Francis
Member
St Pancras is really the finest in the country, both outside and in.
Followed by York with its superb curving train shed.
Then the fine London termini
Kings Cross
Liverpool St
Paddington (by Brunel)
and maybe Victoria or Waterloo
Outstanding in the provincial cities are
Manchester Piccadilly
Glasgow Central
Liverpool Lime St
Edinburgh Waverley is in a dramatic setting but very difficult to find one's way around, being all divided up and with a strange platform numbering system. Perth too is badly divided with those long blocking walls, as is Carlisle.
So maybe the final place has to go to a smaller provincial city like Hull Paragon or Brighton or Leeds or Newcastle.
It depends if you are looking architecturally or in terms of rail traffic movements. I'm looking architecturally.
Checking on Google, Cheshire seems to be the only county to regularly award "best kept station prizes", and Horton-in-Ribblesdale seems to regularly pocket the S&C prizes.
Followed by York with its superb curving train shed.
Then the fine London termini
Kings Cross
Liverpool St
Paddington (by Brunel)
and maybe Victoria or Waterloo
Outstanding in the provincial cities are
Manchester Piccadilly
Glasgow Central
Liverpool Lime St
Edinburgh Waverley is in a dramatic setting but very difficult to find one's way around, being all divided up and with a strange platform numbering system. Perth too is badly divided with those long blocking walls, as is Carlisle.
So maybe the final place has to go to a smaller provincial city like Hull Paragon or Brighton or Leeds or Newcastle.
It depends if you are looking architecturally or in terms of rail traffic movements. I'm looking architecturally.
Checking on Google, Cheshire seems to be the only county to regularly award "best kept station prizes", and Horton-in-Ribblesdale seems to regularly pocket the S&C prizes.
I reckon a trip from St Pancras to Huddersfield (changing at Sheffield) will take you from the finest large station in England to perhaps the finest medium-sized station in England.
York, Edinburgh Waverley, Paddington are all fairly obvious large stations of note
I haven't (yet) been there, but Wemyss Bay looks quite impressive as small termini go.
As small stations go, Chappel And Wakes Colne or Hebden Bridge stand out
York, Edinburgh Waverley, Paddington are all fairly obvious large stations of note
I haven't (yet) been there, but Wemyss Bay looks quite impressive as small termini go.
As small stations go, Chappel And Wakes Colne or Hebden Bridge stand out
IanD
Established Member
Willesden Junction
Lewes
Shipley
St Pancras
King's Cross
Paddington
Liskeard
Lewes
Shipley
St Pancras
King's Cross
Paddington
Liskeard
Requeststop
Member
Mine are mostly outdoors only so I hope it doesn't disqualify me, as there are no indoor stations.
1. Lelant (Home station at it's best when the Hayle river tide is in)
2. St Ives (always wonderful to see the station as you turn into the bay and see the station and harbour and it still lifts my Cornish heart)
3. St Erth (a simple Great Western Junction station, hardly changed in my lifetime and wonderful)
4. Liskeard (makes me feel when travelling westwards that I am back in Cornwall)
5. Truro (makes me feel when travelling westwards that I am back in "proper" Cornwall)
6. Bere Ferres (passed by recently on a re-travelling of the Gunnislake Branch and if time permitted I'd have liked to have got off the train and had a good look around)
7. Paddington (so much better than a few years back AND there is a West Cornwall Pasty shop there, so I can have a pasty in London when I get back to the UK - proper job and there is a pub I can get some Taunton cider)
8. Montrose (not much to look at but I have a god-son up there and I always get a great welcome.)
9. Menheniot (I had a "youthful experience" there on a very wet day in the shelter on the Up Main side, a couple of trains passed through the station(not stopping) I still recall that day everytime I pass through)
10. Strathcarron (stopped there because of engineering works on the way to Kyle (bash that went wrong) but stayed at the station and just loved the total silence - you could hear your heartbeat in your head)
1. Lelant (Home station at it's best when the Hayle river tide is in)
2. St Ives (always wonderful to see the station as you turn into the bay and see the station and harbour and it still lifts my Cornish heart)
3. St Erth (a simple Great Western Junction station, hardly changed in my lifetime and wonderful)
4. Liskeard (makes me feel when travelling westwards that I am back in Cornwall)
5. Truro (makes me feel when travelling westwards that I am back in "proper" Cornwall)
6. Bere Ferres (passed by recently on a re-travelling of the Gunnislake Branch and if time permitted I'd have liked to have got off the train and had a good look around)
7. Paddington (so much better than a few years back AND there is a West Cornwall Pasty shop there, so I can have a pasty in London when I get back to the UK - proper job and there is a pub I can get some Taunton cider)
