Old school stations from a Virgin Conductor

[kkong]

One ScotRail guard always refers to Dundee as "Dundee Tay Bridge"

Possibly the same one who refers to arriving at "Aberdeen Joint Station".

 

[emoaconr]

I have a ticket from 2006 which refers to it as Newport (Gwent) but more recent tickets which say Newport S.Wales, so I assume the change was not done that long ago.

Technically, Gwent is one of the 8 preserved counties of Wales (this is equivalent to the English definition of 'Ceremonial counties', and exists for a range of legal and democratic functions but no longer has a local authority attached to it). Newport is still within the preserved county of Gwent, regardless of the fact it is now covered by Newport City Council unitary authority. I was born in Wrexham and I still refer to the town as within Clwyd (it legally still is in the preserved county anyway), the replacement Unitary Authorities do not have the same geographic attachment as the preserved (or pre-1974 historic) counties.

A local example includes Shotton, which announcers almost always describe as "Shotton High Level" or "Shotton Low Level", despite not being separate stations for some decades. As we know, Wrexham General is the last remaining 'General' on the network, and has survived due to the fact that Wrexham Central continues to co-exist in the town.

 

[Nean]

They even had "Paragon" on the scrolling destination indicator on a Hull Trains service I was on recently:
View attachment 41196

I may not have lived there for 4 years but my parents and friends still refer to it as Paragon... I remember the Hull Daily Mail running some things about dropping the "Paragon" when they built St. Stephens (and rebuilt the station with the new interchange) but if I remember rightly it kept the title (and checking google maps it still has paragon on the side of the building in big shiny silver letters).

 

[Highlandspring]

Possibly the same one who refers to arriving at "Aberdeen Joint Station".

Well known Aberdeen guard Billy Brown, aka "The Professor"!

 

[adrock1976]

Technically, Gwent is one of the 8 preserved counties of Wales (this is equivalent to the English definition of 'Ceremonial counties', and exists for a range of legal and democratic functions but no longer has a local authority attached to it). Newport is still within the preserved county of Gwent, regardless of the fact it is now covered by Newport City Council unitary authority. I was born in Wrexham and I still refer to the town as within Clwyd (it legally still is in the preserved county anyway), the replacement Unitary Authorities do not have the same geographic attachment as the preserved (or pre-1974 historic) counties.

A local example includes Shotton, which announcers almost always describe as "Shotton High Level" or "Shotton Low Level", despite not being separate stations for some decades. As we know, Wrexham General is the last remaining 'General' on the network, and has survived due to the fact that Wrexham Central continues to co-exist in the town.

Thinking about "General" suffixes, it may be an idea to reinstate Oxford General as the Parkway station is not too far away in Kidlington.

Furthermore, as the Parkway station is sited on the former London & North Western Railway route to Bletchley, bringing back the "General" suffix for Oxford would demonstrate the time-honoured Great Western Railway tradition of "General" stations.

 

[DavidGrain]

Thinking about "General" suffixes, it may be an idea to reinstate Oxford General as the Parkway station is not too far away in Kidlington.

Furthermore, as the Parkway station is sited on the former London & North Western Railway route to Bletchley, bringing back the "General" suffix for Oxford would demonstrate the time-honoured Great Western Railway tradition of "General" stations.

When Oxford Parkway was being built I did see a reference to Oxford being renamed Oxford City. Obviously this never happened. I have a friend who said his father always referred to Oxford Rewley Road as Oxford Particular in contrast to Oxford General.

I think the inhabitants of Bicester are still annoyed about Bicester Town being downgraded to Bicester Village.

 

[island]

I have a ticket from 2006 which refers to it as Newport (Gwent) but more recent tickets which say Newport S.Wales, so I assume the change was not done that long ago.

I *think* that varied by TIS for a while. I shall have to check my ticket collection.

 

[MG11]

Alfreton used to be called Mansfield Parkway IIRC.

 

[Allwinter_Kit]

But nothing seems to kill off Edinburgh Waverley, whatever the official name.

I'm very much in favour of Carlisle Citadel and Edinburgh Waverley, but Edinburgh Haymarket is an abomination.

