Trivia: most underwhelming end to a main route?

[trainophile]

Exmouth isn't that great, no facilities except a small waiting area with not very many seats, and the toilets down the passage by M&S were closed in the summer (possibly due to the pandemic, hopefully not permanently).

Talking of toilets, are there any nearby Weymouth station if they haven't re-opened the station ones? I haven't been over to the retail park so hopefully there's suitable conveniences there if need be.

 

[Ianno87]

Exmouth isn't that great, no facilities except a small waiting area with not very many seats, and the toilets down the passage by M&S were closed in the summer (possibly due to the pandemic, hopefully not permanently).

Newquay doesn't fare much better!

 

[trainophile]

Newquay doesn't fare much better!

You would think that holiday destination stations would at least make an effort to provide for the visiting tourists. Maybe not so necessary in commuter land as people do the same journey every day so know what to expect.

 

[FOH]

Gare du Nord

 

[tbtc]

I can't think of any major services that terminate in "suburbs" round these parts, but (assuming I've understood the OP's idea for an interesting thread) there are some examples of National Express coaches which see what appears to be a London To Another Major City service actually having a fairly "ordinary" terminus - e.g. I think that some London - Newcastle services have actually run beyond central Newcastle to terminate in slightly underwhelming places like North Shields - which makes perfect sense in terms of being able to serve a large population on North Tyneside who lack a direct London train, so you can offer something that the train can't - for a relatively small marginal cost - say half an hour - but not as grand a terminus as Newcastle city centre

If that's the kind of thing that the OP is getting at (?) then I suppose two rail versions in northern England were:

• East of the Pennines - some London - Sheffield services terminating in Barnsley (the token Midland Mainline Turbostar services extended north of Nottingham)
• West of the Pennines - some London - Manchester services terminating in Rochdale (the token FNW services in the early years of privatisation - all that way on a 158!)

Maybe you could argue that the TPE service from Manchester Airport to Middlesbrough terminates in the less "trunk" Redcar (but I have a soft spot for Redcar, so I'd argue that it's important enough to deserve a direct Manchester service - heck, extend some London trains there too - the beach is wonderful!

I can't think of any examples (in northern England) where the infrastructure means you have to terminate in somewhere like suburban Southend

 

[NorthOxonian]

I can't think of any examples (in northern England) where the infrastructure means you have to terminate in somewhere like suburban Southend

Looking away from the heavy rail network, South Hylton on the Tyne and Wear metro? A slightly random and underwhelming suburb of Sunderland fits the bill pretty well.

 

[vic-rijrode]

If London Underground counts and the Metropolitan Line could be considered a "main route", then for the uninitiated arriving at Watford Met expecting the Shopping Centre, it is usually totally bewildering. The terminus consists of a large Tudorbethan house and is in the middle of a suburban and (aptly) MetroLand estate with the Town centre some 20-25 minutes hike away - and then you're only at the somewhat sparse top of the town with another 10 -15 minutes to the main centre.

 

[apinnard]

Sudbury (Suffolk.)

Start at Marks Tey, traverse the lovely Essex and Suffolk countryside, over the Chappel Viaduct and end up in a rather uninspiring single platform “station” on the edge of a distinctly average town.

 

[Steve Harris]

You would think that holiday destination stations would at least make an effort to provide for the visiting tourists. Maybe not so necessary in commuter land as people do the same journey every day so know what to expect.

The last time I stayed in Newquay the place was known for either surfing or hen/stagg parties. So I doubt either party cared much about what the station provides.

I believe that a lot of work has since gone into attracting more upmarket clientele and the hen's and stagg's now go abroad. So your point may now be valid.

 

[nlogax]

Arriving into the dirge of Plymouth. It's all good from the Devon banks, under Marsh Mills and sweeping past Laira while skirting the Plym. Then you descend through Mutley tunnel and you're there in a world of 60s concrete. Not all that pleasant.

 

[Llandudno]

Not a mainline, but having spent 90 minutes or so on a train from Preston, Colne station is a bit uninspiring to say the least!

