[Trivia] Smallest Stations in the Biggest Towns (or Cities)?

[William3000]

If I understand this correctly, Southampton is towards the top of this league, with 4 platforms and a population of just over 250,000.

Leicester has 4 and is even bigger

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

Redditch with 1 platform and a population of 85,000 must be up there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

When you take into account service levels, I think Mansfield wins this hands down. Remember Cambridge only had 1* through platform until the end of 2011.
Longton is within Stoke and has 2 platforms, though it's not really a Stoke station.

Redditch has a single platform and a population of 87,037 , so I think it wins this.

Cambridge had 2 through platforms with a scissor crossing and 4 bays. It now has 4 through and 4 bays. It could do with a couple more through platforms though. It’s not an very efficient design.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

When you take into account service levels, I think Mansfield wins this hands down. Remember Cambridge only had 1* through platform until the end of 2011.
Longton is within Stoke and has 2 platforms, though it's not really a Stoke station.

Redditch has a single platform and a population of 87,037 , so I think it wins this.

Also Crawley has Three Bridges on the Brighton Mainline with 5 platforms

 

[BeijingDave]

Cheltenham. Two platforms. Population of just under 120,000.

Warrington Central. Two platforms. 212,000, although it does have Bank Quay.

I don't think Warrington can count, when many locals don't even really consider Central the 'main station'.

My older family members, on the south side of town, will take a train from Bank Quay every time if they can (even to Manchester), partly ease of access, partly because there is more parking available.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

Bath ?
2 platforms and quite sizeable town / city / urban area.

That was my immediate thought.

Size of station seems at odds with the population and massive volume of tourists.

 

[Eskimo]

Leicester has 4 and is even bigger

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

Redditch with 1 platform and a population of 85,000 must be up there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==


Cambridge had 2 through platforms with a scissor crossing and 4 bays. It now has 4 through and 4 bays. It could do with a couple more through platforms though. It’s not an very efficient design.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==


Also Crawley has Three Bridges on the Brighton Mainline with 5 platforms

Hard to ignore Three Bridges really. I suppose entries/exits is useful for factually determining the ‘main’ station in an area like this. TB has about double the amount as Crawley!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

Leicester has 4 and is even bigger

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

Redditch with 1 platform and a population of 85,000 must be up there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==


Cambridge had 2 through platforms with a scissor crossing and 4 bays. It now has 4 through and 4 bays. It could do with a couple more through platforms though. It’s not an very efficient design.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==


Also Crawley has Three Bridges on the Brighton Mainline with 5 platforms

Great shout with Redditch!

Leicester’s a strong contender too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

I don't think Warrington can count, when many locals don't even really consider Central the 'main station'.

My older family members, on the south side of town, will take a train from Bank Quay every time if they can (even to Manchester), partly ease of access, partly because there is more parking available.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==



That was my immediate thought.

Size of station seems at odds with the population and massive volume of tourists.

Population of 94,000, which puts it at 1ptf per 47,000 people, however the 6,000,000+ annual footfall is impressive and definitely honourable for two platforms!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

For East Kilbride, though, there’s two stations with a total of three platforms if you include Hairmyres.

Based on entries and exits, EK takes the title as ‘main’ for the purpose of this thread. Scores quite highly too!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

Are we just looking at the "main" station for each location? And if so, can anyone tell me what the main station is in London? (pop 8.8 million)

Yes, and the ‘main’ station (if it was between two or three) would be the one with most entries and exits. London would be Waterloo, and probably including the underground and ‘Waterloo East’ in a total+ count too.

 

[pitdiver]

I agree. Mansfield has a population of 110,000 and the station has just 2 platforms. However, since EMR introduced reduced timetables during Covid, except for a couple of peak time extras, Mansfield only has 1tph each way Monday to Fridays. Due to very bad overcrowding the 2tph service has been reintroduced on Saturdays.

Then on Sundays the service only runs as far as Mansfield Woodhouse. Us in poor old Shirebrook and others are stuck.

 

[Eskimo]

As of this morning, here are the current rankings of all the suggestions. Of course Sunderland is a debate in itself, but personally I see it with 2 platforms!

Sunderland
Population: 277,000
Platforms 2 (for this debate)
Ratio: 1 to 138,500

Leicester
Population: 373,000
Platforms: 4
Ratio: 93,250

Stoke
Population: 260,000
Platforms: 3 (Stoke-on-Trent)
Ratio: 1 to 86,666

Redditch
Population: 82,000
Platforms 1
Ratio: 1 to 82,000

Corby
Population: 76,000
Platforms: 1
Ratio: 1 to 76,000

Middlesborough
Population: 150,000
Platforms: 2
Ratio: 1 to 75,000

East Kilbride
Population: 75,000
Platforms: 1
Ratio: 1 to 75,000

Southampton
Population: 252,000
Platforms: 4
Ratio: 1 to 63,000

Cheltenham Spa
Population: 120,000
Platforms: 2
Ratio: 1 to 60,000

Swansea
Population: 241,000
Platforms: 4
Ratio: 1 to 60,000

Merthyr Tydfil
Population: 59,000
Platforms: 1
Ratio: 1 to 59,000

Chelmsford
Population: 110,000
Platforms: 2
Ratio: 1 to 55,000

Mansfield
Population: 110,000
Platforms: 2
Ratio: 1 to 55,000

Bath
Population: 94,000
Platforms: 2
Ratio: 1 to 47,000

Oxford
Population: 160,000
Platforms: 4
Ratio: 1 to 40,000

Burton upon Trent
Population: 77,000
Platforms: 2
Ratio: 1 to 38,500

 

[The exile]

Bath ?
2 platforms and quite sizeable town / city / urban area.

