How is the the category of station determined?

[miklcct]

National Rail stations in Great Britain are categorised into A to F categories, with A being "national hub" and F being "small unstaffed". However, I am finding some stations don't fit the descriptions well.

For example, in category A (National Hub), there are stations which are clearly national hubs, such as Euston, St Pancras and Kings Cross, but there are also stations as small as Fenchurch Street which only serves one single commuter line with just 4 platforms, while stations as large as Stratford and Clapham Junction where multiple lines join together with passenger usage topping the list are put in category B (regional interchange) in the same category with stations as small as Haywards Heath.

How are actually these determined as they are out of my expectation?

 

[Horizon22]

National Rail stations in Great Britain are categorised into A to F categories, with A being "national hub" and F being "small unstaffed". However, I am finding some stations don't fit the descriptions well.

For example, in category A (National Hub), there are stations which are clearly national hubs, such as Euston, St Pancras and Kings Cross, but there are also stations as small as Fenchurch Street which only serves one single commuter line with just 4 platforms, while stations as large as Stratford and Clapham Junction where multiple lines join together with passenger usage topping the list are put in category B (regional interchange) in the same category with stations as small as Haywards Heath.

How are actually these determined as they are out of my expectation?

To my understanding it’s a number of factors. For instance passenger footfall is one, but also connections, a security rating (hence London Terminals being “A”) and also staffing levels.

Many have not been updated in some time, so aspects like passenger numbers might not be as relevant post-Covid.

 

[rapmastaj]

When ticket offices close it'll need a rethink.

 

[To the trains]

Farringdon also strikes me as clearly in the wrong category - it's category E even though it's a major central London interchange that gets lots of services. It should be at least a B, if not an A

 

[The exile]

Farringdon also strikes me as clearly in the wrong category - it's category E even though it's a major central London interchange that gets lots of services. It should be at least a B, if not an A

Is it because historically it was an LT station with the odd BR service. Indeed - who is the operator?

 

[Edvid]

Farringdon is run by London Underground.

 

[miklcct]

Farringdon also strikes me as clearly in the wrong category - it's category E even though it's a major central London interchange that gets lots of services. It should be at least a B, if not an A

I think it should be a C (important feeder). It is at the intersection of 2 commuter lines, but it is not on any major main lines. No long distance trains call there. It's less important than Brighton or Southampton Central which are good fit as B stations.

 

[plugwash]

Farringdon also strikes me as clearly in the wrong category - it's category E even though it's a major central London interchange that gets lots of services. It should be at least a B, if not an A

Afaict pre-crossrail, Farringdon was one of the least important stations on Thameslink. It provides interchanges with the Circle, Metropolatain and Hammersmith and City lines, but those interchanges are also available (though probablly less conviniant) at St Pancras.

Of course It's the sole interchange between Thameslink and Crossrail, but that is a pretty recent development.

 

[To the trains]

Even without Crossrail, Farringdon should be higher than an E, City Thameslink is C1 and unlike Farringdon is shut on Sunday and Farringdon is busier (all currently available statistics are from before Crossrail opened)

Is it because historically it was an LT station with the odd BR service. Indeed - who is the operator?

The categories were created after Thameslink and were updated in 2009.

Afaict pre-crossrail, Farringdon was one of the least important stations on Thameslink. It provides interchanges with the Circle, Metropolatain and Hammersmith and City lines, but those interchanges are also available (though probablly less conviniant) at St Pancras.

Of course It's the sole interchange between Thameslink and Crossrail, but that is a pretty recent development.

Still there are many stations in a higher category that are less busy and have less services to less places than Farringdon was even before Crossrail. I think being in the Thameslink core in central London automatically means it should be in a higher category.

I think the only other London Station group station in category E is Moorgate, but it only gets 4 trains an hour, which is nothing for a London terminus and only serves 2 lines.

Fenchurch Street, which no one has heard of, except from the monopoly board, is category A, so if every terminus in London should be category A, that should be consistently applied.

I maintain that Farringdon is in the wrong category.

As well, the low level platforms at St Pancras are categorised separately from the rest of the station as C1 despite not being considered a separate station. It's not a different station so it seems silly to categorise it separately