Trivia: Stations Not Relative To Settlement(s) They Serve - Size, Facilties, etc.

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Hi all.

Firstly, apologies if there is already a thread on this topic. I did try looking but I couldn't find anything.



What are some stations that aren't relative to the settlement(s) they serve? This may be in size, e.g. large town, tiny station; facilities, e.g. station with many facilities, small village - or anything else.

One that springs to mind is Newmarket. The town itself is of a decent size (20k population) and is somewhat prestigious, often regarded as the "home of horse racing." The station, however, is a bit dire, with one platform and not too many facilities. It's also hidden down an alley on a residential street!

I look forward to hearing some ideas!



(Also, apologies about the horrible, tedious title - it was rather difficult to think of one which summed up the topic in just a few words!)

Good luck!

 

[PG]

I'll go with Westbury which when compared with nearby Trowbridge has a much more impressive station even though population wise it is half the size.

Two 600 foot island platforms (only 3 faces in use since 1985) with buildings on both. Trowbridge has two single platforms, one with buildings while the other has only a shelter.

 

[yorksrob]

Hi all.

Firstly, apologies if there is already a thread on this topic. I did try looking but I couldn't find anything.



What are some stations that aren't relative to the settlement(s) they serve? This may be in size, e.g. large town, tiny station; facilities, e.g. station with many facilities, small village - or anything else.

One that springs to mind is Newmarket. The town itself is of a decent size (20k population) and is somewhat prestigious, often regarded as the "home of horse racing." The station, however, is a bit dire, with one platform and not too many facilities. It's also hidden down an alley on a residential street!

I look forward to hearing some ideas!



(Also, apologies about the horrible, tedious title - it was rather difficult to think of one which summed up the topic in just a few words!)

Good luck!

From the pictures, i believe that Newmarket station used to be quite grandiose at one stage but has sadly succumbed to cost cutting.

 

[xotGD]

Blackpool South. Not the greatest start to your holidays.

 

[Bald Rick]

Blackpool South. Not the greatest start to your holidays.

Oh I don’t know. Quite a relief for those that live there heading off to somewhere nice!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hellifield is fairly large for the small village it serves, though it's really intended as an interchange. Though the village it serves is a bit bigger than it looks, I drove through it a few days ago for the first time, it looks much smaller from the train as the station is right on the edge - a bit like Cheddington or something.

Tring is potentially one, but really it would be better named "Home Counties Parkway" or something, it doesn't primarily serve the town/village (forget what it is) which is a couple of miles away, but rather people drive to it from miles around, even Aylesbury where the service is quicker than Chiltern, I think a bit cheaper and Euston is in a more useful location than Marylebone.

The ultimate one, if we're allowed outside the UK, is Canfranc! Need to go and see that at some point, though today's station is a bit more becoming of the 2 DMUs it now gets per day, a short platform with a bus shelter I believe.

Crewe would be another one - a very large station (albeit with extremely poor facilities given its situation, as there's not an awful lot immediately near it) in a small town - but again that's because of it being an interchange.

 

[DelW]

Hellifield, as a disproportionately large station relative to the size of the village it's named after?
(Oops, Bletchleyite claimed it while I was typing )

 

[LeeLivery]

Corby. Population of 62,000 as of 2010 (probably ~70k now), with only 1 platform. Compare to Wellingborough or even Newark and Grantham, and it's clear the town really does have a poor deal. Obviously, its rail location isn't ideal and they're getting a service upgrade but it still won't really be good enough for a settlement of that size.

 

[Iskra]

Crewe, Doncaster, Preston, Peterborough, Carlisle, Perth, Barnetby etc are all rather large stations for places with populations that aren't massive due to railway geography.

 

[Parallel]

Crewe would be another one - a very large station (albeit with extremely poor facilities given its situation, as there's not an awful lot immediately near it) in a small town - but again that's because of it being an interchange.

Just out of interest, why do you think Crewe has poor facilities? I thought Crewe generally has good facilities, with plenty of places to eat, a good sized indoor waiting area and toilet facilities available.

—

I’d nominate Melksham, it only has a small bus shelter and a ticket machine, but does only get one train every two hours which was an improvement on before.

Newquay is another. Although it’s at the end of a branch line, the station is underwhelming, especially considering the long distance summer traffic.

 

[Mag_seven]

This thread reminds me of these threads which may give some examples:

TRIVIA: Nice stations in grotty towns!

As a companion to DarloRich's thread about stations which let their location down, how about the opposite: stations which write cheques that the location can't cash? :wink: I'll start off with: Dewsbury Bridgwater Barnsley

www.railforums.co.uk

TRIVIA - Grotty stations in nice towns

I traveled, by train, to Harrogate on Saturday and was very disappointed by the station compared to the genteel nature of the town in question. It is a lovely town but the station seems horrible and such a let down. The tower block and car park just seem so out of keeping and the station...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Llandudno]

On the North Wales Coast there are some grand old stations with plenty of trains still calling there but no branch line trains to interchange onto anymore:

Rhyl, Colwyn Bay and Bangor

Llandudno Station, although not as big as it used to be has recently had an excellent major refurbishment, unfortunately the main station building along with ticket office closes at around 3pm every day so returning day trippers, shoppers and commuters can’t get the benefit of it!

