Dual–Named Stations?

[Chrius56000]

. . .Can anyone suggest why Dual–Named Stations seem to be out of fashion nowadays?

. . .On the lines from New St. for example, "Duddeston" was originally called "Duddeston & Vauxhall" in the Pre–Corporate B.R. Days!

. . .I can certainly think of a few that could be very usefully dual named – in many cases the village or locality the station name refers to is farther away than a much nearer locality – Saltmarshe could be more usefully renamed "Laxton & Saltmarshe" for instance, Dent renamed "Cowgill and Dent".

 

[Andrew1395]

I think it was to do with early computerisation of timetabling and operation systems in the 1970s. Which saw names shortened and simplified where practicable. So, for example Bushey and Oxhey returned to its original just Bushey on 6 May 1974. Vauxhall & Duddeston became Duddeston also on 6 May 1974. St Albans City, became St Albans only to revert under privatisation. Of course (for some reason) under privatisation, Euston had to be renamed London Euston. As were the other terminals with the London prefix.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Double-barrelled names have made a bit of a comeback in recent years, however - e.g Dore & Totley became plain Dore for quite a few years but has now reverted back.

 

[hexagon789]

Clarkston & Stamperland - truncated to Clarkston. Clarkston is a fairly important place, but Stamperland I doubt anyone outside locals really refers to.

Langside & Newlands - truncated to Langside. This one I've never truly understood as both are substantial enough suburbs in their own rights and the station is fairly equidistant, though Pollokshaws East is perhaps more convenient for the western part of Newlands.

Dunkeld & Birnam - truncated to Dunkeld, but mostly returned to be referred to as Dunkeld & Birnam in the early 1990s.

 

[Welshguy1048]

Abergele and Pensarn on the North Wales Coast Line

 

[Transilien]

Glenrothes with Thornton has always been a strange case, especially with the fact that it’s nowhere near Glenrothes. It would probably make more sense to have it named Thornton for Glenrothes as it’s in the village of Thornton.

 

[D6975]

How about one that changed but stayed?
Stainforth and Hatfield
became
Hatfield and Stainforth

 

[MadMac]

Glenrothes with Thornton has always been a strange case, especially with the fact that it’s nowhere near Glenrothes. It would probably make more sense to have it named Thornton for Glenrothes as it’s in the village of Thornton.

Markinch was Markinch for Glenrothes until the 80s. Not that far away, Cardenden was still sporting a “Cardenden for Bowhill” running in board in 1981.

 

[saismee]

Does "Name (Town/City)" count? If so, Derby Road (Ipswich) which I have seen people mistake for Derby !!! Maybe it should take on another local name... California anyone?

 

[MadMac]

Clarkston & Stamperland - truncated to Clarkston. Clarkston is a fairly important place, but Stamperland I doubt anyone outside locals really refers to.

Langside & Newlands - truncated to Langside. This one I've never truly understood as both are substantial enough suburbs in their own rights and the station is fairly equidistant, though Pollokshaws East is perhaps more convenient for the western part of Newlands.

Dunkeld & Birnam - truncated to Dunkeld, but mostly returned to be referred to as Dunkeld & Birnam in the early 1990s.

There’s a Stamperland Crescent in the area, but I think it just fell out of use railway-wise. What about Blairhill and Gartsherrie? Also Beattock for Moffat.

 

[stadler]

Surrey has Box Hill & Westhumble and Boxhill & Westhumble with both names still in use. Some of the platform station name boards say "Box Hill & Westhumble" as two words and some of the platform station name boards say "Boxhill & Westhumble" as one word. So i guess you could count this.









For some reason the train companies can never decide whether it should be two words or one word. Even the village at the top of the hill has this confusion with both "Box Hill" and "Boxhill" appearing on different signs. I remember on the old Avantix Mobile ticket machines used until 2017 there used to be both a "Box Hill & Westhumble" and "Boxhill & Westhumble" and if Guards selected the latter one it would say no fares available.

 

[BeijingDave]

Sankey for Penketh.

Actually this one should probably have been Sankey & Penketh as although it may lie within the Sankey ward, Great Sankey is the area directly above the railway lines and Penketh is the area directly below (south of) the railway lines. I guess they weren't contiguous when it was named.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Of course (for some reason) under privatisation, Euston had to be renamed London Euston. As were the other terminals with the London prefix.

I thought the London prefix was added far earlier than privatisation - give or take 1980ish?
Edit: the 1982 GB all line timetable from timetable world site shows the London prefix

 

[Harpo]

Does "Name (Town/City)" count? If so, Derby Road (Ipswich) which I have seen people mistake for Derby !!! Maybe it should take on another local name... California anyone?

Too easily confused with the California in Birmingham (Quinton) or the ex M&GN halt to the north of Yarmouth.

 

[Andrew1395]

I thought the London prefix was added far earlier than privatisation - give or take 1980ish?
Edit: the 1982 GB all line timetable from timetable world site shows the London prefix

Well I don’t know about usage in printed timetables. Perhaps marketing decision to add in the London prefix? But I have the Intercity West Coast Euston Station 25th Anniversary (1993) leaflet and it was plain old Euston Station when that was written! According to the leaflet the Travel Centre Telesales team handled 75,370 calls in 1992.

The running in boards were still Euston until privatisation.

Tickets would say Euston, (primarily pre printed stock) although APTIS generated tickets would be sold to the collective destination (1072) London Terminals rather than (1444) Euston.

The SK Baker 7th edition of 2013 also refers to plain old Euston. But that might be editing for clarity.

 

[edwin_m]

Surrey has Box Hill & Westhumble and Boxhill & Westhumble with both names still in use. Some of the platform station name boards say "Box Hill & Westhumble" as two words and some of the platform station name boards say "Boxhill & Westhumble" as one word. So i guess you could count this.