8. Montrose (not much to look at but I have a god-son up there and I always get a great welcome.)
9. Menheniot (I had a "youthful experience" there on a very wet day in the shelter on the Up Main side, a couple of trains passed through the station(not stopping) I still recall that day everytime I pass through)
10. Strathcarron (stopped there because of engineering works on the way to Kyle (bash that went wrong) but stayed at the station and just loved the total silence - you could hear your heartbeat in your head)
Firesprite
Member
Bournemouth Central, One of the few things that "Railtrack" did get right. BR wanted to knock it down and replace it.
David Goddard
Established Member
With little hesitation to think about/change my mind, I would go for:
*York
*Liverpool Lime Street
*Manchester Piccadilly
*Glasgow Central
*Leeds
*London Kings Cross
*London Paddington
*Doncaster
*Exeter St Davids
*Cardiff Central
Chosen for architectural merit and the variety of trains that can be seen.
*York
*Liverpool Lime Street
*Manchester Piccadilly
*Glasgow Central
*Leeds
*London Kings Cross
*London Paddington
*Doncaster
*Exeter St Davids
*Cardiff Central
Chosen for architectural merit and the variety of trains that can be seen.
craigwilson
Member
In no particular order:
- London Kings Cross
- London Paddington
- Manchester Piccadilly
- York
- Edinburgh Waverley
- London Victoria
- London Marylebone
- Huddersfield
- Glossop (and the wonderful Globe Inn in Glossop itself
)
- Horton-in-Ribblesdale
- London Kings Cross
- London Paddington
- Manchester Piccadilly
- York
- Edinburgh Waverley
- London Victoria
- London Marylebone
- Huddersfield
- Glossop (and the wonderful Globe Inn in Glossop itself
)- Horton-in-Ribblesdale
Lampshade
Established Member
1. London Waterloo
and the rest in no particular order:
- Leeds
- York
- Manchester Piccadilly
- New Mills Central
- Chapel-en-le-Frith
- Strawberry Hill
- Staines
- Sheffield
- London St Pancras
and the rest in no particular order:
- Leeds
- York
- Manchester Piccadilly
- New Mills Central
- Chapel-en-le-Frith
- Strawberry Hill
- Staines
- Sheffield
- London St Pancras
Waverley125
Member
1. St Pancras-architecturally & in terms of 'top link' trains, the best. Also the best station to spend a prolonged period in.
2. Leeds-As a leodensian I object to a city of a million people being labelled 'small and provincial'-Leeds is twice the size of Liverpool, you do know? Again, very pleasant built environment, easy to use, a tour de force in what modern station design should be.
3. Manchester Piccadilly-Best blend of old and new in the country, another station that's a pleasure to spend time in.
4. Kings Cross-Home of the Flying Scotsman & the White Rose, the gateway to the capital.
5. Glasgow Central-the grandest station in Scotland
6. Newcastle Central-fantastic approach, best view from the train entering a city anywhere in the country, wonderful old architecture superbly maintained, and a fantastic range of trains to choose from.
7. Hebden Bridge-great old station, still with all the old fittings even 150 years after it was built, beautifully sited at the bottom of Caldervale next to the Rochdale canal.
8. Kyle of Lochalsh-simply the best view from any station in the country, at all. Terminus of one of the most scenic (and most under-rated) lines in the world, the gateway to the Isles.
9. Huddersfield-two real ale pubs within the station. Best visited in two ways: with a Wetherspoons breakfast in, on the way to watching Leeds play Fartown, and on the way back to Leeds for a celebratory pint, after Leeds have beaten Fartown.
10. Edinburgh Waverley-not one of the easiest stations to use, but certainly one of the grandest and most unique. And it's Edinburgh, the final arrival after the breathtaking run along the North Sea Coast.
N.b. I do not understand the love of York. The place is a wind tunnel, it's always cold, and there's very little to do there. God help you if you're getting one of the late-night trains to Leeds or Manchester. Waiting rooms locked up, trains locked and stuck right down the far end of the platform while the on-train staff sit in their nice heated staff room. It looks nice, but that's it.
2. Leeds-As a leodensian I object to a city of a million people being labelled 'small and provincial'-Leeds is twice the size of Liverpool, you do know? Again, very pleasant built environment, easy to use, a tour de force in what modern station design should be.
