Trivia - what's the largest town in Britain where the station has only one platform?

[DavidGrain]

I would go with Redditch with a population of 110,000, only one station and that has one platform. Also the borough is fairly compact so there is no argument about the local authority covering more than the single town after which it is named.

 

[D365]

No, it isn’t. AIUI the track had to be doubled to allow the necessary train frequency in the area, but a second platform wasn’t ever on the agenda.
(A number of posts in an earlier thread about Corby in these forums reckoned it was happening when the project first surfaced around 2014, but it seems to me it was always in doubt.)

Ah, that’s where my misunderstanding stemmed from.

 

[Kingspanner]

For the sake of accuracy, Billingham is in the borough of Stockton on Tees.

You know, I thought it was, then got carried away by a map on wikipedia.
MUST BE MORE CAREFUL...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Where would somewhere like Castleford fit into this? The station technically has two platforms but one of them is disused.

 

[Esker-pades]

Where would somewhere like Castleford fit into this? The station technically has two platforms but one of them is disused.

It's pretty high. The 2011 population was ~40k.

 

[Whistler40145]

Would Wrexham Central count?

 

[Parallel]

Exmouth reportedly had a population of 34,432 in 2011 and has one platform.

Barnstaple was 24,033 (in 2011) but serves as a railhead for a larger area.

 

[duffield]

Exmouth reportedly had a population of 34,432 in 2011 and has one platform.

Barnstaple was 24,033 (in 2011) but serves as a railhead for a larger area.

Exmouth had (as far as I remember) 4 platforms when I first visited, but only one was in use. I've got some 'analogue' photos somewhere...

 

[Glenn1969]

Exmouth had 4 platforms before Beeching shut the railway beyond it to Budleigh Salterton, Littleham and Sidmouth but nowadays has only 1

 

[duffield]

Exmouth had 4 platforms before Beeching shut the railway beyond it to Budleigh Salterton, Littleham and Sidmouth but nowadays has only 1

The 4 platform station with the overgrown trackbed existed well past the Beeching era.
I walked the start of the closed Budleigh Salterton line when I was there (in about 1978), and the old station with the 4 platforms was still nearly all there - at the time the exit from the new station involved walking round the end of the old platforms - but the new single platform station had been built in/over the west corner of the old station. I think the old station building was then occupied by a carpet store or a motor parts shop. All gone now of course.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Would Wrexham Central count?

Probably not, because with General also serving the town there's more than one platform face in total.

 

[DavidGrain]

Would Wrexham Central count?

I think that would be ruled out in the same way that Stourbridge Town would be ruled out. You have Wrexham General in the same town in the same way that Stourbridge Junction is in the same town as Stourbridge Town Station and in both cases it is just a short train ride between them

Edit I had written this earlier but forgot to post it