London's Worst Station

[Recessio]

The station isn’t in a good way but I’m shocked by how low quality industrial the whole area is for somewhere so close to zone 1. Sure the breaker’s yards and tiny repair places need to be somewhere but the housing quality also seems terrible.

I can imagine in 10-15 years it being the next ‘redevelopment’ project

I was always hoping if they ever reopened East Brixton just down the road then it would help kick-start it, but that's definitely not going to happen now.

Loughborough Junction is also a stupid name. It's not even in Loughborough

 

[Bletchleyite]

Loughborough Junction is also a stupid name. It's not even in Loughborough

The nomenclature "X Junction" tends to mean "the junction where you change for X", though I'd accept it isn't really that either. Indeed Wiki suggests it's named for a local manor which was called Loughborough House, and was originally Loughborough Road** before it became a junction.

See Rainford Junction, Llandudno Junction, Burscough Junction* etc.

* In Burscough now but will have been right on the edge when it was built.
** "X Road" is the traditional form of "X Parkway", i.e. "the nearest station to X but you'll need a ride on a horse-drawn omnibus to get there", though I don't think it's even one of those in this case!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Loughborough Junction is also a stupid name. It's not even in Loughborough

Station was originally named 'Loughborough Road' when it opened in 1864, the road itself, apparently named after (the mid 17th century Royalist) Colonel Henry Hastings, later enobled as the 1st Baron Loughborough, who hailed from the Leicestershire area, and who, after the (Royal) Restoration of 1660, subsequently lived at his London manor house 'Loughborough House' which was located in the Lambeth Wick area before its demolition in 1854.

 

[LLivery]

I don't get the hate for East Croydon, it's pretty good in my opinion

It's not just the whitgift nowdays though
Centrale is turning into a ghost town and the shops in North End keep declining in quality towards though cheap nick nack shops

True, I worked on the high street for years. The change is horrible

 

[ScotGG]

Brixton is far worse than Elephant and Castle. Elephant isn't so decrepit. It does show though how much worse Network Rail and TOCs are at obtaining funding from development in their midst compared to TfL.

 

[306024]

The absolutely vile toilets are hidden by the escalators by the Stratford bus station entrance. You have to be bloody desperate to consider using them.

I thought they had been closed, but no, as you say they are still in use, wisely not advertised around the station. So in the interest of research rather than desperation I can report the gents was one stop short of vile, it was as clean as it could be, but a peg on the nose would be a good idea.

 

[ScotGG]

As for Loughborough Junction there is a some development now underway right next door.

No idea if NR were any good in obtaining related funds for station improvements. It's something TfL are generally far better at as they have staff within HQ focused upon the planning process.

When some advocate TfL takeover of suburban lines and others say well it'll be no different than now without money, that's a key difference. TfL follow planning processes and seek that funding. DFT/TOCs/Network Rail...not so good.

TfL seem to grasp that a safe and welcoming station is an enticing station and greater revenue results.

 

[Farigiraf]

Is Sudbury & Harrow Road still the least served rail station in London?

It is the least served in London, tied with S Hill Harrow and Northolt park (although those may have some peak time extras) - Unless you count tube stations with occasional rail services on disruptions like Moor Park.
Least used - [Angel Road], Drayton Green and South Greenford beat it in lack of usage.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Would it be facetious to nominate Luton Airport Parkway for the simple reason that it isn't actually in London despite what the Airport management would have you believe?

 

[Farigiraf]

Would it be facetious to nominate Luton Airport Parkway for the simple reason that it isn't actually in London despite what the Airport management would have you believe?

Then I nominate Stansted Airport station, for being the only station 'in London' without contactless/oyster being accepted

 

[Samzino]

Brixton is far worse than Elephant and Castle. Elephant isn't so decrepit. It does show though how much worse Network Rail and TOCs are at obtaining funding from development in their midst compared to TfL.

Brixton Unlike Lewisham and Elephant & Castle doesn't have such a contrast in quality from the redevelopment work around it. Brixton's station whilst in a poor condition still falls quite well with the surrounding area where as Lewisham and E&C have so many new builds in the area and road redevelopments that the stations are a complete misfit. Lewisham did however get the improved works for the junction that was causing so much bottleneck on the SE network however so I'd give it that.

 

[Kite159]

It is the least served in London, tied with S Hill Harrow and Northolt park (although those may have some peak time extras) - Unless you count tube stations with occasional rail services on disruptions like Moor Park.
Least used - [Angel Road], Drayton Green and South Greenford beat it in lack of usage.

Sudbury Hill Harrow & Northolt Park are hourly, served by the High Wycombe stopper during the day.
Like so for today:

Realtime Trains | Departures from Northolt Park all day on 31/10/2023

Train information at Northolt Park all day on 31/10/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Sunil_P]

It is the least served in London, tied with S Hill Harrow and Northolt park (although those may have some peak time extras) - Unless you count tube stations with occasional rail services on disruptions like Moor Park.
Least used - [Angel Road], Drayton Green and South Greenford beat it in lack of usage.

