Former station names still in use today

[Bevan Price]

St. Helens Central is still sometimes called by its old name, St. Helens Shaw Street by some locals.

Personally, I think that Shaw Street was a more accurate description of its location, and in historical contest, avoids confusion with the ex-GCR/LNER t. Helens Central (which closed in 1952)

 

[Flange Squeal]

The town of Farnborough in Hampshire has two stations. ‘Farnborough (Main)’ on the South Western Mainline out of London Waterloo, and ‘Farnborough North’ on the North Downs Line between Reading and Gatwick Airport.

The former only has ‘Farnborough’ on its station signs and on South Western Railway’s network map and in their timetables, but websites such as National Rail do refer to it as ‘Farnborough (Main)’.

So I’m not sure if the signs and SWR material just feel the ‘(Main)’ suffix isn’t needed but it is still officially called that, or if it is officially now just plain ‘Farnborough’ and some resources still use ‘(Main)’ as not been updated.

 

[Mzzzs]

I think you meant to post this in the London's Worst Station thread?

oh yess bit embarrassing

 

[John Luxton]

Does that include Manchester London Road?

Strangely not for some reason. When I come to think about it.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I think there are pictures up in The West Riding pub which refer to Dewsbury by its former name of Dewsbury Wellington Road (to distinguish from the now-closed Dewsbury Central and Dewsbury Market Place stations). Can't recall ever hearing anyone call it by its full name.

I have heard people in Morley refer to "the Low station" though.

 

[Lukeo2311]

I still refer to the following stations as when I am making notes in my black book:
> Bebington (& New Ferry)
> Liverpool Central Deep Level (Wirral Line) & Low Level (Northern Line)
> Canberra (Kingston), Kingston being the suburb where Canberra Station is located
> Melbourne (Spencer Street) now known as Southern Cross but I still call it Spencer Street!

 

[plugwash]

There are a few examples of light rail systems having stations/stops that share names with distant national rail stations aren't there? Although now I say it I can't think of any examples off the top of my head.

And some not so distant. Middlewood and Middlewood are only 23 miles apart.

 

[Pep and co]

Widnes station is still often referred to as Farnsworth by locals

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Widnes station is still often referred to as Farnsworth by locals

Surely that would be Farnworth, (no 's'), reflecting the station's old pre-1959 name, which was 'Farnworth (Widnes)' and not to be confused with the similarly named 'Farnworth' which is located near Bolton.

 

[Djgr]

Heswall Hills!

 

[daodao]

People tend to stick to the names they were originally familiar with. For example I still think of Stockport Edgeley and Leeds City stations with their suffixes, as these were their names until at least 1967 when the other significant stations in these places, Tiviot Dale and Central respectively, were closed to passengers. However, I was too young to remember Manchester Piccadilly being called London Road, as it was renamed in 1960.

 

[Taunton]

Heswall Hills!

That's because the locality is called that. The station (which is a long way from Heswall) had houses develop separately alongside it, the locality got the name, then the station name was changed.

 

[zwk500]

and the 3 letter code is LCN

Which could equally apply to LinColN as Lincoln CeNtral so isn't a guide either way.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

Whitehaven is still often referred to as Bransty in these parts.

 

[DunsBus]

Brockley Whins, now part of the Metro, was called Boldon Colliery from 1925 until reverting to its original name in 1991. I can remember seeing signage there reading "Brockley Whins (formerly Boldon Colliery)".

 

[Deepgreen]

I've never really understood why the dropped "Edinburgh" from the other station that is now simply called "Haymarket".

On the same basis that every station in inner London isn't called London xxxx I imagine. For example; London Vauxhall, London Finsbury Park, etc. The city name is reserved for termini/nodes.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

On the same basis that every station in inner London isn't called London xxxx I imagine. For example; London Vauxhall, London Finsbury Park, etc. The city name is reserved for termini/nodes.

'London Fields' station might be an exception to that rule of thumb.

 

[Millisle]

Whitehaven is still often referred to as Bransty in these parts.

Perpetuated, of course, in the signal box. It was a good decision by BR to change Whitehaven Corkickle simply to Corckickle and Whitehaven Bransty to Whitehaven. An unsuspecting visitor looking for the sights of the town would have jumped the wrong way picking Corkickle.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It was a good decision by BR to change Whitehaven Corkickle simply to Corckickle and Whitehaven Bransty to Whitehaven. An unsuspecting visitor looking for the sights of the town would have jumped the wrong way picking Corkickle.

Depends on which part of Whitehaven you want. Alighting at Corkickle is not a disaster if it's the Rugby League ground that you're going to, and in any event Whitehaven Town Centre is mostly back downhill from Corkickle station.

 

[Millisle]

Of course if you wanted a particular part of the town, you would not be an unsuspecting visitor. It would have been ideal for the Brake in its day.
Edited for typo.

 

[Deepgreen]

I've noticed that even some posters here refer to Dorking as Dorking North still!

