People Mis-Naming Railway Station/Companies - Habit?

[bramling]

John Lewis in Liverpool is frequently referred to as George Henry Lee. The Queen Square bus station (near to Lime Street station) is often called the Gyratory despite not being one, and only having been so for a fairly brief period in the 1970s/80s.

Same with John Lewis in Welwyn - very common to hear “Welwyn Stores”, which it hasn’t been called since many years ago. Perhaps as far back as the 80s.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Because the entrance to our local station is now tucked away at the side and what was the main entrance (and still looks like one) has been handed over to a well known chain of caffeine peddlers, it is locally nicknamed Costa station.

 

[Dave P]

Worcester Parkway would have been a better and much shorter name for the station. However, anyone who calls it Worcester Park should be redirected to South West London

I agree, it should be called Worcester Parkway. Presumably it has been changed for political reasons as the station has been funded by Worcestershire County Council and they didn’t want people thinking it was the work of Worcester City Council. However I wouldn’t be surprised if most people call it Worcester Parkway anyway.

As someone who lives in the Midlands, it occurred to me the idea for a new station where the Cotswold lines and Birmingham - Bristol line cross has been around for decades and the name was originally going to be Worcester Parkway. I have done a bit of research and found out that the plans go back as far as the 1970s, and it was originally Worcester Parkway. Apparently BR was planning to build it but paused the plans in 1979 when it didn’t get authorisation for as many cross-country HSTs as it wanted, so presumably didn’t have the stock to provide the service. Ironically, perhaps the thinking is somewhat similar now that the XC Voyagers do not serve the new station? Anyway, I found this information on a scan of an old RDS (Railway Development Society, now Railfuture) newsletter from 1979. The item is on page 8.

RDS Newsletter No. 3 - April 1979

The article seems to imply the station would have opened in May 1982 had BR got approval for the full number of HSTs required. So that makes the station nearly 38 years late! I wonder if that is some kind of record? Does anyone know of a station that took longer to open from the original official planned date?

 

[EllieAquitrain]

I've heard a (probably apocryphal) story of an Aussie at St Pancras asking for the train to "Loogabarooga"!

 

[Sprinter107]

not as bad (with hindsight) as when the Isthmian League was sponsored by a sportswear company in the 1990s:

The Icis League.

Apparently the winners got promoted into the IRA Premier Division (Provisionally).

Going back to the alternative names - I do refer to Sandwell & Dudley as Oldbury (because that’s where it is) - and Worcester Foregate Street is always called “Worcester Central” by a friend

Sandwell and Dudley used to be called Oldbury, just being a brisk 5 minute walk from Oldbury town centre. My grandad always called it Bromford Lane station, as at one time it was Oldbury and Bromford Lane. Likewise, up until the day it closed he always called Smethwick West Smethwick Junction.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Though Guy Whatsisname on that programme

Guy Fieri

 

[43096]

Though Guy Whatsisname on that programme is, of course, American: they usually get in a terrible tizz over names in / from England, with "cester" in them..

Ask them to say “aluminium”.

It’s not “aluminum”!

 

[jopsuk]

Ask them to say “aluminium”.

It’s not “aluminum”!

You're not right though- weirdly "aluminum" is the original spelling and initially it was the Americans that used "aluminium", until almost everyone was using it, at which point that's to Webster and his dictionary the Americans flipped to "aluminum".

Both are considered valid spellings by IUPAC, which is about as official as it gets on these matters

 

[Trackman]

Isn't it referred to as 'National Rail'?

The London Underground certainly announce 'Change here for National Rail services'

I've always think of it as a general thing rather than National Rail as a 'brand', if know what I mean.
Back OT: Last year I toured some lines I've not been on for about 40 years, I met a guy in a pub who was from Blackburn with a broad accent, I told him I'd been to Darwen station, he said Oh, Darren? I said no, Darwen... he said yes.. Darren! I said - you mean Dawin? he said no it's Darren.. and so on..etc..

 

[bramling]

I've always think of it as a general thing rather than National Rail as a 'brand', if know what I mean.
Back OT: Last year I toured some lines I've not been on for about 40 years, I met a guy in a pub who was from Blackburn with a broad accent, I told him I'd been to Darwen station, he said Oh, Darren? I said no, Darwen... he said yes.. Darren! I said - you mean Dawin? he said no it's Darren.. and so on..etc..

I’ve always thought “Darwin” sounds better!

 

[Scotty]

'National League' sounds more like some sort of far-right organisation. I'll stick with 'Conference'.

Alliance Premier League!

 

[6Gman]

I must confess I think of the station west of Oxford Road as Knott Mill !

 

[Par]

I must confess I think of the station west of Oxford Road as Knott Mill !

But I bet 99.9% of the people who drink (drank?) in the Knott bar in its shadow have no idea why it’s called that, despite the name being prominently built into the fabric of the building and clearly visible.

 

[Bedpan]

LMS as a brand, in retro style like EMR or GWR, probably wouldn't have the same appeal as VT & AWC if the customer has modern tastes and is social media obsessed.

LNER, in a way, seems to work as a brand for me as it is a more modern style than retro which I think helped by the new Azumas also continuing the bold red scheme left by VTEC. If LNER started off on a different path like going with a very old fashioned looking brand and dark blue scheme then it may be harder for it to retain the strength of the Virgin brand it would be taking over from.