 

[leytongabriel]

West Croydon. OK not a main line, but a busy station and a terminus, is a fair example of urban unloveliness at street level.

 

[xotGD]

Milford Haven

A long way to go for a buffer stop.

 

[tbtc]

Looking away from the heavy rail network, South Hylton on the Tyne and Wear metro? A slightly random and underwhelming suburb of Sunderland fits the bill pretty well.

That's a good shout - and all of the other "branches" of the Metro are pretty important places - central Newcastle by the football ground, central South Shields and at the Airport - I'd rather that they built the Hylton branch than didn't build it but it is more like a Supertram terminus (Malin Bridge, Middlewood, Herdings Park) than a major heavy rail terminus (which, in a parallel universe where there was no conversion to Metro, all of the other "branches" feel like they could be heavy rail stations)

I know it's not a main line but I suppose there's Bidston on the Borderlands route - what could be a major line from the largest place in North Wales (as the much missed @merlodlliw was proud to inform us) to Liverpool just dumps you in a fairly ordinary part of Merseyside for no apparent reason as far as many passengers would be concerned (it's not Liverpool, it's a couple of miles short of central Birkenhead) - but terminating trains there allow the TOC to run the service with just a couple of DMUs, and extending it into Birkenhead would require a 50% increase in costs (and running it into Liverpool would require bi-modes due to the fumes in the tunnels)

 

[southern442]

I can't think of any major services that terminate in "suburbs" round these parts, but (assuming I've understood the OP's idea for an interesting thread) there are some examples of National Express coaches which see what appears to be a London To Another Major City service actually having a fairly "ordinary" terminus - e.g. I think that some London - Newcastle services have actually run beyond central Newcastle to terminate in slightly underwhelming places like North Shields - which makes perfect sense in terms of being able to serve a large population on North Tyneside who lack a direct London train, so you can offer something that the train can't - for a relatively small marginal cost - say half an hour - but not as grand a terminus as Newcastle city centre

If that's the kind of thing that the OP is getting at (?) then I suppose two rail versions in northern England were:

• East of the Pennines - some London - Sheffield services terminating in Barnsley (the token Midland Mainline Turbostar services extended north of Nottingham)
• West of the Pennines - some London - Manchester services terminating in Rochdale (the token FNW services in the early years of privatisation - all that way on a 158!)

These are good examples of what I was after. However it doesn't necessarily have to be terminating in the suburbs. My example of Shoeburyness was to compare to, say, Brighton for example (actually not that much further away from London), where you have a massive wonderful grand terminus to finish off the mainline, whereas shoebury just sort of looks like any other suburban station but with some buffers at the end of it (for any Beatles fans, think the end of A Day in the Life vs She's So Heavy ). Another example could be something like Uckfield, where the line just ends with no fanfare. I particularly singled out main routes because one might expect them to have some sort of 'grand finale' so to speak.

 

[Lloyds siding]

I caught a high speed Class 222, which dawdled along the single track to deposit me in Corby....

 

[apinnard]

I caught a high speed Class 222, which dawdled along the single track to deposit me in Corby....

It’s double track now. And the line speeds are faster. Has been for a while.

 

[47271]

I suppose a better answer would be Thurso/Wick - two rather functional towns set in scenery which is relatively bland for the Highlands. You would imagine the Far North Line would come to a dramatic end than that!

I see what you mean, but you're referring to the towns and the scenery rather than the end of the line, and even then to dismiss the scenery of Caithness as 'bland' is to misunderstand it. It might not be mountainous, but there are long sandy bays, high cliffs and the Flow Country.

Both Thurso and Wick still have their compact but attractive original station buildings which more than do justice to hours of mostly ancient single line jointed track. So, on the contrary, I think that the stations are fitting ends of the line for the route they're on.

Going to the absolute opposite corner of Scotland, Stranraer Harbour has got to be the most irrelevant and wretched arrival point even allowing for its route being relatively minor. To have a station physically remote from its town because it serves a harbour that no longer receives ferries is like some sort of cruel joke.