 

[Bald Rick]

Tring is potentially one, but really it would be better named "Home Counties Parkway" or something, it doesn't primarily serve the town/village (forget what it is) which is a couple of miles away

Tring is a town, but the much closer Aldbury is a village (and has an excellent set of pubs and cafes, worth a visit).

 

[route101]

East Kilbride , one platform , service every half hour for a town with a poplulation of 80k

 

[aliceh]

Brockenhurst. 4 platforms serving a village of 3500 people (though admittedly it handles college traffic during the week and serves as the terminus for the Lymington line plus a place for faster services to overtake)

 

[swt_passenger]

Brockenhurst. 4 platforms serving a village of 3500 people (though admittedly it handles college traffic during the week and serves as the terminus for the Lymington line plus a place for faster services to overtake)

Was also the junction with the line to Ringwood and Poole via Wimborne, closed 1964.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just out of interest, why do you think Crewe has poor facilities? I thought Crewe generally has good facilities, with plenty of places to eat, a good sized indoor waiting area and toilet facilities available.

Selection of retail very poor (basically just WHS voucher shop and Upper Crust, though there is if I recall also another coffee place with very short opening hours). Waiting rooms small and basic. Pub rubbish and closes very early. Platform areas draughty and old-fashioned. We've moved on from the 1970s, Crewe hasn't.

To be fair, Bristol Temple Meads has far more passengers and is similarly awful in that regard, though is at least nice at platform level. And Preston is quite similar to Crewe in terms of lack of facilities (indeed, in many ways has a similar overall feel to it), but unlike Crewe is very near the city centre where you can go instead.

 

[swt_passenger]

Hi all...

(Also, apologies about the horrible, tedious title - it was rather difficult to think of one which summed up the topic in just a few words!)

Good luck!

“Stations and their facilities inappropriate to their current role” for your consideration...

 

[yorksrob]

Selection of retail very poor (basically just WHS voucher shop and Upper Crust, though there is if I recall also another coffee place with very short opening hours). Waiting rooms small and basic. Pub rubbish and closes very early. Platform areas draughty and old-fashioned. We've moved on from the 1970s, Crewe hasn't.

To be fair, Bristol Temple Meads has far more passengers and is similarly awful in that regard, though is at least nice at platform level. And Preston is quite similar to Crewe in terms of lack of facilities (indeed, in many ways has a similar overall feel to it), but unlike Crewe is very near the city centre where you can go instead.

I'm very fond of the platform areas at Crewe. Light and spacious, but also well covered.

The retail and refreshements side of things needs improvement though.

 

[matchmaker]

Tyndrum. Two stations, population of 167!

 

[Bald Rick]

Tyndrum. Two stations, population of 167!

I’m astonished it’s that few. If so, I must have met them all!

 

[S&CLER]

Maybe not quite what the OP had in mind, or in the UK, but the village of Collooney in Co. Sligo once had 3 stations on 3 converging lines for a population of not much more than 1000.

 

[Murray J]

the original christ's hospital station, which originally had 7 platforms, despite being located fairly far away from Horsham and in an area which was essentially only Christ's hospital. even today, the station is 1.7 miles away from the town centre, although admittedly it was a junction station.

 

[xotGD]

I'm very fond of the platform areas at Crewe. Light and spacious, but also well covered.

The retail and refreshements side of things needs improvement though.

As long as there is somewhere to buy a coffee (and somewhere to deal with the consequences of drinking it) then happy days.

Do we really need 10 coffee outlets on the same station, like some places seem to have?

 

[yorksrob]

As long as there is somewhere to buy a coffee (and somewhere to deal with the consequences of drinking it) then happy days.

Or a decent beer (currently lacking).

 

[SteveM70]

Do we really need 10 coffee outlets on the same station, like some places seem to have?

One is fine, as long as it isn’t a Pumpkin cafe

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Shotton (pop 54,000). The biggest town on the North Wales line, yet the station is extremely basic despite being an interchange. Fast services don't even stop there and there are no timetabled connections.

 

[xotGD]

One is fine, as long as it isn’t a Pumpkin cafe

I find their coffee to be OK. When the only option is Starbucks that's when I might wish there was a choice.

 

[xotGD]

Bradford FS is very lacking in facilities. At least Interchange has a Greggs.

Neither is up to scratch for a major city.

 

[route101]

Selection of retail very poor (basically just WHS voucher shop and Upper Crust, though there is if I recall also another coffee place with very short opening hours). Waiting rooms small and basic. Pub rubbish and closes very early. Platform areas draughty and old-fashioned. We've moved on from the 1970s, Crewe hasn't.

To be fair, Bristol Temple Meads has far more passengers and is similarly awful in that regard, though is at least nice at platform level. And Preston is quite similar to Crewe in terms of lack of facilities (indeed, in many ways has a similar overall feel to it), but unlike Crewe is very near the city centre where you can go instead.

Preston , changed there many times , during the day is ok but after 6pm most things in Preston are shut.