In modern times we have Great Western LNER and Southern Railway, but never since privitisation has there been an LMS. Going back to the pre-grouping area we have or have had Great Northern, Great Eastern, and London Northwestern Railway although for some reason the Northwestern is all one work so it's LNR rather than LNWR. and I suppose South Eastern although tha
t is never referred to as SER.

 

[Pat1105]

There’s always the Shroosbury/Shrowsbury debate!

 

[Doctor Fegg]

"Chiltern Trains" has always been a fairly common misnaming.

 

[norbitonflyer]

In modern times we have Great Western LNER and Southern Railway, but never since privitisation has there been an LMS.

We have had London Midland though - as it didn't go any further north than Liverpool the "S" would have been rather misleading.

 

[Mikey C]

We have had London Midland though - as it didn't go any further north than Liverpool the "S" would have been rather misleading.

London, Midland and Scousers Railway

 

[gazthomas]

Oh for a like button.

Just round this. Funny!

 

[gg1]

not as bad (with hindsight) as when the Isthmian League was sponsored by a sportswear company in the 1990s:

The Icis League.

Apparently the winners got promoted into the IRA Premier Division (Provisionally).

There also used to be the Northern Alliance who were simultaneously a North East regional football league and the main anti Taliban group in pre 2001 Afghanistan.

 

[RHolmes]

The Queen Square bus station (near to Lime Street station) is often called the Gyratory despite not being one, and only having been so for a fairly brief period in the 1970s/80s.

I’ve never heard ‘The Gyratory’ but I’ve frequently heard the phrase ‘The bubble bus stops’ in reference to the shelters that used to adorn the length of The Gyratory

Likewise Liverpool One Bus Station being colloquially called “Paradise Street” referring to the older bus station it replaced and it’s original name of Paradise Street Interchange, prior to 2008 renaming

 

[Peter Kelford]

Peterborough had a North and an East. It now has an NVR terminus. Some people call the NVR terminus Peterborough East, which is incorrect as it was built on the site of the old MPD, to the west of the ECML. By contrast, the East station was built to the East, the chord to the ECML facing its western throat.

 

[Pat Figg]

Not to mention the multiple ways L(l)andaf(f) is pronounced. To be fair Llandaf station is actually located in the seperate suburb of Llandaff North. Llandaff proper does have a station, of course - Danescourt!

It would make a lot more sense if Llandaf station was called Llandaff North. They're two very distinct suburbs. I work in one and use the station in the other and it's a good half hour walk. Also possibly confusing for any prospective visitors to Llandaff who might think taking a train from Central station to Llandaf is a quick option when they'd be far better off on a bus.

If it was ever renamed I wonder if the English version would be Llandaff North or Llandaf North?

The multiple ways L(l)andaf(f) is pronounced is interesting. Most of my Cardiff colleagues call it Landaff (and Lanishen, Lanrumney etc.). Most valleys people like myself use a mish-mash and call it Llandaff, correctly using the proper Welsh 'Ll' sound but then using the English 'daff' rather than the Welsh 'daf'.

I also hear the occasional reference to Taff Wells rather than Taffs Well. And what about an apostrophe? Should it be Taffs Well or Taff's Well? Apparently the Local Govt Boundary Commission has just decided that in future the ward will be officially called Taff's Well in English rather than Taffs Well. I'm pretty sure the station name doesn't include an apostrophe - do they normally use them?

 

[Bevan Price]

John Lewis in Liverpool is frequently referred to as George Henry Lee.

They left the George Henry Lee name on the (old) building long after it became part of the John Lewis organisation; also it probably helped to avoid confusion with the (now closed) Lewis's store near Liverpool Central.

 

[317666]

One I've heard a few times now is 'London's King's Cross'.

 

[Parallel]

I also hear the occasional reference to Taff Wells rather than Taffs Well. And what about an apostrophe? Should it be Taffs Well or Taff's Well? Apparently the Local Govt Boundary Commission has just decided that in future the ward will be officially called Taff's Well in English rather than Taffs Well. I'm pretty sure the station name doesn't include an apostrophe - do they normally use them?

The same for Quakers Yard. The onboard PIS shows Quaker’s Yard though the village and station name plates don’t include it. And in any case, if they did, shouldn’t it be Quakers’ Yard?
Exeter St Davids is similar, some stations show(ed) it as Exeter St David’s on the scrolling CIS. And what about St James Park? Should it be St James’ Park? I’ve heard it announced as both St James Park and St James’s Park before. Maybe apostrophes are omitted for simplification. I have no idea but it is something I’ve often wondered about.

 

[2L70]

Habrough being pronounced the same way as the Town with Market in its name. it's Hay-Brough, you're not in Leicestershire.

Even the station sign now says " Alight here for onward travel to Immingham"

 

[Royston Vasey]

More fundamentally, train station!

 

[Calthrop]

The same for Quakers Yard. The onboard PIS shows Quaker’s Yard though the village and station name plates don’t include it. And in any case, if they did, shouldn’t it be Quakers’ Yard?

Have sometimes idly wondered about the name of this place -- station and community. Wiki tells me that the village is called after a bunch of Quakers who did their thing thereabouts in the 17th century: so Quakers' not Quaker's, would indeed be strictly correct. One receives the impression that overall, place names -- including their official versions -- take little account of the preferences of those whom some would call punctuation zealots; others, upholders of the proper standards.

 

[johnnychips]

Habrough being pronounced the same way as the Town with Market in its name. it's Hay-Brough, you're not in Leicestershire.

Even the station sign now says " Alight here for onward travel to Immingham"

Two years’ ago, EMT PIS got it wrong, TPE got it right.