Trivia: Stations with access only on to one side of the tracks and which require a long trek to cross to the other side of the railway line

[deltic]

What railways stations are only accessible from one side of a town? A recent visit to Hartlepool is an example of a station that only serves the town centre. To get to the sea front and new marina developments it is a long trek round to cross the railway as there is no exit from the station on that side of the station.

Any other examples where putting in a new exit would greatly improve accessibility?

 

[Dr Hoo]

At the risk of stating the obvious, many 'terminal' stations suffer from that issue. E.g. it isn't particularly easy to access London Euston from the Camden direction or Brighton from some northern parts of the town.

 

[JonathanH]

At the risk of stating the obvious, many 'terminal' stations suffer from that issue. E.g. it isn't particularly easy to access London Euston from the Camden direction or Brighton from some northern parts of the town.

I wouldn't really put either Euston or Brighton in the same category as Hartlepool as both Euston and Brighton can be accessed from each side of the station at the terminus end (and indeed Brighton has access to the side of platform 8. The big issue comes when there isn't a nearby bridge or underpass to the station.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What railways stations are only accessible from one side of a town? A recent visit to Hartlepool is an example of a station that only serves the town centre. To get to the sea front and new marina developments it is a long trek round to cross the railway as there is no exit from the station on that side of the station.

Any other examples where putting in a new exit would greatly improve accessibility?

Peterborough is one like that. There's a staff exit on the "other" side but not a passenger one, though there is a plan to add one (may already be done).

Bletchley. And the EWR work isn't even going to add one, though the Council is looking at it.

 

[MadMac]

Stirling, especially since the Alloa reopening. I don’t think there’s an exit on the east side?

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Doncaster, it's awkward to walk to west half of town.

 

[Lewlew]

Bletchley. And the EWR work isn't even going to add one, though the Council is looking at it.

That's interesting to read. I assumed they would be putting one in. Anything to relief that narrow staircase down to the ticket office would be good.

 

[melon68]

Newcastle, although there were plans a few years ago to open up an entrance on the south side to the "Stephenson Quarter" of the city

 

[The exile]

For the moment, Bristol Temple Meads - though there's not much immediately on the far side of the tracks to access!

 

[seagull]

Depends on the definition of "long trek" but Chester and Stafford both require a bit of a detour to access the non-entrance side.

 

[Peter0124]

Coatbridge Central

 

[Magdalia]

Cambridge and Ely both only have entrances on the down side, coupled with the bridge/subway to the island platform being a long walk from the gateline.

But neither are going to get up side entrances, Cambridge because of the distance to Rustat Road and Ely because there's nothing there.

 

[vic-rijrode]

Watford Junction (if you discount the car park where the old steam shed used to be) - although there is not much on the north east side.

 

[johnnychips]

Doncaster, it's awkward to walk to west half of town.

There isn’t really a west side of town. Beyond platform 8 is the Plant, the canal, the prison and the river!

 

[Dr_Paul]

North Sheen -- The footbridge up from the station (an island platform a hundred or so yards from a level crossing), which originally had steps down on both sides of the track to paths leading to the road, now has steps down only to the north side path. Anyone approaching from the south side has to cross the tracks on the level crossing and then use the footbridge via the northern path. Things are easier now that a second footbridge has been built by the level crossing (this took a mere 20 or so years to be built), but to reach the station from the south, when the level crossing gates are down (as they often are), one needs to use both footbridges, the first to cross both lines, the second to cross the up line to get to the platform.

 

[mailbyrail]

It's a long way from the Bedford Down fast platform to housing in Queens Park which overlooks the platform

 

[Iskra]

Both Wakefield stations.

 

[chris_in_salop]

Walsall

 

[keppoch69]

Would Dyfi Junction fit?

 

[mrcheek]

Until a few years ago, Leeds.
Very awkward for all the people staying in the mass of hotels on the south side of the station. Thankfully they now have a southern entrance.

