UK's 'best and worst' railway stations named

[B&I]

And I'm surprised at where Liverpool Lime Street is on the list. The queues at the ticket office can get long at times, and the ticket office staff aren't that good. At least the new ticket barriers are better than the bottleneck that used to occur, but the gateline staff still just grunt at you!

And there's been no ATM's there for months. They were in a stupid place anyway, halfway up platform 7! The retail and catering options aren't too good for such a large station.

+1 re Lime Street. It is a joke of a terminus for a city with so many rail passengers. The retail offer and passenger accommodation are poor, staff facilities needlessly occupy the best positions for passenger ones, and there's not even enough room for a Pendolino's worth of passengers to queue for a London service without blocking the entire concourse.

One thing I would say is that the Merseyrail staff in the low level ticket office are invariably friendlier, more helpful and more numerous than the Northern ones upstairs.

 

[B&I]

Apologies repeated post

 

[JWB_]

I don't see why Hull is 9th from bottom. It seems perfectly ok to me and no barriers.

I honestly can't see why Hull is so low in the list. It's a easy to navigate, realtivly nice looking station right next to the city centre. The survey wasn't based on the destinations of the station (which would probably be a reason for hull to lose some points), so it puzzles me to see it so low.

 

[PeterY]

I know St Pancras resembles an airport departure area, in my opinion but it seems a very relaxed place, even just to wander though. Thumbs up. . Deserves to be at the top.

I wasn't impressed with Liverpool Lime street. I didn't use the toilets there at 30p but walked into Whetherspoons next door for a free pee.

The worst station I came across recently was Edinburgh, even I got confused with the platform numbering especially being my first visit to the station.

 

[urbophile]

Quite possibly because the domestic provision is actually quite poor, being a long walk away and with an inadequate amount of platforms. I'd take St Pancras if I wanted to stand looking at a fancy building, I'd take Euston if I wanted a functional station (albeit with an entirely avoidable silly scrum).

And Marylebone...that of course is the gentleman's London terminus.

St Pancras: for architecture (though that is as much for the Scott hotel as the station itself), five stars.
for the Eurostar terminal: three stars: it's an efficient airport-style check in, but then you spend the next half hour or so in a soulless cavern.
for the domestic platforms: I have never used them but I'd guess maybe two stars, going on the long walk to get there, and the bleak and utilitarian appearance when you do.

Marylebone is a (wonderful) time warp: especially travelling from there to Birmingham Moor Street.

As for Liverpool Central, I don't know why it appears in the list at all. It might be a 'major station' in terms of passenger numbers, but otherwise it is an overcrowded and inadequate station for an urban metro. The recent revamp has improved it cosmetically but it is not designed for efficient passenger flows. Though the staff are (almost) entirely friendly, polite and helpful.

 

[D365]

Also quite surprised that Sheffield is popular. To me it's congested, cold, cramped, quite exposed to the elements, with confusing internal passenger flows, generic inadequate catering units that generally have exposed seating, obtuse and disinterested ticket staff and a severe begging problem. Other than that, it's alright.

I'm not. It's spacious and the redeveloped station front is fantastic. Definitely one of the nicer stations to wait at.

If you think begging is a problem there, you can't have been far into Sheffield centre... (well West Street specifically)

 

[Poolie]

Marylebone is a (wonderful) time warp: especially travelling from there to Birmingham Moor Street.

And shows how the network has developed considering the Great Central never went anywhere near Birmingham

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm also surprised how Liverpool Central is so high up the list. When it's busy there's a terrible bottleneck at the bottom of the escalators on platforms 1/2, not helped by people who congregate right at the bottom of the down escalator to wait for their trains.

Then there's the ticket office which also doubles as a shop, meaning that if you have to buy a ticket and yo are in a hurry you could be held up by people in front of you buying newspapers, cigs and Mars bars!

I don't know how much they spent the other year refurbishing Central, but to me platforms 1 and 2 still resemble a morgue.

And I'm surprised at where Liverpool Lime Street is on the list. The queues at the ticket office can get long at times, and the ticket office staff aren't that good. At least the new ticket barriers are better than the bottleneck that used to occur, but the gateline staff still just grunt at you!

And there's been no ATM's there for months. They were in a stupid place anyway, halfway up platform 7! The retail and catering options aren't too good for such a large station.

I agree on all these points - and like every Merseyrail station with them the toilets are dirty and poorly maintained.

I agree about Mtogo, it's a concept about 10-15 years out of date. What is needed is a large bank of TVMs (at least 8) with TOD and card/cash payment, a ticket window or two for people who are really stuck, and a separate retail concession e.g. WH Smugs or similar. Mtogo doesn't do any of those things particularly well.

TBH it really needs ripping out and redoing with two island platforms. At some point they are going to have to bite the bullet and do it, certainly while there is relatively little actually on top of it.

 

[KentishT1860]

Why is Beaconsfield popular ?

 

[Mikey C]

It's really hard to rank stations, but in general the major stations are much better than they were 20 years ago, the growth of convenience store supermarkets has been a massive improvement for rail travellers, and some of the mistakes of the 60s, when stations were "rationalised" are being rectified or at least attempts are made to do something about them.

Personally my dream station for longer journeys will have decent architecture, enough space to wait and move around, not have platforms buried underground, a supermarket to buy stuff for the journey, clean and free toilets and a decent pub (e.g. The York Tap). A nearby Wetherspoons is a bonus too, if I want a quick meal before the journey too.

