Central Stations (Trivia)

[hermit]

Hounslow Central is the most central of the three Piccadilly Line stations, and much nearer the centre than the national rail station.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Hounslow Central is the most central of the three Piccadilly Line stations, and much nearer the centre than the national rail station.

Hounslow East is, IMHO, just as close as Central to the town centre. They lie either end of the town centre

 

[billio]

A photograph shows the sign on the station front stating 'Radcliffe (New).
See Disused Stations - Radcliffe

 

[Mcr Warrior]

A photograph shows the sign on the station front stating 'Radcliffe (New).
See Disused Stations - Radcliffe

Ta. Good sleuthing!

 

[OVS Flatbottom]

I think Belfast Central was so called because of a historic railway company rather than its somewhat off-centre location.

I've heard that story before, but I've never seen any references to support it. To me, it seems a bit unlikely as the original Belfast Central Railway ceased to exist as an independent company in 1885, 91 years before Belfast Central opened - see http://disused-stations.org.uk/b/belfast_queens_bridge/index.shtml. (I believe the company had unrealised plans for a central station, but I can't remember where it was to be built.)

(Edit: according to Patterson's The Great Northern Railway (Ireland), there were two proposed sites, the first "between High Street and Waring Street, with a frontage on Victoria Street," the other "on a site occupied by the corporation's Pork Market," which I think would have put the station to the north of the 1976 one, more or less where Lanyon Place (the street) is today.)

I can also remember seeing a pre-opening map of the rebuilt Belfast Central Railway with Botanic shown as "Shaftesbury Halt" (I think it's in Hajducki's Railway Atlas of Ireland), but I can't recall whether there was an alternative name for Central/Lanyon Place at that time.

In fairness to Central, during the years that Great Victoria Street was closed, it was just about the most central of the stations in Belfast (being marginally closer to the City Hall than Botanic, and significantly closer to the shopping areas) - though, having said that, Botanic proved a lot more popular than NIR had anticipated, having to be extended not long after opening, and even had calls by a few Enterprises for a while.

(Incidentally, Belfast Central was, as far as I can remember, the only station anywhere on the island of Ireland ever to be called "Central.")

 

[MarkyT]

Exeter St Davids is undoubtedly the 'main' station for the city with the widest range destinations served, especially long-distance, thus offering the best interchange opportunities and also parking facilities. There is also Exeter Central of course which IS definitely more central and achieves almost equal annual passenger figures, although far fewer interchanges. In this case the nomenclatures make sense with most of the traditional commercial city centre being within easy walking distance of Central via its two entrances at each end of the long platforms.

 

[317 forever]

Southampton Central, not so central to me.

It isn't all that central. It had been just Southampton but renamed Southampton Central to eliminate confusion with Southampton Parkway, itself renamed Southampton Airport Parkway around the same time.

In the early 2000's one of the cash machines at Leeds (former City) station used to print out transaction slips showing its location as "Leeds Central Station"

About 10 years ago I was on a TPE train where the guard announced we were approaching Leeds Central. I then heard a passenger remark It's not Leeds Central, it's just Leeds.

Hounslow East is, IMHO, just as close as Central to the town centre. They lie either end of the town centre

Hounslow East feels more central for being the nearest station to Hounslow Bus Station.

 

[vic-rijrode]

It isn't all that central. It had been just Southampton but renamed Southampton Central to eliminate confusion with Southampton Parkway, itself renamed Southampton Airport Parkway around the same time.


About 10 years ago I was on a TPE train where the guard announced we were approaching Leeds Central. I then heard a passenger remark It's not Leeds Central, it's just Leeds.


Hounslow East feels more central for being the nearest station to Hounslow Bus Station.

If you were approaching Leeds Central about 10 years ago, you were probably about to fall into the River Aire.....

 

[scrapy]

Hyde Central is only 350m from the market place and shopping centre and less than 5 minutes walk. It does however feel like it's nowhere near the centre of you get off a train there and have no idea where your going. Hyde actually has 5 stations and this is certainly the most central.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Kassel Hauptbahnhof is a queer one. No long-distance trains stop there now, just stopping trains and trams. Kassel-Wilhemshoehe up the hill is the main station. The Hauptbahnhof is a handsome traditional terminus, Wilhelmshoehe is a functional concrete building. One may hire a cycle at Wilhelmshoehe, to go downhill into town. Unfortunately many people get the tram or train back up, so surplus cycles have to be collected in a van and taken back up the hill. Maybe a solution could be cheap/free hire uphill

 

[K.o.R]

How about Edinburgh Park Central? So central to the (business) park it even has its track covered in greenery.

 

[Mojo]

A better example (but converse) example might be Newcastle upon Tyne where Central station is the "main" station but not really central at all, whereas Monument (equivalent to Liverpool Central) is right at the centre of the shopping district.

What exactly is this station called however? Whilst I don’t doubt that locals may call it “Central,” and on the Metro it is called “Central Station” Station; Main Line platform signage, train tickets and National Rail Enquiries just call the station “Newcastle.”

 

[xotGD]

What exactly is this station called however? Whilst I don’t doubt that locals may call it “Central,” and on the Metro it is called “Central Station” Station; Main Line platform signage, train tickets and National Rail Enquiries just call the station “Newcastle.”

The Central or The Central Station.

You wouldn't call it 'Newcastle Station'. That would be daft.

 

[LowLevel]

I can offer an unusual one in the form of a station that was planned to be called central but in the end wasn't - Kirkby in Ashfield was planned to be Kirkby Central (and is still in railway systems as KrkyCen). Not at all central either