Grubbiest or most dilapidated station on the network in 2023

[GoneSouth]

In an era of plenty of delays and cancellations, I seem to have found myself standing on platforms for longer than I used to. Some stations are looking a little worse for wear and some look shiny, new and well maintained.

Which one do you think is the grubbiest or most dilapidated in 2023, and that you find soul destroying because of its state. Happy for photo or linked photo evidence.

I’m going to start with a station I’m visiting this week, Cheltenham. It’s a very well off town that gets thousands of visitors every year for races and festivals etc, but the station is generally a dark and dirty looking hole and now had one of the bridges taken out of use because of decay. This is despite having a lot of money spent renovating the outside spaces in the last couple of years. It’s not a very warm welcome to the Cotswold town!

 

[jimm]

In an era of plenty of delays and cancellations, I seem to have found myself standing on platforms for longer than I used to. Some stations are looking a little worse for wear and some look shiny, new and well maintained.

Which one do you think is the grubbiest or most dilapidated in 2023, and that you find soul destroying because of its state. Happy for photo or linked photo evidence.

I’m going to start with a station I’m visiting this week, Cheltenham. It’s a very well off town that gets thousands of visitors every year for races and festivals etc, but the station is generally a dark and dirty looking hole and now had one of the bridges taken out of use because of decay. This is despite having a lot of money spent renovating the outside spaces in the last couple of years. It’s not a very warm welcome to the Cotswold town!

Cheltenham is not in the Cotswolds, it is in the Severn Vale.

But I would agree that platform-side the station does need some serious work to smarten it up.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Slough was bad last time I went there, tatty peeling paint and old signage. Ulverston similarly.

Quite a few Merseyrail stations have an air of dilapidation and poor maintenance.

 

[cactustwirly]

Slough was bad last time I went there, tatty peeling paint and old signage. Ulverston similarly.

Quite a few Merseyrail stations have an air of dilapidation and poor maintenance.

Slough was repainted recently
I think Basingstoke is a lot worse

 

[gabrielhj07]

I’ve noticed leaky roofs at both Waterloo & Crewe recently.

 

[swt_passenger]

I’ve noticed leaky roofs at both Waterloo & Crewe recently.

But is that really enough to make Waterloo or Crewe the “grubbiest or most dilapidated station” in the country?

 

[RailWonderer]

I had the displeasure of going to Gloucester (and station) which is a tip. Demolish the whole thing and start over. The building is wide yet still a bottle neck at the barriers where crowds crush to get in and out.
Edit: I can see a redevelopment plan has been greenlit to improve things somewhat.

 

[DJH1971]

Earlestown must surely be a contender.

 

[Efini92]

Manchester Victoria

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Manchester Victoria

Not in its entirety. The main concourse area at Manchester Victoria before passing through the ticket barriers isn't all that bad.

Platforms 3, 4, 5 and 6, however, do seem to be bathed in a particularly gloomy Stygian darkness.

 

[GoneSouth]

Cheltenham is not in the Cotswolds, it is in the Severn Vale.

Indeed, but try getting that message across to the people who market the town as a centre for the Cotswolds.

Manchester Victoria

You should have seen it back in 1990, utter desolation.

 

[BeijingDave]

You should have seen it back in 1990, utter desolation.

And yet, as a young enthusiast following my uncle around (to Crewe, York, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and even Newcastle and Glasgow Central, as well as countless attractive provincial spots) I would rather be at Manchester Victoria than anywhere!

The action on the numerous middle roads, and the fact that it just seemed to branch out forever, I wasn't even aware that the really high number platforms existed until about the third time I went. Seemed like a playground with somewhere new to stand and spot every time in among all that post-industrial decay.

 

[Iskra]

Crewe is in a bit of a state when you start really looking at it, with trees growing out of the top of the brick partition walls, leaky and just generally needing a lick of paint. I assume it is going to get some TLC when HS2 rolls into town. However, as pointed out already, I'm not sure it's going to beat some isolated basically abandoned station on a line with a once a week service...

 

[Efini92]

Indeed, but try getting that message across to the people who market the town as a centre for the Cotswolds.

You should have seen it back in 1990, utter desolation.

It was a classic example of the run down BR in the 80’s.

