People's least favourite stations

[asylumxl]

And yet my experience of using Bedford services on weekends with what seems like endless engineering works says to the contrary. Wedged single 319s seems the order of the day. Saturday you say? I was actually there that day and the core was open when I arrive at 9 and left at 9pm. I wasn't aware they used Platform 1.

I think on this we should just agree to disagree as we could debate this forever an probably not get anywhere.

It seems a tad ironic really that English Heritage bans diesels from the train shed, since the MML has thus been kicked out the train shed built for it.

John Betjeman liked the dingy and atmospheric St Pancras of old, I wonder if he would be as keen on it now as people like to think?

 

[EM2]

I wasn't referring to this Saturday, but Saturdays in the past when p.1 was being used by FCC.
As for Sir John, I think he'd be happy that it's in use, rather than being flattened.

 

[ert47]

St Pancras has been mentioned quite a bit! Gonna have so say the interchange between there and Kings Cross NR isn't great.

With the positioning of the taxi rank and both NR station exits, people tend to walk straight across the road instead of taking the longer route, going across the road crossing. Someone probably will say "whats wrong with taking a couple of minutes to cross a road?" but when you can see where you want to go, first impulse is to take the quicker route A-to-B, and not via C.

 

[IanD]

St Pancras has been mentioned quite a bit! Gonna have so say the interchange between there and Kings Cross NR isn't great.

With the positioning of the taxi rank and both NR station exits, people tend to walk straight across the road instead of taking the longer route, going across the road crossing. Someone probably will say "whats wrong with taking a couple of minutes to cross a road?" but when you can see where you want to go, first impulse is to take the quicker route A-to-B, and not via C.

True, the designers of this layout should have considered the desire paths/goat tracks and placed the crossing more appropriately.

 

[8J]

Bidston, Birkenhead North, Birkenhead Park.

3 of my least favourite stations, and they're all bunched together on the West Kirby line

 

[dickdarlington]

I personally dislike York. I don't know what it is exactly. It just feels empty and unfinished.

I also don't like Watford Junction. But it's been many years since I've been.

Finally, I don't like Bishop Auckland. The station (if i can call it that), is little more than a platform. I know it used to be a bigger better junction, but what has been provided now is a poor show for a terminus station.

 

[DarloRich]

The stygian hell hole that is Birmingham New Street station

 

[Muzer]

Clapham North and Clapham Common. I'm sorry, but those island platforms just terrify me. I don't live in London so haven't actually been on the platforms (I've seen them from a train though), but I'm always shocked when I see pictures of them busy...

 

[swcovas]

When I was a student at Warwick in the early 80s I used to intensely dislike Coventry station which I used a lot.

I have recollections of sitting in the soulless buffet area at the time waiting for late running trains listening to an endless 8 track tape (those of you old enough to remember those enormous blocks of recorded music) of country star Don Williams which seemed to be the only one they possessed! I rush for the volume control if I ever hear the country song "You're my best friend" which is the one that sticks most in my mind.

I haven't been back since but looking at pictures of the station on Google it looks just the same today! Maybe I'm wrong......???

 

[Antman]

Clapham North and Clapham Common. I'm sorry, but those island platforms just terrify me. I don't live in London so haven't actually been on the platforms (I've seen them from a train though), but I'm always shocked when I see pictures of them busy...

Yes I know what you mean, they never seem to get exceptionally busy though

 

[SS4]

My nomination goes to Birmingham Snow Hill. The Colmore Row entrance is just dank and it's feels claustrophobic with the low ceiling and massive walk to the ticket office. It's not so bad if you want the metro but to catch a train there isn't the best of experiences

Euston seems poorly laid out although to be fair there's not much you can do to prevent the rush when a platform is announced.

Camden Town LUL is cramped and seems severely overcrowded even in the week. I dare not go at the weekend again even by foot.

 

[mfc3024]

My top few would be:

Motherwell - considering it is a WCML station and has a large number of passengers and services, it is very poor in terms of waiting rooms, ticketing facilities, car parking is awful, access terrible. Plus the station building is 1960's style - a bit like the rest of the town centre!

Newton, Lanarkshire - very depressing place to change trains as there is nothing there. Access is terrible if you need to walk through the tunnel under the tracks.

Glasgow Central Low Level - again as it is a very depressing set-up. Colours and lighting are awful.

Waverley - purely because of the constant automated announcements and size of the station. It could take five minutes to get to the station and another ten to find the correct platform.


I have little experience of English stations - any experience of London stations and those in Essex / Kent have always been good.

 

[Statto]

Bidston, Birkenhead North, Birkenhead Park.

3 of my least favourite stations, and they're all bunched together on the West Kirby line

Definitely agree on Bidston, awful station which feels like it's in a remote area. I'd put most Wrexham-Bidston line stations in the dreadful; category as well, the waiting room are bus shelters, with no ticket office at most of the stations either.

I don't like Chester station, even on a hot day feels bleak & cold

 

[EM2]

How have we missed Maryland?