Doncaster station dot matrix screens still said Newcastle Central when I was there a few years ago. It also adds Waverley to Edinburgh, whereas Derby and Sheffield leave it out.

One ScotRail guard always refers to Dundee as "Dundee Tay Bridge", while a couple of others call Haymarket "Edinburgh Haymarket" and Edinburgh "Edinburgh Waverley"....

I asked this elsewhere (ridiculous names on the network thread) but when/why did Edinburgh Waverley lose its Waverley (like a lot of these stations, the non-placename part is what everyone in Edinburgh calls it!) and Haymarket lose its Edinburgh prefix? Haymarket seems a lot vaguer than Edinburgh Haymarket, and given that that is where they recommend you change for the tram and the airport bus it seems better integrated into 'Edinburgh' than ever before; so why make it less obviously so?

 

[xotGD]

I asked this elsewhere (ridiculous names on the network thread) but when/why did Edinburgh Waverley lose its Waverley (like a lot of these stations, the non-placename part is what everyone in Edinburgh calls it!) and Haymarket lose its Edinburgh prefix? Haymarket seems a lot vaguer than Edinburgh Haymarket, and given that that is where they recommend you change for the tram and the airport bus it seems better integrated into 'Edinburgh' than ever before; so why make it less obviously so?

I can imagine a visitor to Newcastle wanting to travel 2 stops on the Metro from the Central Station using a ticket machine on the main station concourse and wondering why their ticket to Haymarket is so expensive!

 

[eastwestdivide]

Alfreton used to be called Mansfield Parkway IIRC.

or more precisely "Alfreton & Mansfield Parkway", opened in the 70s at a time when Mansfield didn't have a station, and renamed more simply when it eventually did. Quite unusual to have station openings back then, only a few years after the mass closures of the 60s.

 

[DavidGrain]

Edinburgh was known as Edinburgh Waverley from April 1866 (previously known as Edinburgh North Bridge) to April 1966. It takes a long time to change the habits of a hundred years. The Waverley was dropped officially after the closing of Edinburgh Prince's Street in 1965 although to me and to many others Waverley is in Prince's Street so that must have caused some confusion. Waverley as someone else has commented is not actually the name of the area anyway but is a made up name for the station taken from a series of novels.

Now Haymarket is a different matter. Haymarket is the name of the area and presumably is a historical reference to what took place there in the same way that Grassmarket is another area of Edinburgh. I cannot believe that that Haymarket was ever a separate town from Edinburgh with its own name but if it was then someone will correct me. It would make a lot of sense to restore Waverley to the name of the station and to rename Haymarket as Edinbugh Haymarket.

There is a station in Birmingham called University presumably because Birmingham University was the first university to have a station on its campus. This is OK for local traffic but it makes no sense for the train announcements in Cardiff or Nottingham to list University as one of the stopping points on a train leaving either of those stations. I did once have an argument with a ticket inspector at University who said I could not use my ticket made out for Birmingham Stations as I said University was a Birmingham station. I waited two minutes till 9.30am and waved my pass at him.

 

[Millisle]

The dropping of Waverley was never completed at the station as the signage was not changed at the time. When it became known in the '80s that ScR proposed to do this, there was a strong negative reaction in Edinburgh and the plan was abandoned. All the signage renewals since by BR and Network Rail have retained Waverley. The current platform signs have it in the same size of print as Edinburgh while latterly under BR it had been somewhat grudgingly smaller.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I suppose on SER they could call Waterloo East Station, Waterloo Junction, there was a though connection until I think the 1920s from the LSWR station to the South Eastern Station and line, the old footbridge, which is still there over Waterloo Roadm used to carry the track linking the two stations.

They call also rename Upper Halliford to Upper Halliford Halt, which I think I do remember.

 

[kkong]

There is a station in Birmingham called University presumably because Birmingham University was the first university to have a station on its campus. This is OK for local traffic but it makes no sense for the train announcements in Cardiff or Nottingham.

See also: High Street station in Glasgow.

 

[mike57]

I may not have lived there for 4 years but my parents and friends still refer to it as Paragon... I remember the Hull Daily Mail running some things about dropping the "Paragon" when they built St. Stephens (and rebuilt the station with the new interchange) but if I remember rightly it kept the title (and checking google maps it still has paragon on the side of the building in big shiny silver letters).