And, sadly, staying in this corner of the country, the present condition of Ayr station, the end of the line for so many fast trains from Glasgow, is desperate.

Finally, and to be positive on Ayrshire and the Clyde, a nomination for a station at the opposite extreme - a beautiful arrival point punching way above the weight above the route serving it: Wemyss Bay.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Still closed. To add to the gloom, the shop on the station has also closed down (Chew Choo which was located in the former travel centre) although there are several convenience stores immediately outside of the station. Although the location means the seafront can be reached in a couple of minutes, the drab 1980s replacement station with heavily rationalised layout is an anticlimax. The station throat before the platforms in now just a single line. It is hard to imagine that the Jubilee Retail Park and the car parks were once operational railway land.

I'd forgotten about Weymouth. For a place that's quite attractive to tourists (though admittedly not posh) it's a run-down dump of a station - needs pulling down and building again. FWIW it reminds me of Fort William station in many ways, but that is so much nicer.

 

[DorkingMain]

The Chessington South branch ends rather underwhelmingly at a single platform in the middle of a residential area. Of course the branch was meant to rejoin the Down Portsmouth at Leatherhead but never did.

 

[nlogax]

I'd forgotten about Weymouth. For a place that's quite attractive to tourists (though admittedly not posh) it's a run-down dump of a station - needs pulling down and building again. FWIW it reminds me of Fort William station in many ways, but that is so much nicer.

Weymouth isn't so bad. The terminus is low key and underwhelming but it does turf you out a very short distance from the sea front, unlike places like Brighton.

 

[class26]

Redditch ? A completely underwhelming end after New Street although of course the service will have started at Lichfield

 

[yorksrob]

I'd forgotten about Weymouth. For a place that's quite attractive to tourists (though admittedly not posh) it's a run-down dump of a station - needs pulling down and building again. FWIW it reminds me of Fort William station in many ways, but that is so much nicer.

Goodness, it's not that bad. It's a bit austere and could do with some more facilities (bogs and a cafe), however I wouldn't say it needs flattenning. It does quite well for platform cover.

Had it been rebuilt in "Big 4" era, you might have had something a bit more inspiring (thinking Hastings/Ramsgate etc).

 

[Ianno87]

Looking away from the heavy rail network, South Hylton on the Tyne and Wear metro? A slightly random and underwhelming suburb of Sunderland fits the bill pretty well.

Aylesbury Vale Parkway, along similar lines.

 

[2192]

None of these railway examples compare with our trip on the Manchester Ship canal. It started in an impressive ferry terminal on the Wirral and ended in a muddy lorry park in Manchester, with no buildings.

 

[unlevel42]

Cleethorpes-where's-the-sea.

Imagine arriving at Manchester Airport from New York on a night flight, exhausted, getting on the train and waking up in ...

 

[YorkshireBear]

I mean I'd happily nominate London Euston! Especially when compared to St Pancreas and Kings Cross down the road and Paddington and Marylebone round the corner.

 

[yorksrob]

Cleethorpes-where's-the-sea.

Imagine arriving at Manchester Airport from New York on a night flight, exhausted, getting on the train and waking up in ...

When you wake up, you'll have more chance of getting a decent breakfast than if you woke up somewhere like Leeds (full of yuppie outlets).

 

[GatwickDepress]

I'd forgotten about Weymouth. For a place that's quite attractive to tourists (though admittedly not posh) it's a run-down dump of a station - needs pulling down and building again. FWIW it reminds me of Fort William station in many ways, but that is so much nicer.

Weymouth's station building always gives me the feeling of a 1970s leisure centre. If they're still there, the platform canopies with the glass roofs are quite nice, although they could do with a clean and a repaint.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

West Croydon. OK not a main line, but a busy station and a terminus, is a fair example of urban unloveliness at street level.

A couple of good Turkish food shops and a bakery that does amazing fresh nans to take away though - and the station is bang in the middle of the shopping street.