Odd historical Sunday closures

[nw1]

Just looking at the 1983 Working Timetable for the SWML on timetableworld (https://timetableworld.com/ttw-viewer?token=66d160cc-d943-40f6-be38-842d1602845c) and noticing a few oddities.

Firstly it looks like Beaulieu Road was closed on Sundays except during the summer. I recall the station perhaps being closed all year on Sunday, but looks like it was open in the summer (ending start of October). But, like the current weekday service, the lack of stops outside the summer season achieved nothing from a pathing or stock usage POV, the allowed journey time from (as-was) Lyndhurst Road to Brockenhurst being the same as when it stopped.

More surprisingly, Byfleet and New Haw and Esher were completely closed on Sundays. Very strange for places so close to London which had half-hourly services during the week. Any idea on the reason for this?

Can anyone remember any other 'odd' Sunday closures?

 

[30907]

Just looking at the 1983 Working Timetable for the SWML on timetableworld (https://timetableworld.com/ttw-viewer?token=66d160cc-d943-40f6-be38-842d1602845c) and noticing a few oddities.

Firstly it looks like Beaulieu Road was closed on Sundays except during the summer. I recall the station perhaps being closed all year on Sunday, but looks like it was open in the summer (ending start of October). But, like the current weekday service, the lack of stops outside the summer season achieved nothing from a pathing or stock usage POV, the allowed journey time from (as-was) Lyndhurst Road to Brockenhurst being the same as when it stopped.

More surprisingly, Byfleet and New Haw and Esher were completely closed on Sundays. Very strange for places so close to London which had half-hourly services during the week. Any idea on the reason for this?

Can anyone remember any other 'odd' Sunday closures?

A whole load of evening and Sunday closures took place in the late 70s, affecting less-used suburban and other stations. There would be a saving on traction costs but principally on staff - it was unheard of then for the likes of Ravensbourne and Eynsford to be unstaffed when open....
Winter closures like Beaulieu Road were a different matter, and some went back to the 50s.

 

[Roger1973]

Yes, saving on station staff would have been a key factor. There were quite a few London Underground stations that were closed on Sundays as well (and one or two that were also closed late evenings and / or Saturdays.)

It is worth remembering that there was broadly a lot less travel on Sundays before Sunday trading was allowed.

I have read (think it was a book or article on London Country Bus Services) that there were plans to close more chunks of railway on Sundays (presume with a view also to saving on train crew and signal box staff) and plans drawn up in the 70s or early 80s for limited stop bus routes in their place - the North Downs line being one. (Although LC were struggling for both staff and functioning buses for much of that era.)

 

[duncanp]

During the 1970s, several tube station were closed on Sundays, and some on Saturdays as well.

Stations closed all weekend were Roding Valley, Fairlop, Essex Road, Cannon Street, Mornington Crescent, West Brompton and Barbican

Stations closed on Sunday only were Blake Hall, Shadwell, Ravenscourt Park, Covent Garden, Chancery Lane and Temple

Excepting Blake Hall, which of course has closed permanently, all the other stations are now open 7 days a week.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

A different world then: Covent Garden shut Sundays! I know why, but things really have changed. My local station Purley Oaks was closed on Sundays for while.

 

[RichA]

Worcester Foregate Street, situated in the city centre, was closed on Sundays in the early 1980's, with trains between Worcester Shrub Hill and Malvern/Hereford passing through. Pre Sunday trading the city centre was largely deserted.

 

[JRT]

1970s

Bradford–Ilkley didn't run Winter Sundays (and I think they didn't run late evenings in winter either), don't think people went to the countryside in winter in those days?

New Pudsey was closed on Sundays in the early days, trains not calling, but eventually trains called.

 

[snookertam]

There were several Sunday closures in Scotland, especially around Glasgow, in the 1980s.

Stations like Bishopbriggs, Lenzie and Croy had no service at all right into the 90s. No local services from Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamston or Dunblane operated, and for part of the year all mainline services to Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Inverness ran via Cumbernauld, requiring a reversal.

