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Trivia/General Interest - Your favourite sort of station?

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crispy1978

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Obviously, there are stations like London Victoria, Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street which are huge stations, and the arteries of the network.

Then there's your stations which serve the smaller cities, larger towns, etc - not to mention the seaside stops.

You've got interchanges as well.

Then there's the rural stations, from those with decent patronage to the 'one man and his dog' station.

Community Rail Stations (Friends of Batley, etc)

Then there's heritage stations as well.

Through stations, termini, bay platforms, island platforms, etc.

But what is your favourite. What sort of stations do you like visiting, which ones do you prefer to avoid? Do you have a single favourite station, and why is it your favourite?

Purely for interest!
 
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yorksrob

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My favourite types of stations tend to be:

  • Ones with big Victorian trainsheds
  • Ones with disused platforms, such as Lewes
  • Strange ones in the middle of nowhere, such as Ribblehead, Garsdale, Battersby Junction and Berney Arms
  • Ones with good pubs nearb, such as York, Ribblehead, Foxfield etc
 

Harbornite

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Rural, single track stations on national rail or heritage branchlines and mainline stations with through lines, preferably with old buildings are both nice.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
My favourite types of stations tend to be:

  • Ones with big Victorian trainsheds
  • Ones with disused platforms, such as Lewes
  • Strange ones in the middle of nowhere, such as Ribblehead, Garsdale, Battersby Junction and Berney Arms
  • Ones with good pubs nearb, such as York, Ribblehead, Foxfield etc

Good suggestions, although I prefer seeing active platforms.
 
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yorksrob

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Rural, single track stations on national rail or heritage branchlines and mainline stations with through lines, preferably with old buildings are both nice.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Good suggestions, although I prefer seeing active platforms.

Fair point - I definitely prefer at least one platform in use :lol:
 

Harbornite

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Fair point - I definitely prefer at least one platform in use :lol:

Oh of course! If you like disused platforms then you should visit Moor Street, hopefully platform 5 will not be disused in ten years time!
 

HowardGWR

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One where the bus is waiting outside and departs 10 mins after my train arrives to where I want to go. I need 15 mins the other way around otherwise I would be afraid it could be delayed and I would miss the train (mine are only every hour). If the train frequency is every half hour, then I am more relaxed, but if it's an advance booked journey for a specific train, then I need a half hour safety between bus arrival and train depart. I would still be on tenterhooks.

This applies to longer distance journeys of course.
 

RichmondCommu

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Stations which have seen little change since they were opened. Kirkby Stephen is a good example of this in my opinion; the track layout is still pretty much the same, it still has an operational signal box (albeit not the original one) and the goods shed is still standing!
 

Philip Phlopp

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I'm very fond of the Network Rail modular stations - particularly the Series 2 variants at Hassocks and Ashtead, though the Corby station with the blue colour scheme and matching paving, is probably my favourite.

It'll be especially nice to see the route being electrified and electric rolling stock serving the station.
 

SodTheDrummer

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Oh of course! If you like disused platforms then you should visit Moor Street, hopefully platform 5 will not be disused in ten years time!

I had the privilege of visiting Moor Street a couple of months ago - unfortunately I had to go to Small Heath...:( Anyway, absolutely splendid station - a real hidden gem to those of us who usually just pass through Brum - although NS is now much improved..

I like Poulton-le-Fylde - a nice late Victorian station which still has semaphores, and they do the hanging basket thing in the summer - although it's not a station you would necessarily visit - I get off there when visiting parents, but the town is pretty nice as well (nicer than Blackpool anyway, but that's not saying much)
 

Harbornite

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I had the privilege of visiting Moor Street a couple of months ago - unfortunately I had to go to Small Heath...:( Anyway, absolutely splendid station - a real hidden gem to those of us who usually just pass through Brum - although NS is now much improved..

New Street is still pretty grim downstairs. You're right about Moor Street though, and it has the added bonus of loco hauled passenger services! I look forward to the day when one can catch a crosscountry service to Cardiff or Nottingham from there, once the north and south camp hill chords have been installed.
 