 

[DelW]

The town of Farnborough in Hampshire has two stations. ‘Farnborough (Main)’ on the South Western Mainline out of London Waterloo, and ‘Farnborough North’ on the North Downs Line between Reading and Gatwick Airport.

The former only has ‘Farnborough’ on its station signs and on South Western Railway’s network map and in their timetables, but websites such as National Rail do refer to it as ‘Farnborough (Main)’.

So I’m not sure if the signs and SWR material just feel the ‘(Main)’ suffix isn’t needed but it is still officially called that, or if it is officially now just plain ‘Farnborough’ and some resources still use ‘(Main)’ as not been updated.

Possibly SWR's approach is based on their only serving Farnborough (Main), since Farnborough North is GWR territory. Of course North was originally a South Eastern station. I doubt if there's much interchange between the two since they're quite a way apart, so most users will be travelling to or from the local area.

 

[YorksLad12]

People tend to stick to the names they were originally familiar with. For example I still think of Stockport Edgeley and Leeds City stations with their suffixes, as these were their names until at least 1967 when the other significant stations in these places, Tiviot Dale and Central respectively, were closed to passengers. However, I was too young to remember Manchester Piccadilly being called London Road, as it was renamed in 1960.

The weird (and slightly off-topic) thing about the late Leeds Central Rail Station is that it was 1km across the city centre from Leeds Central Bus Station. The bus station ... is sometimes referred to as Leeds City Bus Station, and is closer to where Marsh Lane was!

Slightly more on topic: Sheffield is almost always referred to as "Midland". Indeed, the development plan is "SMISM" - Sheffield Midland Integrated Station Masterplan. Just in case anyone thought "Sheffield" means Sheffield Catherdral tran stop...

 

[Sunil_P]

Edinburgh Waverley seen in July.

 

[zwk500]

Slightly more on topic: Sheffield is almost always referred to as "Midland". Indeed, the development plan is "SMISM" - Sheffield Midland Integrated Station Masterplan. Just in case anyone thought "Sheffield" means Sheffield Catherdral tran stop...

Or, more likely, lest anybody forget the former 2nd station in Sheffield.

 

[JWK]

The Swiss Railways’ journey planner app, of all things, insists that the first station out of Ashford on the Marshlink line is called ‘Ham Street & Orlestone’, despite Orlestone being removed from the station name in 1976…

 

[Pinus contorta]

I still say Lancaster Castle and Carlisle Citadel

That is interesting to note because my great grandfather worked on the railways in Carlisle at the turn of the last century in one of the many railway yards and my grandfather never referred to Carlisle railway station in our many conversations as the Citadel. However, one of my Grandfather's brothers, who died before I was born, started out on the police, and the Carlisle Citadel always was known as the police station. I think its still there to this day.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Well, the Wikipedia article backed up by two independent references and other sources state openly that it’s name was Carlisle Citadel.

 

[Pinus contorta]

Well, the Wikipedia article backed up by two independent references and other sources state openly that it’s name was Carlisle Citadel.

Wonder if that was just a local thing then?

 

[snowball]

Wonder if that was just a local thing then?

The original Carlisle Citadel has its own entry in Wikipedia:

Carlisle Citadel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Carlisle Citadel or The Citadel is a group of buildings on the site of a former early modern fortress on English Street in Carlisle, Cumbria. It comprises two towers, both of which are Grade I listed buildings: the Nisi Prius Courthouse[1] and the former Crown Court.[2]

The citadel was commissioned by King Henry VIII to replace the medieval Botcher's gate,[3] which was a gateway through the city walls.[4][5] The new facility, which was designed by Stefan von Haschenperg as a medieval fortress, was completed in 1541.[3] It ceased to be a fortress and became a prison in 1611.[3] The Eastern Tower was modified to designs by Thomas Telford and Sir Robert Smirke and converted for use as a Nisi Prius Court (i.e. civil courts) in 1812.[3] The Western Tower was completely rebuilt to designs by Thomas Telford and Sir Robert Smirke and converted for use as the Crown Court in 1822.[3]

The citadel continued to be used as the local facility for dispensing justice but, following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, it also became the offices and meeting place for Cumberland County Council.[6] After amalgamation with Westmorland County Council in 1974,[7] Cumbria County Council continued to use the facilities at the Citadel as offices. The County Council also occupied a series of Victorian houses on Portland Square, Brunswick Street and Alfred Street North in Carlisle[8] as well as Lonsdale House in Lower Gaol Yard.[9]

The citadel ceased to function as a judicial facility after the new Courts of Justice in Earl Street was completed in 1992.[10] It also ceased to function as a municipal facility when, as a cost-saving measure, the County Council moved to a single facility, Cumbria House, in Botchergate in December 2016.[11] The county council submitted proposals to the Government for funding to redevelop the Citadel area in April 2016[12] and published a plan to convert it into a campus for the University of Cumbria in May 2020.[13][14]

The station was obviously named Carlisle Citadel after those buildings.