From Glasgow Central, there was no Sunday service to East Kilbride or Kilmarnock until the late 1990s, with Kilmarnock only served by the two Carlisle services that ran. There was also no service on the Neilston branch or over the Maxwell Park branch of the Cathcart Circle until the late 1990s.

The Springburn branch only gained a Sunday service around 2010 I believe, as did the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts route (having earlier been an Edinburgh-West Calder service).

Ironically, with the current service cut proposals some of these routes will at times have better services on Sundays than on weekdays.

 

[nw1]

1970s

Bradford–Ilkley didn't run Winter Sundays (and I think they didn't run late evenings in winter either), don't think people went to the countryside in winter in those days?

Mind you with the shops closed on Sunday, what would they do? Just stay at home all day?

(In the early 1980s I lived out in the countryside, so people would go for walks pretty much all year, except if the weather was bad).

Also the definition of 'winter' was a very long one, including not just winter proper but a good part of autumn and spring as well, so closures would also have impacted times of the year when the weather had a fair chance of being nice.

Ironically, with the current service cut proposals some of these routes will at times have better services on Sundays than on weekdays.

See: Beaulieu Road now, ironically.

 

[DJS76]

Many of the local stations on the WAML (between Tottenham Hale and Cheshunt) had no Sunday service for years with services being diverted via Seven Sisters, right up until the mid-late 90's. These are now served every 30 minutes (although engineering works this weekend have put a stop to that!)

 

[steamybrian]

High Brooms serving the northern suburbs of Tunbridge Wells was closed on Sundays for many years prior to electrification in the 1980s.

 

[Dr_Paul]

North Sheen used to be closed on Sundays, which meant that when I was a kid we had to go to Richmond if we were travelling on the SR on that day.

I'm pretty sure that on the North London Line South Acton and Brondesbury Park were closed on Sundays. I have a vague feeling that one other station closed as well, perhaps Canonbury or Caledonian Road. Hopefully somebody can confirm these.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Quite a few of the smaller intermediate stations on the Manchester Oxford Road -> Warrington Central line still don't have any Sunday service, e.g. Trafford Park, Humphrey Park, Chassen Road, Glazebrook and Padgate, even though the line itself is open.

 

[Trainfan2019]

How many years has there been no Sunday morning service on the Crewe to Derby route? Were the smaller stations on this route e.g Tutbury ever staffed on Sundays?

 

[Bishopstone]

I recall that Limehouse (Stepney East, as was) on the London Tilbury & Southend was closed on Sunday until the late 1980s. This was prior to Docklands regeneration and the arrival of the DLR, of course.

 

[Grecian 1998]

After it reopened in 1983, Pinhoe used to be closed on Sundays for many years. Not sure when this changed, but possibly with the SWT timetable change in 2004. Nearly all trains have stopped there all week for some years now.

Holton Heath near Wareham is still closed on Sundays, although the local population is negligible.

 

[Gloster]

A look at the Southern Region’s South Western Division in 1970 reveals some oddities. Hilsea was closed from Saturday lunchtime until Monday morning, as were Whitchurch and Overton, except that the Yeovil papers called at Whitchurch on Sundays; Grateley was closed on Sundays. Hamble, Radipole, Holton Heath, Hamworthy Junction and North Sheen were closed on Sundays. Queen’s Road, Battersea was closed in the winter period. Feniton and Whimple were also closed.

 

[30907]

How many years has there been no Sunday morning service on the Crewe to Derby route? Were the smaller stations on this route e.g Tutbury ever staffed on Sundays?

Back in 1958 there was a 2-hourly interval all day; I suspect the line had recently been dieselised. Don't remember when the morning services went, but I'd guess 1970s.

 

[davetheguard]

Worcester Foregate Street, situated in the city centre, was closed on Sundays in the early 1980's, with trains between Worcester Shrub Hill and Malvern/Hereford passing through. Pre Sunday trading the city centre was largely deserted.

Goodness! I never knew that. That seems really weird now.

 

[alangla]

There were several Sunday closures in Scotland, especially around Glasgow, in the 1980s.