About 60K permanent & 90K in term-time. However, Oldfield Park adds 2 more platforms (and sees more traffic on some of the peak time locals than the main station)

 

[rapmastaj]

Some of these such as Middlesbrough and Oxford could soon be seeing new platforms.

 

[Captain Bigwig]

Yes, and the ‘main’ station (if it was between two or three) would be the one with most entries and exits. London would be Waterloo, and probably including the underground and ‘Waterloo East’ in a total+ count too.

The station in London with the most entries/exits last year was Liverpool Street which has 19 platforms, giving a ratio of 463,000 people per platform.

If we go with Waterloo's combined total of 36 platforms (24 NR, 8 tube, 4 Waterloo East) we get 244,000 people per platform

 

[BeijingDave]

About 60K permanent & 90K in term-time. However, Oldfield Park adds 2 more platforms (and sees more traffic on some of the peak time locals than the main station)

We can't possibly be adding suburban/periphery stations though? Otherwise Warrington definitely wouldn't qualify with Warrington West, (the barely surviving Sankey), Padgate and Birchwood.

Southampton would fail on the same basis - there are about 6 or 7 stations in addition to Central.

 

[TheDavibob]

Poole is well up there, with two platforms for 150,000 or so people. Of course, there are three other stations in the town and it's effectively part of a metro-ish route for the larger conurbation, and Bournemouth station is bigger [though treating this as the station for the BCP conurbation gives 4 platforms / 400,000 people].

 

[satisnek]

I'm guessing that Worcester (pop. 104,000) has been left out because of confusion as to what is the 'main' station - is it the physically largest (2 and a bit platforms) or the busiest (2 platforms)?

 

[A S Leib]

Telford Central's two platforms for a town of 156,000 (1 platform per 78,000).

 

[Eskimo]

London wouldn’t really be what I’m looking for anyway though, I’m more intrigued by the smallest stations serving the biggest population (in very simple terms!)

Suburban stations would only be relevant for the suburban areas population, likewise the Worcester or Warrington debate would be referred to by which station has the most entries and exits in a year, to determine the ‘main’ - purely in the case of this discussion.

I had looked up Bradford, as it has either 4 or 3 (for now) and apparently a population of 500k, however I’m sure that’s not as it seems!

 

[Mat17]

I've been thinking about this. It's pretty straight forward if a town/city has one station, however, if there are multiple main stations of similar importance (say Bradford or Wakefield) should they not be combined for the purposes of this question?

So Wakefield would be thus divided by five platforms rather than simply the two at Westgate?

 

[Eskimo]

I've been thinking about this. It's pretty straight forward if a town/city has one station, however, if there are multiple main stations of similar importance (say Bradford or Wakefield) should they not be combined for the purposes of this question?

So Wakefield would be thus divided by five platforms rather than simply the two at Westgate?

Good point, but for simplicity drawing the lines at one station makes sense.

Doubling up or adding multiples to a towns’ platform count could get tricky.. for example if there were stations in the city boundaries that don’t share the host towns’ name (like Deansgate) would that be added to Manchester / Salfords (not sure which it falls into!) but then what if the rule was ‘namesake only’.. that would cause issues with places like Bristol (Parkway would be non city, even though it serves many Bristol commuters).. and would this include metro, Merseyrail etc?

I think for this debate we just should settle on one main station per town or city, and base it on entries or exits.

If that makes sense!

 

[Mat17]

Good point, but for simplicity drawing the lines at one station makes sense.

Doubling up or adding multiples to a towns’ platform count could get tricky.. for example if there were stations in the city boundaries that don’t share the host towns’ name (like Deansgate) would that be added to Manchester / Salfords (not sure which it falls into!) but then what if the rule was ‘namesake only’.. that would cause issues with places like Bristol (Parkway would be non city, even though it serves many Bristol commuters).. and would this include metro, Merseyrail etc?

I think for this debate we just should settle on one main station per town or city, and base it on entries or exits.

If that makes sense!

It does but how do you define the main station for the town? Easy enough to say Manchester Piccadilly is the main station there. What about Wakefield though?

 

[A S Leib]

It does but how do you define the main station for the town? Easy enough to say Manchester Piccadilly is the main station there. What about Wakefield though?

They said to base it on entries / exits, so Westgate in Wakefield's case.