 

[Ken H]

Hellifield is starting to look a little grotty.
The subway is damp. it even has stalagmites* growing on the floor (by the parcel pick up lockers) from the leaky overbridge)
The canopy - the paint is failing and rust is bubbling through on the RSJ's.
The 2nd floor of the holiday cottage the wood sash windows look to be starting to rot. But a difficult place to work so probably expensive.
and the 'car park' is turning into a muddy swamp. Caused by people parking on the verges.

Probably being a little unfair - not sure its up there in the 'grottiest' league.

Not been train side of Man Vic for a while but the concourse (where Costa is) is nice and airy. Noce place to sit and watch the trams. But when I was there last Sunday the tram station was strewn with litter.

*Grotte is French for cave so grotty probably came from that. So a station with stalagmites is ironic!

 

[gabrielhj07]

But is that really enough to make Waterloo or Crewe the “grubbiest or most dilapidated station” in the country?

Not really, but one would expect better of such major stations.

 

[Scott1]

I find Crewe preety bad, especially considering its footfall. Missing roofs, rusty supports, broken equipment, and aside from a coat of paint on the bottom meter and a half, very little in terms of work done on it for years. It's just a run down mess.

 

[duncanp]

However, as pointed out already, I'm not sure it's going to beat some isolated basically abandoned station on a line with a once a week service...

......Bordesley.

 

[Parallel]

Newport South Wales is pretty grotty. The toilets are always filthy, the canopy (which seems to be having yet more work done to it) leaks like a sieve, plants are growing out of the walls on the older part of the station, and the newer footbridge also leaks like a sieve and has bits of the floor covering coming up. It is really quite poor.

Wilmslow is another one that's unfortunately very grubby for similar reasons, the toilets again always seem dirty, the canopies are in poor condition and really need a repaint, it just looks as if nobody cares about it.

One station I was surprised about was Hereford which seems to have taken a dive in the last few years, the whole station needs a good re-paint and clean, and the walls are absolutely covered in bird muck. It's becoming really run down, and it certainly used to look a lot more cared for!

 

[The Snap]

Stafford’s got to be up there surely? The miserable 60s brutalist style makes it pretty grim

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I used Batley for the first time since the recent blockade yesterday, and the staircase down into the subway on the Leeds-bound side was festooned with flakes of paint that had fallen from the roof. I don't expect any significant improvements until the work starts on replacing said subway with an accessible bridge.
The great work done by the Friends of Batley Station group (planters and the like) contrasts starkly with the bits they can't do anything about.

 

[L401CJF]

Wrexham Central

 

[185143]

Not the worst admittedly, but Chester feels quite run down. Half the roof is missing, which I think may be WW2 damage. Coupled with the poor facilities you might expect in a station where lots of people change trains, it could be much improved.

 

[dorsetdesiro]

Has to be Pokesdown, it's pretty horrible

 

[The exile]

Vastly improved now (so not in the running) but before they moved the access to the down platform at Clifton Down, the stairs used to emerge under the shops. Now that really was grotty and run down (not to mention pretty frightening later on on the evening).

 

[Iskra]

Not the worst admittedly, but Chester feels quite run down. Half the roof is missing, which I think may be WW2 damage. Coupled with the poor facilities you might expect in a station where lots of people change trains, it could be much improved.

Oil train fire did it in the 70’s/80’s. Not war related.

 

[Efini92]

Oil train fire did it in the 70’s/80’s. Not war related.

Plus the dmu that ended up on the platform.

 

[CPG]

Vastly improved now (so not in the running) but before they moved the access to the down platform at Clifton Down, the stairs used to emerge under the shops. Now that really was grotty and run down (not to mention pretty frightening later on on the evening).

I remember back in the 80/90s Clifton Down being joint winner (with Clapham High Street)of a national grottiest station 'award' in the Daily Telegraph. Both now substantially improved and much busier.

 

[abn444]

Vastly improved now (so not in the running) but before they moved the access to the down platform at Clifton Down, the stairs used to emerge under the shops. Now that really was grotty and run down (not to mention pretty frightening later on on the evening).

In the same area, unless it's been massively improved over the last few years, I'd say Stapleton Road. When I went there once it felt very dirty and run down and didn't really feel like the place you'd want to be at night

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Portrush was pretty run down last time I was there.