Stations like Bishopbriggs, Lenzie and Croy had no service at all right into the 90s. No local services from Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamston or Dunblane operated, and for part of the year all mainline services to Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Inverness ran via Cumbernauld, requiring a reversal.

From Glasgow Central, there was no Sunday service to East Kilbride or Kilmarnock until the late 1990s, with Kilmarnock only served by the two Carlisle services that ran. There was also no service on the Neilston branch or over the Maxwell Park branch of the Cathcart Circle until the late 1990s.

The Springburn branch only gained a Sunday service around 2010 I believe, as did the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts route (having earlier been an Edinburgh-West Calder service).

Ironically, with the current service cut proposals some of these routes will at times have better services on Sundays than on weekdays.

Whifflet via Carmyle only got a Sunday service after electrification in 2014. Pretty sure Larkhall only had a Monday to Saturday service for several years after it opened.
Some current ones on the Argyle line are Anderston, Argyle Street and Dalmarnock, all closed before about 9:30 and after 18:15 on a Sunday.

 

[AY1975]

I'm pretty sure that on the North London Line South Acton and Brondesbury Park were closed on Sundays. I have a vague feeling that one other station closed as well, perhaps Canonbury or Caledonian Road. Hopefully somebody can confirm these.

And for at least one timetable period in about the late 1980s or early '90s the whole North London Line had no Sunday service, though I think that was because of engineering works in multiple locations. Also, until maybe about 15-20 years ago the Gospel Oak-Barking line had no winter Sunday service.

A look at the Southern Region’s South Western Division in 1970 reveals some oddities. Hilsea was closed from Saturday lunchtime until Monday morning, as were Whitchurch and Overton, except that the Yeovil papers called at Whitchurch on Sundays; Grateley was closed on Sundays. Hamble, Radipole, Holton Heath, Hamworthy Junction and North Sheen were closed on Sundays. Queen’s Road, Battersea was closed in the winter period. Feniton and Whimple were also closed.

As I recall Queenstown Road Battersea (as it was renamed from Queens Road in about 1980) was closed on Sundays all year until about 20 years ago - it certainly was in the 1980s and '90s. I once went to an open day at Stewarts Lane depot on a Sunday in about 1985 for which it opened specially, though.

Also, in BR days Windsor Lines suburban services didn't call at Vauxhall on Sundays, leaving only the South Western Main Line suburban services via Wimbledon to call there. And Wandsworth Town wasn't completely closed but until about the mid to late '80s only the Waterloo-Kingston via Richmond trains called there on a Sunday.

St Margarets, between Richmond and Twickenham, and Upper Halliford on the Shepperton branch were also closed on Sundays, as was Longcross on the Reading line until about the late '80s or early '90s when it became peak hour only (and stayed that way until about 2006 when it regained a regular service thanks to a new housing development nearby).

High Brooms serving the northern suburbs of Tunbridge Wells was closed on Sundays for many years prior to electrification in the 1980s.

And so was the Tunbridge Wells-Eridge line at least in its last few years as a BR line until closure in 1985, and the Uckfield line for most of the '80s. I think it regained a limited summer Sunday service in the late '80s or early '90s, and has more recently got a regular year-round Sunday service back.

I recall that Limehouse (Stepney East, as was) on the London Tilbury & Southend was closed on Sunday until the late 1980s. This was prior to Docklands regeneration and the arrival of the DLR, of course.

So was Rainham (Essex) as I recall.

 

[Mag_seven]

There was also no service on the Neilston branch or over the Maxwell Park branch of the Cathcart Circle until the late 1990s.

I remember in the 70s the only electric service on the south side was a Glasgow to Newton (perhaps extended to Motherwell?) service with only one coach of a class 303/311 in use and an on board ticket inspector / issuer as all the station booking offices were closed.

 

[306024]

Prittlewell had no Sunday service for many years. It was occasionally opened on the odd occasion Southend United had a Sunday match, but only before and after the match. Now it is open just like any other Southend Vic line station.