SodTheDrummer

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I'm very fond of the Network Rail modular stations - particularly the Series 2 variants at Hassocks and Ashtead, though the Corby station with the blue colour scheme and matching paving, is probably my favourite.

It'll be especially nice to see the route being electrified and electric rolling stock serving the station.

I like these, nice and simple - functional. But are these rebuilds on old demolished stations? I think there's a place for new buildings/structures combined with original Victorian buildings/features where practical - look at MCV for instance... Would like to see existing station buildings or parts thereof used where practical/cost effective rather than demolished and rebuilt. Nice to see mix of old and new where possible... The Victorians were pretty damn good engineers..

The problem with Hassocks and Ashtead is someone has left a long bit of metal outside the 4 foot and wired it up to the mains... That needs getting rid of! And replacing with OLE.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
New Street is still pretty grim downstairs.
Yes, true enough - I don't know what they can do about that though apart from painting everything white and floodlighting the whole area..? the CIS don't provide much info either - if i didn't have the National Rail app I would've missed a few connections in my time..

You're right about Moor Street though, and it has the added bonus of loco hauled passenger services! I look forward to the day when one can catch a crosscountry service to Cardiff or Nottingham from there, once the north and south camp hill chords have been installed.

Next time I'm in Brum for work I'm going to make a point of visiting Moor St. to get some pics. The restoration guys have done a blinding job.

Do any of you Brum chaps know if Curzon St is going to used for the HS2 terminal?
 
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greaterwest

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Do any of you Brum chaps know if Curzon St is going to used for the HS2 terminal?

I'm pretty sure this is the plan, they even hope to maintain the current building.

As for my favourite sort of station, Llandudno Junction comes to mind as one I quite like.

It seems to have the right balance of everything, it's not too big, or complicated, but has 4 platforms and plentiful trains nonetheless.

I also quite like Chester.

For something a little further South, I quite like Woking too.
 

Harbornite

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Do any of you Brum chaps know if Curzon St is going to used for the HS2 terminal?

Indeed. The 1838 building will not form the frontage, but, along with the adjacent pub, will be incorporated into the north side of the trainshed. This trainshed will be built on what is currently a park.

JS32969827.jpg
 

Parallel

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I like tiny request stop stations in remote areas with pleasant surroundings, e.g. Abererch, Llanaber, Portsmouth Arms etc. I also like rural interchange intended stations like Dovey Junction.

I also like medium sized stations that have retained their original station buildings, like Bradford On Avon as it's nice to see history still has its place on the railway.

The last type I like are stations that have old disused platforms at least partly visible, or surburban stations that had long platforms of which the end(s) have now become overgrown/taken out of use (like many around Bristol).
 

MikePJ

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My favourite station is the kind where I arrive and find an unexpected cafe, ideally serving something hot and greasy. So far this has happened at Dewsbury (spam fritters) and Bishop's Stortford (bacon sandwiches)...
 

Philip Phlopp

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I like these, nice and simple - functional. But are these rebuilds on old demolished stations? I think there's a place for new buildings/structures combined with original Victorian buildings/features where practical - look at MCV for instance... Would like to see existing station buildings or parts thereof used where practical/cost effective rather than demolished and rebuilt. Nice to see mix of old and new where possible... The Victorians were pretty damn good engineers..

The problem with Hassocks and Ashtead is someone has left a long bit of metal outside the 4 foot and wired it up to the mains... That needs getting rid of! And replacing with OLE.

The old Corby station was demolished after the station closed in the 1960s, no station building was demolished to make way for the new building.

The Hassocks and Ashtead buildings replaced pre fabricated CLASP buildings from the 1960s.
 

AlterEgo

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My favourite stations are ones which are niche or have unusual purposes.

We're talking the British Steel Redcars, the IBM Halts, the Lympstone Commandos, and the St Keyne Wishing Well Halts of the world here.

Also, the more preposterously rural the better. Rannoch is a marvel. Direct train to London six days a week, yet it's miles from civilisation.

