Trivia: What are the UK's most awkward stations? (infrequent services)

[geofftech]

Hey all,

trying to compile a list of the stations in the UK that are the most awkward to get a train to or from. I'm not thinking of 'request only' stops, but instead the ones that just see a limited service.

Below are the ones I've got so far ... can anyone name any others to add to the list?? Many thanks!

Coombe Jcn Halt (two trains per day!)

Shippea Hill, Harling Road, Eccles Road, Spooner Row and Lakenheath

Berney Arms, Buceknham, Brundall Gardens

Polesworth (One train a day)
Gainsborough Central (3 trains only in each direction on Saturdays)

Stockport to Staylbridge, calling at Reddish South, Denton, Guide Bridge

Elton & Orston - One train a day each direction

Bordesley, one train a week on Saturday only

Pilning 08.36 eastbound to Taunton (Saturdays only), or 15:41 to Cardiff (Saturdays only)

British Steel Redcar, one train a day for workers

Tees-side Airport,County Durham - One train on Sunday's only

Polesworth 07:23, weekdays only

Pontefract Baghill, 1 train a day each way

Barry Links and Golf Street and Breich

--

cheers, Geoff.

 

[185143]

One train each way at Teeside Airport and Redcar British Steel.
Ince & Elton and Stanlow & Thornton have 4 per day in each direction too. (2 in Morning and 2 in the afternoon)

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[yorkie]

Pontefract Baghill, 1 train a day each way

2 services each way currently (though I thought it used to be 3 until recently?)

 

[philthetube]

Heysham Port, one each way, Monday to Saturday, But who would want more?

Sorry one direction only

 

[district]

Lympstone Commando: it's awkward in that you can only board or alight there if you have business in the military camp. Otherwise you could face being detained and questioned!

 

[DasLunatic]

cheers, Geoff.

Are you the bloke who does "Secrets of the Underground", or is this another Geoff elsewhere who uses the same name...?

What may be your channel...?


On topic, the stations between Reigate and Guildford are fairly difficult to get to. The calling pattern is sporadic and each station is served roughly bi-hourly - a low frequency for the Surrey commuter belt.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Spondon is hard to get to.

 

[TheEdge]

I'd take Brundall Gardens off your list. Almost every Norwich - Great Yarmouth train stops there in both directions as do a handful of Norwich - Lowestoft services.

Arguable Eccles and Harling Road both have a useable if slightly limited service, far better than most of that list.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Heysham Port, one each way, Monday to Saturday, But who would want more?

Heysham does, at least, have the two trains within 15 minutes of each other so you can easily visit, take photos and head back again. Or go to the Isle of Man.

 

[tsr]

I'd say Faygate, but the peak hour weekday service isn't actually too bad at the moment. The rest of the time it's atrocious, though.

You could certainly add Doleham to the list.

 

[sciisfun]

Lympstone Commando: it's awkward in that you can only board or alight there if you have business in the military camp. Otherwise you could face being detained and questioned!

is that still the case with the new cycleway? as it intersects the land between the two sites. Also detaining and questioning is an urban legend, unless you are specifically taking photos of the camp, but that's the same for almost any military base!

 

[LowLevel]

Spondon is hard to get to.

It's got reasonable service in the morning peak and the odd other trains dotted about the day and evening! Very much a local station for commuters rather than a destination though. Does get a few travelling to Rolls Royce there.

Having checked, it is served by 20 trains per day, 10 each way, concentrated on commuter times but with some late night services too, so I'd say it was served fairly well considering it's location on a busy, fast route.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Peartree has just 2 trains per day in each direction.

 

[cactustwirly]

Whitley Bridge, Hensall, Snaith & Whitley Bridge: 3 services a day

 

[bramling]

is that still the case with the new cycleway? as it intersects the land between the two sites. Also detaining and questioning is an urban legend, unless you are specifically taking photos of the camp, but that's the same for almost any military base!

I'm pretty sure the general consensus is there's not much anyone can do if you alight at the station and then board a subsequent service, as the station is Network Rail property. However I seem to recall it was suggested that it would be good practice to phone the security hut to avoid being hassled.

Not seen anything official, but I presume the same applies at British Steel Redcar. The difference being that the wait for a subsequent service there is rather longer than at Lympstone Commando! Somewhere along the line I do wish to visit British Steel Redcar - I suppose on a fine day it's as good a place as any to spend a few hours reading a good book! Has anyone actually done such, and were they hassled by the steelworks security?

 

[185143]

I'm pretty sure the general consensus is there's not much anyone can do if you alight at the station and then board a subsequent service, as the station is Network Rail property. However I seem to recall it was suggested that it would be good practice to phone the security hut to avoid being hassled.

Not seen anything official, but I presume the same applies at British Steel Redcar. The difference being that the wait for a subsequent service there is rather longer than at Lympstone Commando! Somewhere along the line I do wish to visit British Steel Redcar - I suppose on a fine day it's as good a place as any to spend a few hours reading a good book! Has anyone actually done such, and were they hassled by the steelworks security?

I alighted and left the site no trouble at all! Security guard looked up as I walked past and carried on making a brew!

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[greaterwest]

Newhaven Marine?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Whitley Bridge, Hensall, Snaith & Rawcliffe: 3 services a day

Until around '04, there use to be a journey that left Leeds around 12pm which was then cut back to Knottingley from '04 onwards. I wonder if there is a market for a shopper into Leeds by rail, if not then Snaith Town Council could promote it.

