Stations that are too close together

[yorkie]

Waterloo - Southwark

Waste of 1/2 billion quid

But Southwark is used by around 10 million passengers per year

 

[Ivo]

But Southwark is used by around 10 million passengers per year

Well located too. It's an easy base for exploring the South Bank without needing to worry about getting lost at Waterloo (or London Bridge).

 

[12CSVT]

Now this is where a little local knowledge is useful. Ty Glas was built, in late BR days, as a joint venture with the City of Cardiff to provide a suitable place for a bus link to the University of Wales Hospital; the nearby stations at Heath and Birchgrove being deemed unsuitable. The bus link failed to prosper but Ty Glas has because it serves a substantial business area which includes the Tax Office. It is also the only station on the branch accessible from north and south. Ty Glas is now much busier than Birchgrove but the older station continues to attract a respectable amount of passengers.

Given the distance between these two stations (330 yards) a footpath from Caerphilly Road (A469) overbridge running alongside the line to Ty Glas station would probably make sense, and close Birchgrove. And it's only a few minutes walk from Birchgrove to Rhiwbina.

 

[158_Sprinter]

Devonport and Plymouth are very close together, at most the journey is five minutes by train. However the walk between the two stations can take 30-40 minutes depending on the pace you walk at.

On a personal note it benefits me because I only have to step out of my flat and walk down the ramp and I'm on the platform. And at 85p return (with a Devon & Cornwall railcard) into Plymouth it's much cheaper than the bus!

For an unstaffed station with 2 hourly Gunnislake trains in each direction and the odd service from and to Liskeard/ Penzance, it seems to receive a lot of passengers which is probably why it remains open.

 

[Requeststop]

To me, there appears to be more stations than realistically needed in the western side of Plymouth.

My friends in Plymouth are grateful for the stations to the west of the city as the bus service is difficult to get to and the trains are a more direct service to the City centre, or so they tell me.

 

[cj_1985]

Glasgow Central (Low Level) and Argyle Street....
so close together that you can stand at the end of the platform at one of them and be able to see the other station fairly clearly...

not saying that one should be closed... just adding something to the list.

 

[Gwenllian2001]

Given the distance between these two stations (330 yards) a footpath from Caerphilly Road (A469) overbridge running alongside the line to Ty Glas station would probably make sense, and close Birchgrove. And it's only a few minutes walk from Birchgrove to Rhiwbina.

Why this urge to close? Closing Birchgrove would make no difference to the timing of the service and it's not only the young and healthy who would need to walk those extra 330yards. Try it with a dodgy hip; a wheelchair or large baby buggy and a couple of toddlers. Birchgrove is harming no one; it is unstaffed; has minimal facilities and it is used.

 

[hluraven]

Sundridge Park and Bromley North are very close although serving slightly different catchment areas.

 

[Statto]

Some stations may look ridiculously close, but unless there's a long walk involved, very few passengers would travel between such stations, mostly staying on the train traveling to/from other destinations.

 

[mirodo]

I'd keep all four! If one had to go, it would without doubt be Barracks, however closing any of the other three would be illogical.

In a fantasy money-no-object land, they should build a new station just prior to the split of the two lines (allowing it to serve both the Colne and Caldervale lines) and close down Barracks and Manchester Road (BYM). You might even get away with closing Rose Grove as well, as it would be <1km away on a road with a decent bus service.

If there was ever a chance of doing this, it's even unlikelier to happen now given BYM is being tarted up as part of the Todmorden curve project.

 

[AndyLandy]

OK, so it's Underground rather than NR, but Charing Cross and Embankment!

Actually, a friend of mine made an interesting observation about the Paris Metro. If you have lots and lots of stops close together, you can distribute passenger load much more easily, rather than have everyone piling in and out at one or two major stations. So long as you've got trains that can handle that stop-start pattern, this is actually eminently sensible.

This may not apply so much to the national rail network however.

 

[louis97]

it seems to receive a lot of passengers which is probably why it remains open.

Thats very true, Keyham station was changed from being a request stop to a permanent stop a year or so ago, because of passenger numbers.

 

[317666]

Hainault and Fairlop stations are quite close together, but then Fairlop and Barkingside are much further apart.

 

[PaulLothian]

Culrain to Invershin is 34 chains

Isn't there a river between them?

I have a very distant memory of travelling that way as a small child and someone getting on the train at Culrain ... and off at Invershin!

Culrain to Invershin may be 34 chains by rail, but it's 8.2 miles by road.

There is now a footbridge next to the rail bridge, built in 2000, but I wouldn't fancy carrying a loaded suitcase down and up (not up and down as is more usual) the flights of steps that access it, even on a sunny day as opposed to a wet and windy winter's night!

 

[172212]

Smethwick Rolfe street and Smethwick Galton bridge.
I'm not complaining though, even though Rolfe street has less TPH and less services, it's closer for me

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Huyton and Roby?