3. Manchester Piccadilly-Best blend of old and new in the country, another station that's a pleasure to spend time in.
4. Kings Cross-Home of the Flying Scotsman & the White Rose, the gateway to the capital.
5. Glasgow Central-the grandest station in Scotland
6. Newcastle Central-fantastic approach, best view from the train entering a city anywhere in the country, wonderful old architecture superbly maintained, and a fantastic range of trains to choose from.
7. Hebden Bridge-great old station, still with all the old fittings even 150 years after it was built, beautifully sited at the bottom of Caldervale next to the Rochdale canal.
8. Kyle of Lochalsh-simply the best view from any station in the country, at all. Terminus of one of the most scenic (and most under-rated) lines in the world, the gateway to the Isles.
9. Huddersfield-two real ale pubs within the station. Best visited in two ways: with a Wetherspoons breakfast in, on the way to watching Leeds play Fartown, and on the way back to Leeds for a celebratory pint, after Leeds have beaten Fartown.
10. Edinburgh Waverley-not one of the easiest stations to use, but certainly one of the grandest and most unique. And it's Edinburgh, the final arrival after the breathtaking run along the North Sea Coast.
N.b. I do not understand the love of York. The place is a wind tunnel, it's always cold, and there's very little to do there. God help you if you're getting one of the late-night trains to Leeds or Manchester. Waiting rooms locked up, trains locked and stuck right down the far end of the platform while the on-train staff sit in their nice heated staff room. It looks nice, but that's it.
MidnightFlyer
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 16 May 2010
- Messages
- 12,857
<OT> Depends what you define as the city. In the strictest terms, as in just the city itself and not the wider borough, Leeds is bigger size-wise but Liverpool is larger by population (though it is very close, source: towns tables 1 and 2 here). If you include metropolitan areas, it soon becomes very unclear as to what is what - figures can include outlying towns that are independent in their own right, like Stockport for Manchester. I would certainly love to know where you got your 'twice the size' details from - I suspect it may include large chunks of separate areas surrounding Leeds, which Liverpool's figures I don't think do! </OT>
Bevan Price
Established Member
- Joined
- 22 Apr 2010
- Messages
- 7,342
Hard to decide. Some look good from the inside but poor outside, and some vice versa. And those with best railway activity to maintain interest do not always have good facilities for waiting / seating / toilets.
For inside appearance, in no particular order, I have to include:
Koln Hbf
Bristol Temple Meads
York
Liverpool Lime Street
Manchester Central
London St. Pancras (old part)
London Waterloo
Manchester Piccadilly
For waiting with usually plenty of rail activity:
Doncaster
Carlisle
York
Clapham Jn
Zurich.
External appearance - no nominations - the surroundings affect visual impact, and "redevelopment" of areas next to many stations has not improved my impression of them.
For inside appearance, in no particular order, I have to include:
Koln Hbf
Bristol Temple Meads
York
Liverpool Lime Street
Manchester Central
London St. Pancras (old part)
London Waterloo
Manchester Piccadilly
For waiting with usually plenty of rail activity:
Doncaster
Carlisle
York
Clapham Jn
Zurich.
External appearance - no nominations - the surroundings affect visual impact, and "redevelopment" of areas next to many stations has not improved my impression of them.
Tracked
Established Member
London St Pancras
Kings Cross
Manchester Picadilly
Leeds
York
Wemyss Bay
Mexborough
Doncaster
Stoke on Trent
Derby
Kings Cross
Manchester Picadilly
Leeds
York
Wemyss Bay
Mexborough
Doncaster
Stoke on Trent
Derby
Waverley125
Member
The thing is, Leeds is not the original settlement in the area-the market towns of Rothwell, Adel, Pudsey & Horsforth were all originally settlements in their own right, despite now (very clearly) being part of Leeds. This means that the population for 'Leeds' on that census excludes a great deal of what is clearly the city (i.e. the final outer 2 miles basically). City status was then not awarded to the town of Leeds, but to a new 'City Borough' which includes some very clearly separate places, such as Wetherby and Otley.
However, the population of Wetherby and Otley is about 20k, while that of Horsforth & Pudsey (and the areas incorporated as boroughs of them, such as Stanningley and Cookridge) is about 100-150k. While not twice the size (a quick glance through the ONS shows I was mistaken), Liverpool urban Area minus St Helens has a population around 700k, while Leeds City Borough minus Wetherby & Otley has 800k.
More than any size comparison, I was objecting to Leeds being placed into a 'smaller regional cities' category. The Leeds City Region has 2.9 million people, and is one of the most populated regions in the country.
Indeed. I don't think Morley has ever quite reconciled itself to being subsumed into Greater Leeds.
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