Trivia: Station Names that differ by one letter (or near offer)

[Parallel]

Swinton and Swindon

 

[bramling]

Such as:
Roydon and Croydon
Cambridge and Fambridge
Buxton, Cuxton and Euxton

Of course, it doesn't have to be the first letter;
Kemble and Kimble
and, my personal favourite,
Wallington, Wellington and Willington.

Shalford and Shelford. Been caught out by that one when booking office got it wrong.

 

[Acfb]

Burnside and Burneside

 

[JamesC357]

Diss and Liss

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Didn’t stop a passenger once turning up at Clacton with a day return to Clapton. “Thought it was a bit cheap“ was their only comment when asked to cough up the difference.

For a long time I thought London buses displaying Clapton were heading to the seaside...

 

[hermit]

Ashley and Ashey (IW Steam Railway)

Watford (LU) and Catford

Howden and Cowden

 

[ABB125]

Wilnecote near Tamworth and Wilmcote towards Stratford (I think I've spelt them correctly, in which case there's two letters' difference!).

 

[59CosG95]

Tamworth and Tadworth.
Surprised this one didn't pop up earlier!

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

Here is a list of some where you can change only the first letter and it becomes a different station:
Lye Rye Wye
Darton Marton Parton
Dalton Malton Walton
Denton Kenton Renton
Barnham Farnham Warnham
Cottingham Nottingham Mottingham
Batley Gatley
Billingham Gillingham
Borth Porth
Bosham Cosham
Boston Moston
Buxton Cuxton
Cowden Howden
Darlington Harlington
Dartford Hartford
Denham Lenham
Diss Liss
Fareham Wareham
Foxton Hoxton
Goole Poole
Gorton Yorton
Hatton Yatton
Horley Morley
Selling Welling

 

[SargeNpton]

Witton and Whitton

 

[mailbyrail]

Leeds and Lewes just about fits the criteria

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

We used to have Bexhill and Boxhill.
(Boxhill was often used in preference to the full name which was Boxhill and Westhumble.)

In 2006 Southern changed the name of the latter to Box Hill and Westhumble (with the 'Box Hill' part as two words) to make the spelling consistent with the nearby National Trust property and also to avoid confusion with the town on the south coast.

You do occasionally find the old spelling in various railway databases (and also online), but not in a way that generally that causes confusion.

 

[Gloster]

Although not quite one letter, I used to have to explain that I was going to Lymington via Southampton, not Leamington.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Walsden and Walkden. And sometimes served by the same train

 

[DorkingMain]

Back when I worked for SWR we used to get a huge number of passengers confused between Farnham and Fareham. Woking was one of the worst places for this

 

[gnolife]

Johnstone and Johnston
Howwood and How Wood

 

[Graham H]

Branksome and Parkstone also next to each other even better.

Parkstone and Pokesdown not quite next to each other but only 6 miles apart and very similar sounding I asked for a ticket to the former and got one to the latter not that I noticed. This digresses a bit from the posting and I know similar sounding stations has featured before although my worst experience was asking for a ticket from Gatwick to Emsworth (Hampshire) and being charged £100 plus because the guy (English not his first language I would have surmised) thought I said Edinburgh.

Although not quite one letter, I used to have to explain that I was going to Lymington via Southampton, not Leamington.

yes ones accent can cause confusion dont you know !

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Chapeltown and Chapelton
Oxford and Otford
Penryn and Penrhyn (Ffestiniog)

 

[steamybrian]

Dore and Ore
Deal and Dean

 

[rower40]

Long, Little, Nun, and Water.
The Eaton family.

 

[Wookiee]

Twickenham and Ickenham for a near offer?

 

[gg1]

Alton/Aston/Acton

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Alton/Aston/Acton

No station called just Acton unfortunately.

Tisbury/Tilbury is similar, with the latter having additional words in both its stations (East Tilbury and Tilbury Town)

Andover and Llandovery are two letters different (Ll being one letter).

 

[gg1]

No station called just Acton unfortunately.

*checks wikipedia*

Oh yes

 

[61653 HTAFC]

A couple more...
Darton and Dalton
Honley and Henley (if you disregard the "-on-Thames" of the latter)

Here is a list of some where you can change only the first letter and it becomes a different station:
Lye Rye Wye
Darton Marton Parton
Dalton Malton Walton
Denton Kenton Renton
Barnham Farnham Warnham
Cottingham Nottingham Mottingham
Batley Gatley
Billingham Gillingham
Borth Porth
Bosham Cosham
Boston Moston
Buxton Cuxton
Cowden Howden
Darlington Harlington
Dartford Hartford
Denham Lenham
Diss Liss
Fareham Wareham
Foxton Hoxton
Goole Poole
Gorton Yorton
Hatton Yatton
Horley Morley
Selling Welling

Also Gargrave - Wargrave

 

[steamybrian]

Hamstead and
Hampstead.... (LT station)

Ilford and Milford

Olton and Alton

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Herford (Germany), Hereford, Hertford, Hartford
Are the last two pronounced identically?

 

[Nymanic]

Salford and Salfords

 

[32475]

Perth and Porth

 

[joeneat]

Another to go with Howden, Horden.