 

[TheSel]

All stations between Rock Ferry and Chester except Bromborough, plus all stations via Ellesmere Port to Helsby were closed on Sundays until electrification in the 1980s. Contrast this with the current Sunday service of a train every 30 minutes calling all stations Liverpool - Rock Ferry - Chester, augmented to every 15 mins between Liverpool and Hooton, due to the half-hourly Ellesmere Port service.

Image attached, a scan of the relevant page of the Merseyside PTE issued 'Wirral Division' timetable dated May 6th 1974, serves to illustrate the point.

 

[Polarbear]

All stations between Rock Ferry and Chester except Bromborough, plus all stations via Ellesmere Port to Helsby were closed on Sundays until electrification in the 1980s. Contrast this with the current Sunday service of a train every 30 minutes calling all stations Liverpool - Rock Ferry - Chester, augmented to every 15 mins between Liverpool and Hooton, due to the half-hourly Ellesmere Port service.

Image attached, a scan of the relevant page of the Merseyside PTE issued 'Wirral Division' timetable dated May 6th 1974, serves to illustrate the point.

At least it was roughly hourly back then. In the late 70's & early 80's, the Sunday service between Chester & Rock Ferry was further reduced to a train roughly every 90 minutes. That, with most of the intermediate stations still closed, allowed for one unit to cover the service.

 

[station_road]

How many years has there been no Sunday morning service on the Crewe to Derby route? Were the smaller stations on this route e.g Tutbury ever staffed on Sundays?

The summer 1986 timetable has no trains between Stoke and Derby until after 14.00 - there were a couple of morning services between Crewe and Stoke, including one from Llandudno.

That timetable also showed whether stations were unstaffed in the index (although not the opening hours) - Tutbury hadn't yet reopened, Uttoxeter and Alsager were the only completely unstaffed stations (even Etruria was shown as having a ticket office) although they would generally have just been one shift Mondays to Saturdays by then.

South London had big gaps in the 80s - the Sutton loop line (Sutton - Wimbledon) and Wimbledon - West Croydon lines had a half hourly service Mon - Sat, and most of the stations were staffed even though the trains were mostly empty (expecially on a Saturday) but closed Sundays. There were no services at all from Blackfriars/Holborn Viaduct or between London Bridge - Streatham.

On the South Eastern, quite a few stations closed - Cannon Street, Deptford, Eden Park, most of the stations on the Catford loop and the Addiscombe and Bromley North branches didn't operate.

 

[Ianigsy]

All stations between Rock Ferry and Chester except Bromborough, plus all stations via Ellesmere Port to Helsby were closed on Sundays until electrification in the 1980s. Contrast this with the current Sunday service of a train every 30 minutes calling all stations Liverpool - Rock Ferry - Chester, augmented to every 15 mins between Liverpool and Hooton, due to the half-hourly Ellesmere Port service.

Image attached, a scan of the relevant page of the Merseyside PTE issued 'Wirral Division' timetable dated May 6th 1974, serves to illustrate the point.

There were a few stations on the electrified Merseyrail network which were closed on Sundays for a few years in the early 1980s - Moreton, Green Lane and James Street (the latter unbelievable by today’s standards). The main demand on Sundays at the time will have been to the likes of Southport, New Brighton and West Kirby rather than into Liverpool.

Another curiosity was that the Manchester Oxford Road - Warrington- Hunts Cross stopping service on the CLC route ran through to Lime Street on Sundays only.

 

[SWT_USER]

Some of the inner suburban stations (Hanwell, West Ealing and Acton Mainline) were closed on Sundays up until around two years ago. I always found it very odd that London stations had such a poor service.

 

[Mag_seven]

The WCML between Carstairs and Carlisle via Lockerbie was shut until 16.00 on Sundays for most of the 80s.

 

[Ridercross]

Although Birmingham Snow Hill reopened in 1987, I recall it was closed on Sundays well into the late 1990's and possibly even into the noughties? Even after services were opened through to Stourbridge in 1995, Sunday services passed straight through stopping at Jewellery Quarter and Moor Street only.