Trivia: Large towns in UK with no railway station

[pinkmarie80]

When discussing Gateshead, would the Metrocentre station count as mainline? (Although granted that’s technically Swalwell I suppose)
I spend a lot of time in West Bridgford and didn’t even know there was once a railway line there. Granted it would be useful!

 

[Shoeburysam]

Don’t know if it’s been said but thamesmead. Abbey wood is the nearest.

 

[scrapy]

Oldham mumps had a 15 minute frequency throughout the day. Trains continued throughout the north of Manchester not just Victoria.

Oldham Mumps and Shaw were the only stations on the route to have 4 trains an hour all the other stations on the route had 2 trains an hour so have seen a massive frequency increase with Metrolink. It should also be noted that whilst Oldham Mumps and Shaw had 4 trains an hour, it certainly wasn't an even 15 minute frequency with longer and shorter gaps due to some trains being express and some stoppers. The frequency also dropped to 2 trains per hour between September and December due to low adhesion.

 

[scrapy]

I would delete Middleton from the list. Mills Hill station is on the border of Middleton (in the borough of Rochdale) and Chadderton (in the borough of Oldham) with railway line forming the boundary and the Rochdale bound platform falling within Middleton. It is 1.2 miles from Middleton shopping centre which is only slightly further than Yeovil town centre to Yeovil Pen Mill, and people don't seem to be suggesting that Yeovil doesn't have a station.

 

[geoffk]

While the area between Caernarfon and Bangor is indeed mostly rural, Caernarfon itself is a large enough destination to support a mainline railway - especially if the line then continued to Pwllheli.

Anyone mentioned Llangefni? Hardly a large town but the second largest on Anglesey!

 

[Andyjs247]

I see Peterlee mentioned up thread. I understand there will be a new station at Horden, Peterlee due to be opening at some time in the May 2020 timetable.

 

[Taunton]

Although it has only been so since 1965.

Ah! Someone will be along soon to blame it all on Beeching then.

 

[xotGD]

When discussing Gateshead, would the Metrocentre station count as mainline? (Although granted that’s technically Swalwell I suppose)
I spend a lot of time in West Bridgford and didn’t even know there was once a railway line there. Granted it would be useful!

Metrocentre is one of several stations within the borough, but none of them serve the town centre.

The question asks about towns without stations, rather than local authority areas. Back in the day, places like Dunston and Whickham weren't administered by Gateshead council.

 

[Comstock]

Sorry, this thread is getting lengthy, but I don't recall any mention of Abingdon. 33,000 population. Ok Radley isn't far away, but it isn't in the town itself.

 

[faltskog36abba]

Oldham Mumps and Shaw were the only stations on the route to have 4 trains an hour all the other stations on the route had 2 trains an hour so have seen a massive frequency increase with Metrolink. It should also be noted that whilst Oldham Mumps and Shaw had 4 trains an hour, it certainly wasn't an even 15 minute frequency with longer and shorter gaps due to some trains being express and some stoppers. The frequency also dropped to 2 trains per hour between September and December due to low adhesion.

In fact there were more services from Oldham and Shaw via Rochdale to Victoria, Though only users of the line would know that as it wasn't always advertised.

 

[Comstock]

Ah! Someone will be along soon to blame it all on Beeching then.

Boogie hadn't really been invented in 1965, and both the sunshine and the moonlight denied all knowledge.

So, yes, we'll have to blame Beeching.

 

[FenMan]

I give you Wisbech (34,000)

 

[Calthrop]

Boogie hadn't really been invented in 1965, and both the sunshine and the moonlight denied all knowledge.

Earthling, I know not of what thou speakest here -- my ignorance, for certain ...

So, yes, we'll have to blame Beeching.

The poor so-and-so gets blamed for a lot, much whereof he was never guilty: I've heard a closure-to-passengers in 1929, attributed to Beeching.

 

[Traveller54]

I believe a previous thread concluded the largest Scottish town that’s never had a railway station was Dunoon

I think the current largest town in Scotland without a station is Peterhead, population >18500. The Levenmouth area of Buckhaven, Methil and Leven have a combined population of over 24000 but each individual town is less than Peterhead and hopefully they will get their train service restored as planned.

 

[Clayton]

Sorry, this thread is getting lengthy, but I don't recall any mention of Abingdon. 33,000 population. Ok Radley isn't far away, but it isn't in the town itself.

Lots of buses to Oxford and Didcot, more useful stations

 

[Carlisle]

I think the current largest town in Scotland without a station is Peterhead, population >18500. .

Yes, sorry I wasn’t clear, Dunoon was the largest Scottish town never to have had a railway station

 

[Traveller54]

Yes, sorry I wasn’t clear, Dunoon was the largest Scottish town never to have had a railway station

Not at all, that was clear enough. Regarding the current situation in Scotland, Peterhead resulted from my own research on Wikipedia. St Andrews and Grangemouth came close though both these places have stations closer than Peterhead.