For some reason the train companies can never decide whether it should be two words or one word. Even the village at the top of the hill has this confusion with both "Box Hill" and "Boxhill" appearing on different signs. I remember on the old Avantix Mobile ticket machines used until 2017 there used to be both a "Box Hill & Westhumble" and "Boxhill & Westhumble" and if Guards selected the latter one it would say no fares available.

Note also the confusion between "and" and ampersand ("&"). Probably better to use the ampersand for station names, otherwise there is more chance for confusion in a long written list of stations. However, the same confusion can arise with announcements, when it may be difficult to discern if talking about one station or two separate ones.

Nailsea & Backwell is another one that has changed a few times but currently has the name. The station is on the edge of Backwell and Nailsea is about a mile away, so it should probably be the other way round or "Backwell for Nailsea". But I think Nailsea was the more important place historically and probably still is.

 

[Magdalia]

Many Eastern Region dual names were shortened around 1970.

One survivor is Ashwell and Morden, which is actually in a small settlement called Odsey. Furthermore, although the nearest big village is Ashwell, there is no nearby place called Morden: there are two separate nearby villages Steeple Morden and Guilden Morden. Strictly speaking the station should be Ashwell and the Mordens.

Note also the confusion between "and" and ampersand ("&").

Ampersands were not a thing for most of the era when lots of stations had dual names. For example, in the Eastern Region timetable, Meldreth and Melbourn became Meldreth & Melbourn in 1968 and Meldreth in 1972.

 

[xotGD]

Bat & Ball is not named after two nearby villages!

Here in Airedale we have Steeton & Silsden. You need to cross a dual carriageway to reach the latter.

 

[Anonymous10]

You've got Pembrey and Burry Port in west wales where Pembrey is a 40 minute walk away.

You've also got Fishguard and Goodwick located in Goodwick and about half hour from Fishguard town centre, all up hill too.

 

[contrex]

Bat & Ball is not named after two nearby villages!

No, it was a pub, wasn't it? Balham was Balham and Upper Tooting from 1927 to 1969. From a 1930 map I just checked, the Underground station was always just Balham. The same map showed me 'Hatch End for Pinner' and 'Enfield West (Oakwood).

 

[32475]

I have three BR(S) totem examples in Kent which have since been shortened:
Snowdown & Nonington (now Snowdown)
Sittingbourne and Milton Regis (now Sittingbourne)
Whitstable & Tankerton (now Whitstable)

 

[Lockwood]

Portsmouth Town became Portsmouth and Southsea, and has stayed as such.

It's interesting seeing some of the evolution of names - the tube has had quite the journey in some... Highgate -> Highgate (Archway) -> Archway (Highgate) -> Archway.

Have there been any "and" stations with a progressive transformation like that?
Here -> Here & There -> There

 

[LittleRedTrain]

The Ash Vale and North Camp situation is quite an interesting one.

According to Wiki:
Ash Vale:

The station was opened by the London and South Western Railway on 2 May 1870, under the name of North Camp and Ash Vale; it was given its present name on 30 March 1924

North Camp:

The station opened in 1858 as North Camp, Aldershot. It was renamed Aldershot Camp in 1863, Aldershot (North Camp) in 1879, Aldershot (North Camp) & South Farnborough in June 1910, Aldershot North in July 1923 before receiving its present name in March 1924

It looks like the 'tidying-up' of names was therefore a post-grouping exercise by the Southern Railway.

North Camp station is actually located in Ash Vale (Surrey) and is not even in the same county as any of the areas it has been named after, all of which are in Hampshire!

 

[High Dyke]

Netherfield, on the Nottingham - Grantham line was originally calked Colwick when it opened. Renamed Netherfield and Colwick in 1883, then Netherfield in 1901. The 'and Colwick' part was reinstated in 1925 before being dropped again in 1974.

Meanwhile, on the Midland Railway line from Nottingham - Lincoln, Carlton was renamed Carlton and Gedling in 1871, Carlton and Netherfield for Gedling and Colwick in 1896, Carlton and Netherfield in 1973, before reverting to plain Carlton in 1974.

 

[MadMac]

Many Eastern Region dual names were shortened around 1970.

One survivor is Ashwell and Morden, which is actually in a small settlement called Odsey.

That’s similar to the long-closed Houston and Crosslee, which was actually in Brookfield and close to Linwood!

 

[30907]

Bat & Ball is not named after two nearby villages!

And was at one time Sevenoaks (Bat and Ball) to avoid confusion with (Tubs Hill).

 

[CM Punk]

Alfreton has been both Alfreton and South Normanton pre-Beeching as well as Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway until the Robin Hood Line reopened.

 

[aliceh]

Mottisfont and Dunbridge is a fairly recent re-doubling, as I'm pretty sure it was just 'Dunbridge' back when I used the Romsey rounders back in the 00s

 

[Taunton]

The French have always been the past masters at this, not only by combining adjacent settlement names, but also with great precision with how they are officially known. A superb one is "Colombier-le-Vieux-Saint-Barthelemy-le-Plain", an obscure narrow gauge wayside point in the middle of nowhere. It is on the Vivaris line, closed in the 1960s but reincarnated as a heritage line nowadays. It knocks its equivalent Tan-y-Bwlch right out of contention, and is a challenger to Llanfair PG. Both Colombier and Saint Barthelemy, nearby but inconvenient walking distance, are sleepy villages. Those who recall the 1970 (British) television comedy "Clochemerle" may know it was filmed there, including the railway.

 

[TheGuy77]

What about Rose Hill (Marple)? I think it would be better for it to be called Marple Rose Hill and Marple Station on the HVL be renamed Marple Central.