Aside from that, any station with a 1st Class Lounge will be just fine. ;)
 

GRALISTAIR

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I like Preston - plenty of activity train wise including the middle of the night. Reasonably good pubs in very close walking distance and eateries, and not too bad pub/eatery inside the station. I also like Stalybridge. Good pub - can see the hills, not too far from civilization and reasonable throughput of trains.
 

61653 HTAFC

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I like stations with historic, Victorian buildings such as Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Shipley and Ormskirk. Also places that are a shadow of their former selves but with signs of past glories still apparent: this would include places such as Bere Alston, Frome, Llandudno and Penistone. I really dislike those places that were ruined by 1960s redevelopment or rationalisation: Leeds, Birmingham New Street and Plymouth. Also where the old and new aren't well integrated such as Brum Moor Street, London Bridge and (controversy alert!) St. Pancras. Compare those with Liverpool Lime Street or Manchester Piccadilly where the splendid old trainsheds blend really well with the recent modern additions.
 

Howardh

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I like Preston - plenty of activity train wise including the middle of the night. Reasonably good pubs in very close walking distance and eateries, and not too bad pub/eatery inside the station. I also like Stalybridge. Good pub - can see the hills, not too far from civilization and reasonable throughput of trains.

I like Preston, but it seems to be a Marmite station; you either love it or hate it! Needs a First Class lounge though, although the station pub is a good alternative!

Anyhow, stations with open (and free) toilets are a big plus, whether it be Oxenholme or Oxford Road! So fave sort of station; pub on or nearby, open toilets, bit of a view or plenty going on so nothing like Trinity Street then!
 

yorksrob

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I like Preston, but it seems to be a Marmite station; you either love it or hate it! Needs a First Class lounge though, although the station pub is a good alternative!

Anyhow, stations with open (and free) toilets are a big plus, whether it be Oxenholme or Oxford Road! So fave sort of station; pub on or nearby, open toilets, bit of a view or plenty going on so nothing like Trinity Street then!

Preston's a good'un.

As is Crewe.

Both have interesting trainsheds, interesting buildings, interesting platform layouts, plenty going on in terms of traffic.
 

61653 HTAFC

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I rather like Mirfield in spite of ticking none of the boxes in my previous post (other than the past glories thing, though there's little evidence of the former overall roof and buildings!). Mostly because it has nice open platforms which are ideal for photting, coupled with a good throughput of passenger and freight movements due to being on effectively two mainlines rolled into one.
 

trainophile

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I like Preston, but it seems to be a Marmite station; you either love it or hate it! Needs a First Class lounge though, although the station pub is a good alternative!

Anyhow, stations with open (and free) toilets are a big plus, whether it be Oxenholme or Oxford Road! So fave sort of station; pub on or nearby, open toilets, bit of a view or plenty going on so nothing like Trinity Street then!

Hear hear. How in this day and age the requirement for toilets at railways stations is not considered essential defeats me. Especially as we are constantly encouraged to make sure we stay hydrated!

Also somewhere under cover to sit and wait for your train.
 
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I find the ones that have somehow almost completely dodged any modernization in their life, watching the siggy walk along the platform at Knaresborough to deliver the token was great, put him in a Victorian uniform and run a kettle through no-one would know!
 

trainophile

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Oh and sticking with the prosaic theme, stations that have a ToD machine are much nicer than those that don't!

Merseyrail I'm looking at you... ;)
 

crispy1978

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Being from a seaside town, and often travelling to seaside termini, I suppose I have gained a bit of an affinity for those sorts of places.

Not a fan of massive stations, but naturally understand their importance.

Have used urban stations quite a lot, but find a lot of them are all very "samey" - West Yorkshire Metro, Merseyrail, etc.

For me though, there's nothing better than a nice day, a good book, or some good music on a device at a rural station with no-one else there.
 

Rail.Fan

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I really like Reading Train Station the arcade has a atmosphere to it. I love all the through platforms and variety of trains (Which will get better with 387,365,800,801,802,345)
 
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