 

[Eskimo]

It does but how do you define the main station for the town? Easy enough to say Manchester Piccadilly is the main station there. What about Wakefield though?

Checking the statistics from the ORR passenger numbers for 2023/24 and squaring it off against the other contender.

I just checked Worcester, and SH has around 500k entries and exits for that period, whereas FS has 1.75m for the same. Therefore FS (for this debate) takes the crown as the ‘main’ station. It’s the only fair way I can think of it!

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Merthyr Tydfil
Population: 59,000
Platforms: 1
Ratio: 1 to 59,000

Just to say if you're counting the population of Merthyr Tydfil as 59,000 you should also take into account the single platform stations of Pentrebach, Troedyrhiw, and the two platforms at each of Merthyr Vale and Quakers Yard.

This subject is getting complicated!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

... can anyone tell me what the main station is in London? (pop 8.8 million)

This reminds me of the Rev W. Awdry's railway series when some of the engines get into an argument as to whether 'the station' in London is called King's Cross, Euston or Paddington ("I know it is, I worked there", says Duck, the pannier tank). Eventually Gordon gets to go there and finds it's St Pancras.

 

[Thornaby 37]

Would Bedford St Johns and Wrexham Central fit the criteria for this thread ?
Both stations are single platforms two and three coaches long respectively, and both within walking distance of major town centres

 

[Some guy]

Blackburn definitely is a small station for a big town

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Blackburn definitely is a small station for a big town

What we looking at there? 4 platforms. ~ 155,000 population?

 

[fkofilee]

Crawley - 2 platforms, pop. 119,000

I disagree - We have 4 stations within the boundaries of Crawley

Gatwick Airport - 7
Three Bridges - 5
Ifield - 2
Crawley - 2

That's 16 platforms - To be fair, you could even include Horley in that due to its proximity towards Gatwick and between Crawley and Horley there is very little greenspace

 

[Eskimo]

Would Bedford St Johns and Wrexham Central fit the criteria for this thread ?
Both stations are single platforms two and three coaches long respectively, and both within walking distance of major town centres

Probably not, although the mainline station and Wrexham General would ‘qualify’ but probably wouldn’t challenge the top end of the list here!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jun 2025 ==

What we looking at there? 4 platforms. ~ 155,000 population?

I’m getting around 120,500 excluding Darwen borough, as Darwen has its own station that would qualify outright.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jun 2025 ==

A few new entries on the list!

Worcester
Population: 104,000
Platforms: 2 (Foregate Street)
Ratio: 1 to 52,000

Poole
Population: 141,000
Platforms: 2
Ratio: 1 to 70,500

Telford
Population: 156,000
Platforms: 2
Ratio: 1 to 78,000

Wakefield
Population: 110,000
Platforms: 2 (Westgate)
Ratio: 1 to 55,000

Coventry
Population: 345,000
Platforms: 4
Ratio: 1 to 86,250

Blackburn
Population: 120,500
Platforms: 4
Ratio: 1 to 30,125

 

[BingMan]

Stockport population 295,000
Platforms 4.5 (4 regular platforms and platform 0 which is only open at busy times)
Ratio 1:59000 or 1:73750

 

[BeijingDave]

What we looking at there? 4 platforms. ~ 155,000 population?

4 platforms doesn't seem small to me, really.

As mentioned above: Coventry, Leicester, Warrington Bank Quay, plus Bradford Interchange, Gloucester, Ipswich and probably a few others that we consider major stations also have 4 platforms.

 

[mangyiscute]

Northampton has 5 platforms which isn't too bad for its around 250k population but ultimately only 2 are used frequently.

 

[xotGD]

Gateshead
Population 200,000
No "BR" station with >2 platforms
Ratio 1:100,000

(OK, so Heworth has 4 platforms in total, but we are getting back into the Sunderland scenario, and Gateshead Metro station, serving the town centre only has 2)

Back in the day, Gateshead East and Gateshead West had a total of 4.

 

[vic-rijrode]

As of this morning, here are the current rankings of all the suggestions. Of course Sunderland is a debate in itself, but personally I see it with 2 platforms!

Sunderland
Population: 277,000
Platforms 2 (for this debate)
Ratio: 1 to 138,500

...

There is not only a debate on the physical v. "logical" platforms (currently 2 v. 3 in use...the fourth platform is too high for the new 555 T & W Metro units until Network Rail 'lift' the track). But to ameliorate the rail position in Sunderland, there are also 8 more Metro stations within the city limits, all with direct services to Newcastle Central Station as well as to Sunderland station itself.

In addition the population of Sunderland includes 50,000 in Washington (the original one) where the nearest heavy rail stations are Chester-le-Street and Heworth (neither particularly useful).

Of course the news that funding has been announced for the extention of the Metro to Washington could improve rail life for the denizens of Washington, but like the revival of the Leamside line, don't hold your breath....

 

[Web4160]

Burnley Central has 1 platform. Population of Burnley Borough is 94,435. (It does have two other stations of course).