 

[D6975]

Agree with Manchester Victoria, dismal hole of a place made worse by memories of the station that used to be there.
St Pancras isn't too bad IMHO, but the possibility of walking up the 'dead end' that's only shops but decieves you into thinking you're heading towards the platforms is annoying. I've done it twice now when not concentrating on where I'm going - yes I know that's my fault..
Birmingham New St is a horrible place at the best of times and is particularly bad at the moment with the alterations taking place there.
Leeds I quite like, much better than it used to be when the subway was still the main way to the platforms.
Blackpool North has been mentioned by others, but what about South? Used to be a proper station, now just a single platform halt in a car park.
Quite a few of the Southern region terminii in general have gone downhill in recent years, due to having great big office blocks or whatever built above them, turning them into dark, dank miserable places. The West side of Victoria is particularly depressing.

ps almost forgot - Willesden Junction low level is a bit grim too and Wembley Central is a right s*** hole.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Since it's mandatory for me to mention Ore in every "least favourite/worst" thread, I may as well do it now. Horrible access down a long, dismal, depressing path with palisade fencing encompassing you like a dystopian Terracotta Army. The only saving grace is the latticed footbridge of Southern Railways origin.
There's also a good weirdos who hang around the place at night too...

Quite a few of the small stations served by Southeastern and First Capital Connect have a dingy air of neglect about them, as do some of c2c's stations.

 

[nathanclass323]

Since it's mandatory for me to mention Ore in every "least favourite/worst" thread, I may as well do it now. Horrible access down a long, dismal, depressing path with palisade fencing encompassing you like a dystopian Terracotta Army. The only saving grace is the latticed footbridge of Southern Railways origin.
There's also a good weirdos who hang around the place at night too...

Quite a few of the small stations served by Southeastern and First Capital Connect have a dingy air of neglect about them, as do some of c2c's stations.

Have to agree there!

 

[rower40]

The stygian hell hole that is Birmingham New Street station

Another forum I use refers to New Street as "Mordor Central".

 

[bAzTNM]

Started to not like Springburn Station in Glasgow much. It's quite big for the area and recently I've started to notice more "rowdies" hanging about it too. Dalmuir too, for the same reason. I don't hate both stations, but they annoy me.

Newton, Lanarkshire - very depressing place to change trains as there is nothing there. Access is terrible if you need to walk through the tunnel under the tracks.

I can see why people hate it, but I love the scenery outside the station. Hills look lovely this time of year. You're near the River Clyde too. I also imagine it's a popular station for cyclists to get off as you can follow the cyclepath to Glasgow or Uddingston, if you're that way inclined.

 

[DarloRich]

Another forum I use refers to New Street as "Mordor Central".

god no - Mordor at least has a bright Orange Eye to offer some illumination!

I also could offer any of the stations between Crewe and Euston that were "modernised" in the 60's.

Take Blethcley for instance. it is about as welcoming as a gulag.

 

[edwin_m]

Another forum I use refers to New Street as "Mordor Central".

Presumably because of this:

http://www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk/media/35160/stephenson st tram_500x283.jpg

 

[nathanclass323]

To be honest, I quite like New Street! Can't explain why to be honest

 

[Quakers Yard]

Hedge End. Took ages and ages to walk to the Rose Bowl from there!
A bit like Dinas Rhondda also in that theres not much to see when waiting!

 

[6Gman]

There aren't many stations that I will go out of my way to avoid - most have some sort of interest.

The only one that springs to mind is Salford Crescent. Cramped, exposed and not much to do if you end up stuck there for a while.

Salford Central is one of the very few stations I consider to be physically hazardous. Too many people on too narrow a platform with a mix of stopping and non-stopping services.

 

[chris89]

Haymarket, cosmetically tarting it up woant help overcrouding or improve the lack of wating room provision at platform level and a bit more space for a 2nd bay along with more terminating trains there would be a big help in freeing up paths to Waverley.↲

Agree with Haymarket. When i have used it, it just seems rather cramped to me, especially waiting on the platforms for Trains (Was over New Year Period)

Will wait to see what it turns out like.

My nomination goes to Birmingham Snow Hill. The Colmore Row entrance is just dank and it's feels claustrophobic with the low ceiling and massive walk to the ticket office. It's not so bad if you want the metro but to catch a train there isn't the best of experiences

I agree with that. More or less always, i stay onboard for a few min's longer and get off at Moor Street instead.

Chris

 

[30907]

It doesn't have toilets- only facilities are shelters. It's typical of re-opened stations of the 1980s in West Yorkshire: wooden platforms and not much else. I'm not suggesting a palace, just something a little more permanent-looking I guess!

I guess both Bradford stations are adequate (if not brilliant) for the traffic of 10-15 years ago, but there's little room for growth in either case.

Saltaire was built with stone shelters, a nod to the environment (wasn't on UNESCO list then!) and there isn't room for much else. I think that's OK for a station whose main loadings are college students and commuters. And public toilets are IIRC only about 200m away if you can't wait for the next train, better than a lot of non-London stations.

The Bradford stations currently have roughly 2 departures per platform per hour which is about 1/3 that of Charing Cross/Cannon Street - I think that leaves a little spare capacity (though the buildings need improving)

 

[MrCub]

Have to agree that St Pancras is terrible. I travel through it regularly and really dislike it. Where possible I go to Blackfriars now. Farringdon has improved no end, however.

 

[yorksrob]

Salford Central is one of the very few stations I consider to be physically hazardous. Too many people on too narrow a platform with a mix of stopping and non-stopping services.

Central always strikes me as a bit rough around the edges, but the platforms look wide enough for the numbers of people that use them.

 

[wbbminerals]

Leeds: dingy with annoying announcements.

 

[Searle]

Seven Sisters and stations south of it into Liverpool Street are really badly kept. Something indescribable was on the steps of Cambridge Heath, the only time I've used it.

I'm quite a fan of St Pancras, but I've only ever used it casually.