I can’t help feeling I’ve missed something though.

 

[tbtc]

Not at all, that was clear enough. Regarding the current situation in Scotland, Peterhead resulted from my own research on Wikipedia. St Andrews and Grangemouth came close though both these places have stations closer than Peterhead.

Peterhead would be ahead of the other two in terms of potential re-openings IMHO - it would work as a simple "stub" into Aberdeen - whereas there's no obvious service to run for Grangemouth/ St Andrews - there's nothing terminating at Grahamston any more (which would have been an obvious extension to Grangemouth, if built a few years ago) and any service to St Andrews would presumably result in a reduced service from Edinburgh to Dundee (no paths over the Forth bridge for additional services), so the Bloo Toon would be top of the list.

That's unless we are more focussed on re-openings just to tick a box (e.g. the case of Newcastle in Staffordshire, which is undoubtably a decent sized place but there's no easy way to serve it (whilst being of practical use to the local demand)

 

[Jonny]

When discussing Gateshead, would the Metrocentre station count as mainline? (Although granted that’s technically Swalwell I suppose)
I spend a lot of time in West Bridgford and didn’t even know there was once a railway line there. Granted it would be useful!

Also Dunston nearby (and Heworth on the other side of Gateshead) would count towards Gateshead. Also Gateshead and Newcastle are functionally contiguous.

 

[Rob F]

West Bridgford, population ~45000.

Seen as a suburb of Nottingham but actually a separate town and it has never had a railway station.

 

[Western Sunset]

West Bridgford, population ~45000.

Seen as a suburb of Nottingham but actually a separate town and it has never had a railway station.

.
And once on a major Anglo-Scottish through route too

 

[Bevan Price]

Washington and Houghton Le Spring are part of the City of Sunderland so maybe should be deleted from the list as well.

Yes - under the post 1974 boundaries, but my list was based on the "traditional" (pre-1974) boundaries; also both are a longish way from the centre of Sunderland.
Kenilworth should be deleted from my list as it now has a station.

 

[Taunton]

Notable are the number of immaculately-planned (!) "New Towns" of the 1960s that were nowhere near any railway.

Washington
Skelmersdale
Newton Aycliffe
Easington

A lot more were planned without, but just chanced to be on (or near) a line, and a station was subsequently built, often after considerable official opposition (there was a big fight about Basildon, where the line passed near the centre).

 

[NorthOxonian]

Notable are the number of immaculately-planned (!) "New Towns" of the 1960s that were nowhere near any railway.

Washington
Skelmersdale
Newton Aycliffe
Easington

A lot more were planned without, but just chanced to be on (or near) a line, and a station was subsequently built, often after considerable official opposition (there was a big fight about Basildon, where the line passed near the centre).

Washington does lie on a railway line, just not an extant one. In fact, its station closed the same year as the New Town was designated! There are occasional calls to reopen the line, sometimes including conversion to Metro.

If it still existed, its location means it might be called "Washington Parkway", it's some distance from the town centre or most of the residential areas.

 

[swt_passenger]

Also Gateshead and Newcastle are functionally contiguous.

Of course they are, and that was recognised in the 1850s when “the railway” closed the unnecessary Greenesfield terminus station in Gateshead in favour of Newcastle Central over the river.

 

[Wirewiper]

In Devon, the following towns all have a population of over 10,000 and no rail station:

Tiverton (21,000)
Brixham (17,000)
Bideford (17,000)
Sidmouth (14,000)
Tavistock (12,000)
Northam (12,000)
Ilfracombe (12,000)
Kingsteignton (10,000) although contiguous with Newton Abbot

It's just as well that Stagecoach South West's bus services are generally good.

All figures from 2011 census, rounded to nearest 1,000

 

[DavidGrain]

The title of this thread is Large towns. Now I know that that is a matter of definition but many names are being given of towns that by any definition cannot be called large. If I were asked for a definition I would suggest 75,000+ population would be a large town.

 

[swt_passenger]

The title of this thread is Large towns. Now I know that that is a matter of definition but many names are being given of towns that by any definition can be called large. If I were asked for a definition I would suggest 75,000+ population would be a large town.

I know what you probably meant, but shouldn’t it have been “cannot by any definition etc.”?

 

[DavidGrain]

I know what you probably meant, but shouldn’t it have been “cannot by any definition etc.”?

Thanks have edited

 

[Fawkes Cat]

If I were asked for a definition I would suggest 75,000+ population would be a large town

On this definition and using the list at post 154, there's only one large town without a station (Gosport) and ten with a population of 30k+. I know that having a station by itself isn't good enough - there are questions about what will constitute a minimum/useful/adequate/good train service, but it seems to me that it's true to say that you can get to and from almost every large town in the country by train. And that, surely, isn't too bad?