So how many stations *are* there in the UK?

[Comstock]

If you'd asked me how many stations there are in the UK, I'd probably have said three or four hundred. So I'm amazed to see here https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/may/19/train-stations-listed-rail#table there are more than a thousand.

But how many more are there beyond that 'top one thousand'? For example that list doesn't include Uttoxeter, which I wouldn't imagine is anywhere near the quietest station in the UK.

I realise that list doesn't include NI either, and there might be a grey area as to what constitutes a station once you get off national rail- if you are including London Underground, do you include DLR or the Tyne and Wear Metro? If you are including those do you include tram systems etc?

Even so, can someone give me a ball park figure?

 

[hexagon789]

There are 2,552 stations in Great Britain (as of November 2015) and a further 54 in Northern Ireland. So 2,606 in the whole UK. The GB figure is for National Rail only.

 

[Comstock]

Wow, so I was quite a way out there- a whole order of magnitude in fact.

As the old cliche goes, you learn something new everyday.

 

[hexagon789]

It is quite a substantial figure! Of a few course more stations will be opening in the near futute and then there's all the London Underground, Glasgow Subway, Tyne and Wear metro stops, various tramway systems not to mention the large number of heritage railway stations that if included could well bring the figure up to nearer the 3,000 mark. ☺

 

[jopsuk]

If you try to include Underground etc it needs a little care to not include interchanges that are the same station but not those that are definitely seperate stations (for the latter, the undeniably distinct Jubilee Line, DLR and forthcoming Crossrail stations all named "Canary Wharf"

 

[swt_passenger]

Wow, so I was quite a way out there- a whole order of magnitude in fact.

As the old cliche goes, you learn something new everyday.

If you'd realised that a single SWT route to the coast, such as Waterloo to Weymouth, has 55 stations in a row, then your original estimate of a few hundred for the whole country quickly becomes quite impossible...

 

[Aws87024]

Looks like the maps has its faults, Leyland is now to the east of Preston, Bentham station doesn't exist and Buckshaw Parkway is in Coppull. Otherwise quite an interesting find.

 

[Comstock]

If you'd realised that a single SWT route to the coast, such as Waterloo to Weymouth, has 55 stations in a row, then your original estimate of a few hundred for the whole country quickly becomes quite impossible...

Yes. To my eternal shame, I actually used to work on National Rail Enquiries (albeit 15 yrs ago) and have also done admin work at a train maintenance depot. To effectively be out by a factor of nearly 10 is inexcusable really.

 

[Kite159]

It is quite a substantial figure! Of a few course more stations will be opening in the near futute and then there's all the London Underground, Glasgow Subway, Tyne and Wear metro stops, various tramway systems not to mention the large number of heritage railway stations that if included could well bring the figure up to nearer the 3,000 mark. ☺

A quick count using my log sheet for GB:
I've got 2557 Network Rail Stations (including Heathrow Airport stations)
339 stops on LU/DLR/Croydon Tramlink
345 stops on other light rail systems within GB (Blackpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Midland, Nottingham, Sheffield, T&W Metro)

So at least 3241 stations/tram stops within GB

 

[jopsuk]

A quick count using my log sheet for GB:
I've got 2557 Network Rail Stations (including Heathrow Airport stations)
339 stops on LU/DLR/Croydon Tramlink
345 stops on other light rail systems within GB (Blackpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Midland, Nottingham, Sheffield, T&W Metro)

So at least 3241 stations/tram stops within GB

How many times have you counted, for example, Wimbledon? Or Stratford?

 

[Kite159]

How many times have you counted, for example, Wimbledon? Or Stratford?

Separately for the different systems used (NR, LU, Light-rail)

So you could probably take ~ 50 from my total to exclude the shared stations.

 

[theironroad]

Ok, pedant question time.....

Why has the 'are' in the title of this thread been put in asterisks:

" So how many stations *are* there in the UK?"

 

[TheKnightWho]

Ok, pedant question time.....

Why has the 'are' in the title of this thread been put in asterisks:

" So how many stations *are* there in the UK?"

It's a way of expressing emphasis.

 

[Comstock]

It's a way of expressing emphasis.

Yes, a bit old school maybe, but it's a way of adding a bit of emphasis to that word in a sentence. I tend to do it without realising! It's a bad habit I got into from the days of Usenet.

If you *REALLY* wanted to add emphasis, you used to use asterisks and capitals together like that.

But really it's just me showing my age.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Do Narrow Guage Railways count?
They are dotted all over the place.

 

[Cowley]

Do Narrow Guage Railways count?
They are dotted all over the place.

An interesting point actually. I wonder how many stations there are in the uk where you can get on a train/tram etc and go on a journey of any size or gauge? For instance the miniuture railway at Beer has quite a few stations.
I wouldn't include my 00 gauge stations though as I'd squash the trains...