My wife was born in Hull and a lot of her family still live there, they mostly refer to 'Paragon' without the Hull or station, as in 'What time do you get into Paragon' if we are visiting by train. I suspect the council/network rail could call it anything they liked, but to locals it will still be Paragon.

 

[David Burrows]

Regarding 'Lincoln' or 'Lincoln Central' , all main departure boards and platform indicators at both Loughborough and Leicester today were showing the trains as going to 'Lincoln Central'. Both stations being operated by East Midlands Trains one would think that they should know what their station in Lincoln should be called.

 

[DavidGrain]

Lincoln Central was renamed by BR as Lincoln 30th September 1991. Lincoln St Marks closed May 1985. I was on a train a few days later and the train ran over detonators and there was a hand signalman with a big yellow flag standing in the bushes to warn drivers that there was now a speed limited bend to take the trains into Lincoln Central. I had a ticket made out to Lincoln St Marks so should have kept it as a souvenir

 

[Bletchleyite]

Regarding 'Lincoln' or 'Lincoln Central' , all main departure boards and platform indicators at both Loughborough and Leicester today were showing the trains as going to 'Lincoln Central'. Both stations being operated by East Midlands Trains one would think that they should know what their station in Lincoln should be called.

Perhaps along similar lines someone should teach VT and their staff that there is no station called "Milton Keynes".

 

[Hyphen]

Swansea Victoria is long gone, but the locals (and iirc bus timetables) still refer to the remaining heavy rail terminus as High Street station. I've not heard that on the railway though.

Re: bus timetables - it appears inconsistent at best! Hadn't noticed it before (although it's going to annoy me now), but this year's unibus timetable leaflet refers variously to:

• Railway Station (on service 4)
• High Street Station (on service 10)
• Rail Station (on service 14)

Service 4 uses a different stop from the other two, but appears to make no difference!

 

[Deafdoggie]

I never understood why this had a "Central" added, although I think leaving something off a station name is less of a problem than adding something on that shouldn't be there.

Perhaps along similar lines someone should teach VT and their staff that there is no station called "Milton Keynes".

 

[DavidGrain]

I never understood why this had a "Central" added, although I think leaving something off a station name is less of a problem than adding something on that shouldn't be there.

Take care Deafdoggie, I have already stirred up a controversy by expressing the same views as you about MKC

 

[backontrack]

Welcome to this Southeastern service. We will be calling at Ashford (Kent), Westenhanger, Sandling for Hythe, Shorncliffe Camp, Folkestone Central, and Dover Priory...

I'm pretty sure I've heard Retford High Level being announced before.

 

[backontrack]

I’ve been caught :P

Oh, is that you? Please keep up the good work!

 

[Parallel]

I've not yet heard Exeter Central announced as 'Exeter Queen Street'... Though it was renamed in the 1930s so that is probably why!

 

[Deafdoggie]

Take care Deafdoggie, I have already stirred up a controversy by expressing the same views as you about MKC

In fairness, I do know why it was called Central. The plan was to rename other stations "Milton Keynes East" "Milton Keynes South" "Milton Keynes at Bletchley" or some such. But for various reasons these never happened, but 'Central' remained. This is now more confusing. As it is the only station, the 'Central' implies it is...well...central. When in fact, the only thing it is handy for is the station.

 

[GatwickDepress]

In fairness, I do know why it was called Central. The plan was to rename other stations "Milton Keynes East" "Milton Keynes South" "Milton Keynes at Bletchley" or some such. But for various reasons these never happened, but 'Central' remained. This is now more confusing. As it is the only station, the 'Central' implies it is...well...central. When in fact, the only thing it is handy for is the station.

It isn't only handy for the station. You've had it explained to you enough - your username is very apposite.

 

[Thedispatcher]

I’ve heard some old hands refer to “Churchill and Blakedown” as opposed to just Blakedown. At the station, the converted former sognalbox still says Churchill and Blakedown.

 

[317666]

I've heard Duffield International before!

The old CRT monitors at Cambridge used to display Whittlesford Parkway by its old name of Whittlesford, right up until they were taken away around five years ago.