Deansgate and Oxford Road?

Belle Vue and Ryder Brow?

 

[ChristopherJ]

Stratford - Maryland.

Maryland should have added to the name "Alight here for Stratford: if avoiding fare payment and ticket barriers"

The distance between Stratford town centre with Stratford (Regional) and Maryland stations is almost identical, any fare dodgers just walk to Maryland and travel back one stop on the Shenfield Metro to avoid the ticket barriers at Stratford.

 

[dk1]

Stratford - Maryland.

Maryland should have added to the name "Alight here for Stratford: if avoiding fare payment and ticket barriers"

The distance between Stratford town centre with Stratford (Regional) and Maryland stations is almost identical, any fare dodgers just walk to Maryland and travel back one stop on the Shenfield Metro to avoid the ticket barriers at Stratford.

Hopefully that will be resolved in the next few years with Crossrail/TfL involvement. It came as no suprise that this station was ear marked for closure in original Crossrail plans due to the fact it cannot be extended beyond it's 8-car train length platforms. This was subsequently overturned (no doubt by the fare evading lobby) & at great expense these trains will be equiped with selective door operation.

 

[Bald Rick]

Hopefully that will be resolved in the next few years with Crossrail/TfL involvement. It came as no suprise that this station was ear marked for closure in original Crossrail plans due to the fact it cannot be extended beyond it's 8-car train length platforms. This was subsequently overturned (no doubt by the fare evading lobby) & at great expense these trains will be equiped with selective door operation.

Unfortunately the retention of Maryland Station is required as a provision of the Crossrail Act. Which must be rather annoying for the 15,000+ commuters from Stations furher out who have their journeys extended by 2 mins each way every day so a handful of people can shorten their commute by about 7 mins.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

BACHE and chester arnt far

 

[steamybrian]

Mentioning Stratford-why did DLR recently build a station at Stratford High Street which is only a few hundred yards from Stratford.
On the DLR why was West India Quay built when the stations either side at Canary Wharf and Poplar are only a few hundred yards away.?

 

[Clip]

Mentioning Stratford-why did DLR recently build a station at Stratford High Street which is only a few hundred yards from Stratford.
On the DLR why was West India Quay built when the stations either side at Canary Wharf and Poplar are only a few hundred yards away.?

Stratford high street is well used and is another good access point for stratford itself.

I believe WIQ was built due to Canary Wharf being closed at some point at night with only through services so it gives another stop for people still drinking/working late in the area and not have to cross a busy highway to Poplar. Worth noting that WIQ is closed during peak hours also with services passing through to Canary wharf.

Also as a point of mild interest is that Strtford high street was originally named stratford market which I believe is the name of the Jubilee line depot.

 

[jopsuk]

What with Heron Quay being at least as close to Canary Wharf Underground as Canary Wharf DLR, i'd suggest that it is actually Canary Wharf itself that is the "spare" station. I have mused on whether it would be possible to extend DLR trains any further*- on this section, the only way I could see it being doable would involve taking out Canary Wharf and extending West India and Heron Quay stations towards one another.


*I appreciate the "deep" stations on the lewisham line really, really can't be extended

 

[Clip]

They'll never ditch Canary Wharf its used as a terminal for starters. 3 car consists are as long as the trains will ever get for the foreseeable future. Its also owned by canary wharf group IIRC.

Both heron quay and west india quay are also very useful for outstabling trains when they have line closures.

 

[Bungle73]

When West India Quay station was built Canary Wharf station didn't even exist. In fact the Canary Wharf complex itself did not exist.

 

[bb21]

Worth noting that WIQ is closed during peak hours also with services passing through to Canary wharf.

Are they? I thought only those trains using the bypass omit West India Quays as there is no platform on that side.

 

[talltim]

When West India Quay station was built Canary Wharf station didn't even exist. In fact the Canary Wharf complex itself did not exist.

and Canary Wharf underground didn't exist either.

 

[Clip]

Are they? I thought only those trains using the bypass omit West India Quays as there is no platform on that side.

I'm sure its during the morning peak so that the trains from stratford are more frequent.ill double check when I'm home mind.

Canary wharf is a very important station though,no doubt about it.

 

[mappman1000]

As well as Stratford itself, Maryland does serve for the area north of the station, particularly the Leytonstone Road, which has many shops.

Lots of people have said to me that St Johns and Lewisham are very close, when looking at a map, the walking route between these two stations is hardly direct!

 

[merlodlliw]

Wrexham Central & Wrexham General 2 mins walk max, Central was a rebuild by the developers a few years ago in Island Green shopping centre, it was shifted
100 yards nearer to General,both serve the same line.

Central is now a vast improvement on what was a bus shelter, and cost NR £ nothing, a total closure was tried but failed, Central will never close now,why should it.