 

[tbtc]

A quick count using my log sheet for GB:
I've got 2557 Network Rail Stations (including Heathrow Airport stations)
339 stops on LU/DLR/Croydon Tramlink
345 stops on other light rail systems within GB (Blackpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Midland, Nottingham, Sheffield, T&W Metro)

So at least 3241 stations/tram stops within GB

The Clockwork Orange/ Subway in Glasgow is *heavy* rail, rather than light, though I only learnt this from the Forum.

This is an interesting thread, but could be difficult to ever come up with an answer to. Is there one "Paddington" in London? Or three? How many Edgware Roads must a man walk down? What about Waterloo East?

 

[Andyh82]

I wouldn't include tram stops, as they are more like bus stops than rail stations. I would include the Tyne and Wear Metro as they are just like a rail station.

I wouldn't include London Underground stations within national rail stations as an additional number, as they are all part of the same complex.

Stations that are entirely separate but with the same name should be counted twice, so there are two Canary Wharf stations, but only one Stratford, one Waterloo, one St Pancras, one Paddington.

That would be my view.

 

[Comstock]

I wouldn't include tram stops, as they are more like bus stops than rail stations. I would include the Tyne and Wear Metro as they are just like a rail station.

.

Well the tram stops in Blackpool are certainly more like bus stops. But many of the tram stops in Manchester and Nottingham are quite substantial things, more like unmanned train stations. Indeed some used to be train stations. So I'm not sure on that one.

I pretty much agree with the rest of your post....

 

[Clip]

Well the tram stops in Blackpool are certainly more like bus stops. But many of the tram stops in Manchester and Nottingham are quite substantial things, more like unmanned train stations.

But then the majority on Tramlink are just raised pavements so you either include them all or none at all;

 

[FQ]

Well the tram stops in Blackpool are certainly more like bus stops. But many of the tram stops in Manchester and Nottingham are quite substantial things, more like unmanned train stations. Indeed some used to be train stations. So I'm not sure on that one.

I pretty much agree with the rest of your post....

Not Nottingham. They're simply a slightly raised pavement.

 

[Bedpan]

I wouldn't include tram stops, as they are more like bus stops than rail stations. I would include the Tyne and Wear Metro as they are just like a rail station.

I wouldn't include London Underground stations within national rail stations as an additional number, as they are all part of the same complex.

Stations that are entirely separate but with the same name should be counted twice, so there are two Canary Wharf stations, but only one Stratford, one Waterloo, one St Pancras, one Paddington.

That would be my view.

I would say that platform numbers should be the defining criterion. For instance Wimbledon - 1 to 4 District Line, 5 to 9 National Rail and 10 Tramlink makes it one station, but West Hampstead, where platforms are numbered either independently or not at all is 3 separate stations. (Overground, Thameslink and Jubilee Line).

Also, Google says there are 86 counties in the UK so if there were only 300 - 400 stations, that would only allow 4 or so stations per county. Which makes me wonder which county has the least stations.

 

[martinsh]

Google says there are 86 counties in the UK so if there were only 300 - 400 stations, that would only allow 4 or so stations per county. Which makes me wonder which county has the least stations.

Without wishing to open the can of worms about what constitutes a County these days, I would hazard a guess that Rutland's total of 1 (Oakham) would be hard to beat !

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Bisham Station is on the Blackpool Tramway.
Google are using Wikipedia counties, that is the 'Ceremonia Counties' page based on the Lieutenancies Act which never even uses the term itself! Although it's now found it's way into newer documents since then thanks to idiots trusting the site.

Does practically closed Newhaven Marine & Redcar British Steel count on the list?

 

[Comstock]

Not Nottingham. They're simply a slightly raised pavement.

Those in the centre are. Some of the others are (IMHO) more like unmanned stations. But it's certainly a grey area, and there are probably a lot more than 50 shades between the simple flag at the side of the road and something with ticket machines, shelters, platforms and information displays. I think either the Clifton or Toton terminus on NET (maybe both?) has toilets and a kiosk selling newspapers etc.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Without wishing to open the can of worms about what constitutes a County these days, I would hazard a guess that Rutland's total of 1 (Oakham) would be hard to beat !

If we are talking about the UK, my opening offering would be county Fermanagh.

Enniskillen hasn't had a station since 1957, and nor has Lisnaskea so unless I've missed something it's a stationless county?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

If we are talking about the UK, my opening offering would be county Fermanagh.

Enniskillen hasn't had a station since 1957, and nor has Lisnaskea.

Neighbouring Co. Tyrone also no longer possesses any railway lines or stations either.

 

[MonsooN]

Probably millions

 

[2HAP]

How many heritage railway stations are there?

 

[hexagon789]

I don't think Kirkcudbrightshire has any railway stations any more either.

 

[snowball]

Bisham Station is on the Blackpool Tramway.

Wouldn't that be Bispham?