Bristol temple Meads can only be accessed from the west. But I dont think its really an issue

 

[daodao]

Whitchurch (Cardiff), which was my local station for over 20 years. The single platform is not accessible directly from the estate of flats (Curlew Close) built in the late 1960s on the rest of the former station site.

 

[A0wen]

Milton Keynes Central - to get into the station from the estates on the west side means either walking to a bridge 200-300 yeards to the south and there's no vehicular access to the west side.

 

[Llandudno]

Llandudno Junction, you can see the cinema and fast food restaurants but can’t access them from the station, long detour to walk over a large, busy roundabout.

Mind you most of the buses in the area don’t serve the cinema either!

 

[rower40]

It got a bit easier to access Rustat Road (Cambridge) when the cycle bridge went in, in 1989. I left Cambridge for Derby in 1988...

And when I arrived in Derby, it was impossible to reach the other side of the tracks from the station, unless you had a pass to use the bridges to the Loco Works and Etches Park. Now Pride Park is open to all.

 

[jopsuk]

Stirling, especially since the Alloa reopening. I don’t think there’s an exit on the east side?

The eastern entrance (at the end of platform 9/10) had shut long before the Alloa reopening- but there's a totem there

Cambridge and Ely both only have entrances on the down side, coupled with the bridge/subway to the island platform being a long walk from the gateline.

But neither are going to get up side entrances, Cambridge because of the distance to Rustat Road and Ely because there's nothing there.

an eastern entrance to Cambridge has been an aspiration of the Local Plan for a while. The bridge to platform 7/8 was built such that it can be extended (there was also an aspiration to extend the other way and have an entrance from the cycle parking), and it would be specifically not served by motor traffic but require a further cycle parking facility. Car parking in the streets west of Coleridge Road is already restricted with plans to roll that out further.

At Ely, there's about five houses within walking distance to the east of the railway

 

[didcotdean]

Didcot. No exit of any kind northwards and by road vehicle no northbound route to cross the railway close by, either requiring about a mile deviation. Direct northern pedestrian (and possibly cycle) access has come up now and again in developments but nothing comes of it. 'Fixing' the latter was last estimated to cost £50M so is unlikely ever to happen.

 

[Peter0124]

An estate in Shieldmuir requires a MILE long walk to the station when the platforms are approx 60 metres as the crow flies

 

[MadMac]

The eastern entrance (at the end of platform 9/10) had shut long before the Alloa reopening- but there's a totem there

I don't think I worded it particularly well. Point I was making was that prior to Alloa reopening, there was minimal use of the through platforms on that side and consequently less chance of foot traffic wanting to exit over there.

 

[Falcon1200]

Didcot. No exit of any kind northwards and by road vehicle no northbound route to cross the railway close by, either requiring about a mile deviation. Direct northern pedestrian (and possibly cycle) access has come up now and again in developments but nothing comes of it. 'Fixing' the latter was last estimated to cost £50M so is unlikely ever to happen.

It would be interesting to know how such access would be achieved (bridge or tunnel), given that between Didcot station and the area north there are sidings, the Great Western Society (GWS) and the avoiding line ! Although such a scheme could also have provided step free access to the GWS, hopefully without destroying its character.

When I first started travelling through Didcot in 1972, all that was north of the station was fields, perhaps the subsequent developments should only have been allowed if a substantial contribution was made towards north-side station access ?

 

[Western Lord]

It would be interesting to know how such access would be achieved (bridge or tunnel), given that between Didcot station and the area north there are sidings, the Great Western Society (GWS) and the avoiding line ! Although such a scheme could also have provided step free access to the GWS, hopefully without destroying its character.

When I first started travelling through Didcot in 1972, all that was north of the station was fields, perhaps the subsequent developments should only have been allowed if a substantial contribution was made towards north-side station access ?

A quick glance at a map shows that there is absolutely no need for a northern exit at Didcot. Immediately north of the station, across the tracks of the GWS and the avoiding line are just the playing fields of a leisure centre. Access to the residential area to the east of these is entirely satisfactory by turning left along Station Road, then north along Cow Lane.