Ta, but Angel Road replaced by Meridian Water in 2019.

 

[Farigiraf]

Sudbury Hill Harrow & Northolt Park are hourly, served by the High Wycombe stopper during the day.
Like so for today:

Realtime Trains | Departures from Northolt Park all day on 31/10/2023

Train information at Northolt Park all day on 31/10/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Didn't know that they have a regular service now, the OSI finally has a use

Ta, but Angel Road replaced by Meridian Water in 2019.

That's why it's in brackets

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Euston. A picture tells a thousand words, need I say more? (Courtesy of Network Rail's "X" account)

Seriously?

 

[AzureOtsu]

Drayton park for me...

 

[Wolfie]

Drayton park for me...

I just don't see that - it is located in a decent area (l lived around the corner for several years), it is well maintained and it has a decent service.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Unpleasant clientele, sadly reflecting Croydon’s rapid decline over the last few years (it doesn’t help that I tend to be there late evening), drafty and cold in the winter months, disgusting toilet facilities.

It’s in dire need of a rebuild!

I really like East Croydon station. Go through there regularly and I don't think the clientele is bad. Just seems like your average London Clientele, plus the station is always busy.

 

[Basil Jet]

Drayton park for me...

Wonderful staircase!

 

[Techniquest]

That staircase is indeed quite beautiful, it looks like it belongs to a heritage line!

 

[James H]

Loughborough Junction is also a stupid name. It's not even in Loughborough

I live next to the Elephant & Castle to Loughborough Junction line.

Every time they do renewals on the track, Network Rail sends us a postcard warning of noise etc - and it always says the works are between 'Elephant & Castle and Loughborough' instead of Loughborough Junction. They've been sending the same erroneous blurb time after time, for several years.

 

[yorksrob]

Apologies - incorrect post.

 

[nlogax]

Another South Bermondsey vote here. Didn't help that I was caught up in the inevitably grim homeward-bound scrum after a Millwall match. It certainly added 'atmosphere'.

 

[londonbridge]

really? The worst station in London? It isn't even the worst station in Camden!


i was going to suggest this - fairly bleak! Really grotty after the match on a cold January/February evening! ( it is next to the Millwall ground)

There is ( was?) a fenced off path straight into the away section!

Yes, yet when you come out of the ground they still hold you at the gate for about ten-fifteen minutes to allow home supporters to clear before allowing you to walk back to the station.

 

[Wolfie]

Yes, yet when you come out of the ground they still hold you at the gate for about ten-fifteen minutes to allow home supporters to clear before allowing you to walk back to the station.

Because the "lovely" home fans have a habit of lingering on the station (and sometimes throwing things at any away fans walking in the road below) looking for trouble....

 

[The_Van]

Yes, yet when you come out of the ground they still hold you at the gate for about ten-fifteen minutes to allow home supporters to clear before allowing you to walk back to the station.

45 minutes in the access way after a Millwall v WBA game a few years ago

 

[Wolfie]

45 minutes in the access way after a Millwall v WBA game a few years ago

I was there with Wolves the season that it really kicked off between Millwall and Blues. We had the prototype - held for nearly an hour and then still WW3.....

Mind you, having gone to the original Den the current lot are relatively tame!

 

[The_Van]

I was there with Wolves the season that it really kicked off between Millwall and Blues. We had the prototype - held for nearly an hour and then still WW3.....

Mind you, having gone to the original Den the current lot are relatively tame!

Yes that's true. We had a trip back from the Old Den without coach windows back in the day

 

[sprunt]

The interesting wall art in the subway from P3/4 (pics of Hither Green rail crash, Park Fever hospital)

This is good in theory, but the passageway is far too narrow for something that encourages people to stop and linger

Would it be facetious to nominate Luton Airport Parkway for the simple reason that it isn't actually in London despite what the Airport management would have you believe?

It seems a little harsh to criticise the railway station for the sins of the airport!

 

[The exile]

The nomenclature "X Junction" tends to mean "the junction where you change for X", though I'd accept it isn't really that either. Indeed Wiki suggests it's named for a local manor which was called Loughborough House, and was originally Loughborough Road** before it became a junction.

See Rainford Junction, Llandudno Junction, Burscough Junction* etc.

* In Burscough now but will have been right on the edge when it was built.
** "X Road" is the traditional form of "X Parkway", i.e. "the nearest station to X but you'll need a ride on a horse-drawn omnibus to get there", though I don't think it's even one of those in this case!

Guessing that the actual junction was named first (these have a tendency to be more esoterically named - not being “public facing”) and the station name developed from that.