 

[Jimini]

Are you the bloke who does "Secrets of the Underground", or is this another Geoff elsewhere who uses the same name...?

What may be your channel...?


On topic, the stations between Reigate and Guildford are fairly difficult to get to. The calling pattern is sporadic and each station is served roughly bi-hourly - a low frequency for the Surrey commuter belt.

Unless someone's nicked his username then I believe it is indeed Geoff of Londonist fame.

 

[gazthomas]

Llandudno Junction - miserable staff

 

[Kite159]

British Steel Redcar

1 service each way per weekday, with the station in private property (the former steel works).

At least with the others you can 'escape' by foot or bike without the worry of security, especially if you come to the entrance gate to find it locked closed

 

[Tim R-T-C]

No mention of Norton Bridge(!)

Otherwise, I think Teeside Airport tops the list with only two calls a week, at least one of which has been reported by a passenger onboard, not to actually make the stop at the station. Even the chap who did every station in Britain lately had to get here by car.


Lonely view by Timothy Young, on Flickr

You can also add Manchester United Football Ground, which is only served on match day (although may be unused at present due to security issues) and Stanlow & Thornton, located in an oil refinery with few services and tight security (reached by these bloggers).

 

[Kite159]

No mention of Norton Bridge(!)

Otherwise, I think Teeside Airport tops the list with only two calls a week, at least one of which has been reported by a passenger onboard, not to actually make the stop at the station. Even the chap who did every station in Britain lately had to get here by car.


Lonely view by Timothy Young, on Flickr

Teeside Airport is easy compared to others as Dinsdale isn't that far away.

Acklington on the other hand...

 

[gnolife]

Pegswood, Widdrington, and Acklington all have 2 southbound and a northbound service Monday to Saturday. Chathill has 2 arrivals and 2 departures each day (with it functioning as a terminus)

Eastrington and Wressle get 2 services each way Monday to Saturday, with Broomfleet and Saltmarshe not doing too much better.

I also think theres a few stations on the Barnstaple line with very poor service.

 

[Clansman]

Balmossie - Barry Links - Golf Street.

3 of the most pointless stations in existence.

No wonder they didn't receive more frequent services with Monifieth and Broughty Ferry a couple of years back.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Whitley Bridge, Hensall, Snaith & Whitley Bridge: 3 services a day

Whitley Bridge... so good they named it twice!

 

[bramling]

No mention of Norton Bridge(!)

Otherwise, I think Teeside Airport tops the list with only two calls a week, at least one of which has been reported by a passenger onboard, not to actually make the stop at the station. Even the chap who did every station in Britain lately had to get here by car.


Lonely view by Timothy Young, on Flickr

You can also add Manchester United Football Ground, which is only served on match day (although may be unused at present due to security issues) and Stanlow & Thornton, located in an oil refinery with few services and tight security (reached by these bloggers).

I didn't have any difficulties at Stanlow, just alighted off the train, and hung around for the half hour or so until the train turned up again, taking photos in the process including outside the station. This was about 5 or 6 years ago so things may be different now. I'm not totally sure what jurasdiction 'security' has hassling people within the station at least, as presumably that is all NR property. At one time Oil Sites Road was permitted to be used by anyone - I'm sure I remember reading it was allegedly closed to unauthorised traffic due to persistent speeding issues - that was the official line anyway.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I alighted and left the site no trouble at all! Security guard looked up as I walked past and carried on making a brew!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Out of interest, did you leave the station straight away, or did you hang around for a while? Ideally I'd like to spend some time taking photos.

I can tolerate being there all day if it allows me to achieve the objective of getting some photos, but I don't want to be hassled. Obviously there's also the issue of having a fallback plan if the evening train doesn't materialise, but from what you say it sounds like that's covered.

 

[Gathursty]

Otherwise, I think Teeside Airport tops the list with only two calls a week, at least one of which has been reported by a passenger onboard, not to actually make the stop at the station. Even the chap who did every station in Britain lately had to get here by car.

It's hard to get travel by train to these stations if they're not local to you. If you've driven most of the way to the station, you might as well just keep going. I'd recommend a car over walking all the way through the airport. A lay-by with a set of steps on the A road a la Hubberts Bridge would be a cheap but massive improvement however there is no point as the station is sited in a rubbish spot.

 

[185143]

I didn't have any difficulties at Stanlow, just alighted off the train, and hung around for the half hour or so until the train turned up again, taking photos in the process including outside the station. This was about 5 or 6 years ago so things may be different now. I'm not totally sure what jurasdiction 'security' has hassling people within the station at least, as presumably that is all NR property. At one time Oil Sites Road was permitted to be used by anyone - I'm sure I remember reading it was allegedly closed to unauthorised traffic due to persistent speeding issues - that was the official line anyway.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Out of interest, did you leave the station straight away, or did you hang around for a while? Ideally I'd like to spend some time taking photos.

I can tolerate being there all day if it allows me to achieve the objective of getting some photos, but I don't want to be hassled. Obviously there's also the issue of having a fallback plan if the evening train doesn't materialise, but from what you say it sounds like that's covered.

It was dark, very windy and very cold and I had to get back to Manchester that evening so I got the hell out of there!

It was creepy standing on the platform watching the train depart, staring at a fully lit, but silent, steelworks let me tell you! Then I remembered it was my last Northern station and got a bit happy[emoji1]

I alighted the evening train by the way, and only around 6 weeks after the site had closed.

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[thenorthern]

Peartree used to be quite bad as the footpath down to the stations was full of trash and brambles but its got better recently although there is an intercom to enter the station with is rather unique.