Favourite Station to Interchange at

[user15681]

London Victoria for me, it's a personal thing with no real relevance to the building itself. It's homely, I'm familiar with a lot of the people working there at the retail units, barriers etc and whenever I interchange there I know I'm not that far from being home.

Saying that, the shed on the SE side is pretty nice and I can't forget the frequent railtours that leave from platform 2.

 

[tsr]

I do rather like Eridge, but of course only when the Spa Valley Railway (one of my favourite heritage lines) is in operation - otherwise it's not really an interchange in any sense of the word!

 

[BestWestern]

Southampton Central. No it isn't the most glamorous station but it's easy to navigate, well staffed, there's a half decent selection of food outlets (incl. one independant) and plenty of train action. Quite a good array of stock and TOCs can be seen during the average wait there. Nothing exceptional but a good example of a very busy medium sized station which functions well.

 

[bnm]

Shrewbury. For all that upper and lower quad action.

 

[wasi]

Birmingham New Street- Lots to do , will be great when its fully finished.
London Kings X- Love the re-development.
Birmingham Moor Street- Clean, Tidy, superb.

 

[CalderRail]

Hebden Bridge for cafe/bar & the historical wall things in the waiting rooms.

Huddersfield for the place on platform 6 that serves bacon samiches, and for the beer.

 

[Lrd]

Barnham as you get great views a long way down the line and the curve round to Bognor.

 

[samogers]

Lewes or strangely East Croydon (on a sunny day) as its full of life + lots of trains!

 

[306024]

For the same reason Stratford, except when using platforms 9, 10 or 10a in the rain.

 

[ASharpe]

Thornaby is decent enough on a warm day, but a bit windswept.

You beat me to it. The improvements to the ticket office/waiting room are coming along nicely and so it will only get better.

I'm probably going to stop using it as an interchange after the new timetable though. The wait for my connecting train means it would be more cost effective for me to just get a taxi to my final destination.

 

[wasi]

I will also add York to the list, some cracking watering holes

 

[overtonchris]

Lewes or strangely East Croydon (on a sunny day) as its full of life + lots of trains!

I've got to echo East Croydon....a dodgy/ busy area maybe, but the station staff are so "enthusiast" friendly - from the cleaners up - it's a rare treat!

 

[Ships]

Carlisle. Lots going on rail-wise, nice little info-boards for the Tyne Valley and Settle-Carlisle lines to read over, short walk to shops and decent good value cafes if needed or a couple of places to pick up a coffee at the station, and not too big!

I'll go with Carlisle! Have spent quite a lot of time there with work and there's always something interesting traveling through or stabled in the various sidings. On a particularly good day I saw an 87 (Royal sovereign), 86 (sir William stanier), a west coast 47 dragging away the 87, a black 5 and an A4 crew changing and a whole load of freight.

 

[rogger13]

This.

Also, really clear PIS screens on all platforms, and I love the way the huge boards on the main concourse 'cascade' after a train departs.

Got to agree with the above two chaps,Sheffield Tap could be a destination in itself.....

 

[junglejames]

I totally forgot about Carlisle in my post. Glad others have mentioned it. Marvellous station, marvellous City. Spacious, light and airy.

Amazingly i also have a soft spot for Crewe, although the station really is in need of some TLC.

 

[Strathclyder]

After using it for the first time today, Edinburgh Haymarket is now in my top 5.

 

[Manchester77]

Manchester Oxford road because I can get off my terminating train and cross to platform 4 in about 20 steps. Other than that Piccadilly is very nice and there's always a variety of trains under the shed.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Crianlarich. Views spectacular and great tea room.
Inverness. Lovely station and nice wide concourse
Sheffield. The Tap
Carnforth. Brief Encounter

All good ones.

I will also add York to the list, some cracking watering holes

Yes I even did an overnight at York in my spotting days.

I totally forgot about Carlisle in my post. Glad others have mentioned it. Marvellous station, marvellous City. Spacious, light and airy.

Amazingly i also have a soft spot for Crewe, although the station really is in need of some TLC.

Oh absolutely - I will always have a soft spot for Crewe. At one time the enthusiasts mecca - it improved after the 1985 rebuild.

 

[12CSVT]

Here's my list of favourite interchanges - and all for the same reason

Keighley
Grosmont
Alton
Bodmin Parkway
Eridge
East Grinstead
Cholsey
Barry Island
Matlock
Duffield
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Aberystwyth
Ravenglass
(Can't add Aviemore to the list yet as I haven't been there since the Strathspey extended to Aviemore NR station)

 

[Starmill]

Definitely Manchester Piccadilly, feels very homely and friendly and information provision is excellent. Most platforms are easily accessible. Just make sure you don't need to buy a ticket there

 

[Manchester77]

Definitely Manchester Piccadilly, feels very homely and friendly and information provision is excellent. Most platforms are easily accessible. Just make sure you don't need to buy a ticket there

Have to agree with that it's nice that there aren't ticket barriers at all platforms too meaning you can have a meander along to check out the trains

If I need to get a ticket I tend to head down platform 6 for example over the footbridge and use the northern ticket machine opposite the costa for platforms 13&14, never usually a queue and a lot easier to use than the virgin ticket machines or queuing for hours at the ticket desks!

 

[wasi]

I will also add London Marylebone to the list.

A really well run station, never THAT overcrowded for London standards and provides a cracking service to Birmingham.

Will be even better with the new Oxford link.

 

[HowardGWR]

If Man Picc and Marylebone are 'interchange' stations then I suppose so is Lawrence Hill, Bristol. I mean, you can get a bus from there.

 

[Darren R]

If Man Picc and Marylebone are 'interchange' stations then I suppose so is Lawrence Hill, Bristol. I mean, you can get a bus from there.

Quite so. In four decades of using Man Picc it is a constant source of amazement to me that I've yet to see a single passenger get off one train and head off to another platform to catch another. It's very odd.

Personally when I arrive at Picc on a train from London or Leeds, I prefer to walk the remaining twenty-odd miles home, but everyone else that uses Picc all live just around the corner so it's not such an issue to them!

 

[Manchester77]

I change at Piccadilly I quite often get the train from Trafford park to Oxford road where I then jump on a train into platform 14 where I can then just go over the footbridge and down onto my connection!

 

[Starmill]

If Man Picc and Marylebone are 'interchange' stations then I suppose so is Lawrence Hill, Bristol. I mean, you can get a bus from there.

And what are you on?

 

[HowardGWR]

And what are you on?

An armchair. I've just remembered that there are through platforms at Picc (apols) but not at Marylebone AFAIK.

 

[Emyr]

I've yet to see a single passenger get off one train and head off to another platform to catch another. It's very odd.

I frequently run from a 0656 TPEx at platform 14 to an 0703 to Crewe. Not too bad when it's on platform 11, but running to p7 or p5 is a pain, especially when the TPEx gets held at Oxford Rd for a few extra minutes.

 

[Manchester77]

Quite Piccadilly is alright if you have a tight connection but if they reshuffle stuff then you have to make a mad dash on the overbridge!!

 

[12CSVT]

If Man Picc and Marylebone are 'interchange' stations then I suppose so is Lawrence Hill, Bristol. I mean, you can get a bus from there.

........ but you can change from / to the Underground at Marylebone !

And there are countless journeys where you would change at Man Picc.

Marylebone would probably be the most practical place to change if you were travelling from Harrow-on-the-Hill to stations between Denham and Princes Risborough.