As a commuter though, most of this doesn't matter so much, space and efficiency are the key criteria then

 

[Bletchleyite]

TBH I actually quite like New St these days. It just needs rid of all the filthy fume-belching DMUs.

 

[DarloRich]

Not this again! It is a pointless survey with no real governing criteria and clearly doesn't even come close to recording the worst stations in the country

 

[mde]

Even the daftest weegie would be aware that marble staircases would be treacherous in a city with a climate like Glasgow.

Put a cover over it (but dear god, not that hideous hotel extension) and it’d be grand. There’s a rather fine example diagonally opposite.

 

[mde]

Not this again! It is a pointless survey with no real governing criteria and clearly doesn't even come close to recording the worst stations in the country

It’s transport focus so arguably about as much use as any research commissioned by DaFT. As is invariably the case, you can get any answer you want if you ask the ‘right’ questions…

 

[Yew]

QS is still providing nearly 100% of services despite the fact the station is being rebuilt around the platforms at present. I suspect the people complaining about QS are the same people who think it should currently have marble staircases and gold embossed departure boards.

Personally I'm shocked that New Street is so highly thought of.

Indeed, I was in it yesterday and I was suprised at how functional it seemed, despite the massive refurbishment going on!

Maybe not gilded departure boards, but I imagine a fair few enthusiasts wouldn't mind the return of some Solari displays

 

[faltskog36abba]

I know St Pancras resembles an airport departure area, in my opinion but it seems a very relaxed place, even just to wander though. Thumbs up. . Deserves to be at the top.

I wasn't impressed with Liverpool Lime street. I didn't use the toilets there at 30p but walked into Whetherspoons next door for a free pee.

The worst station I came across recently was Edinburgh, even I got confused with the platform numbering especially being my first visit to the station.

I like lime street and find it a very nice station, Edinburgh however - I agree with you as I found it a very confusing layout and the platform numbering too.

 

[matacaster]

I would give St Pancras the top spot. The icing on the cake being the piano which anyone can play. On the occasions I've been there, there have been some very impressive pianists, some who clearly are professional or semi-professional. Whilst Huddersfield strangely does not feature, it too now has a piano and a station cat called felix!

 

[Highlandspring]

Edinburgh however - I agree with you as I found it a very confusing layout and the platform numbering too.

The platform numbering at Waverley is very simple once you realise that if you stand looking east (i.e. towards London) the platform numbering runs clockwise.

 

[DanTrain]

I'm not. It's spacious and the redeveloped station front is fantastic. Definitely one of the nicer stations to wait at.

If you think begging is a problem there, you can't have been far into Sheffield centre... (well West Street specifically)

It is very cold much of the time though. Otherwise nice (unless you have to use 2C, which is miles away).

As for all the love for St Pancras, it's a lovely shopping mall (a bit overpriced, mind). As for a station (I can't comment on High Speed lines) but there is nowhere to sit, either on the Thameslink Platforms, or on the EMT ones, where hundereds of people are made to wait in a tiny landing. I mean seriously, EMT can force 1xHST and 1x222 passenger loads to stand there until under 5 mins from departure time - people queuing back to the escalators.

 

[6Gman]

I claim no specialist knowledge of statistics but this seems an utterly subjective - and therefore pointless - exercise.

 

[peri]

I think we need to establish our own criteria for a good railway station.
I'll start:-
Free toilets
good cheap coffee (pret a manger or subway)
chip shop within walking distance
compact
perhaps others mileage may vary.

 

[benbristow]

chip shop within walking distance

You see that's a blessing and a curse.

Especially at Glasgow Central where it's right next to Blue Lagoon which is a god awful, overpriced chippy and is also open late.

It means very smelly trains on the last trains home.

 

[herschell]

I must say I like Edinburgh as I find it very easy to get around but if you've not been there before the station plan on National Rail Enquiries is helpful

 

[The Albion]

Surely Sunderland is one of the worst? Absolute dump.

 

[Stopper]

Edinburgh is pretty simple to navigate around in my opinion, it’s just that some trains can appear at very odd platforms which could be confusing for some. As a station though, I think it’s very good.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I am surprised Leeds does not fare better. Anyone know why?

I have a few ideas:

• The narrow entrance to the platforms is a pain.
• The 1960s concourse is still pretty grim despite the half-hearted attempts to tart it up.
• The barrier arrangement is so peculiar in terms of (dis-)organisation that it's almost a Dadaist masterpiece.
• A serious litter problem, more so than similar stations such as Manchester Piccadilly.

 

[B&I]

I think we need to establish our own criteria for a good railway station.
I'll start:-
Free toilets
good cheap coffee (pret a manger or subway)
chip shop within walking distance
compact
perhaps others mileage may vary.

Adequate numbers of seats
Adequate numbers of seats in heated areas
Efficient throughflow of passengers at barriers

 

[PeterC]

I would give St Pancras the top spot. The icing on the cake being the piano which anyone can play. On the occasions I've been there, there have been some very impressive pianists, some who clearly are professional or semi-professional. Whilst Huddersfield strangely does not feature, it too now has a piano and a station cat called felix!

The problem with St Pancras is the rail passengers cluttering up a very nice shopping mall.

 

[xotGD]

Surely Sunderland is one of the worst? Absolute dump.

A fair reflection of the city it serves.

 

[urbophile]

I have a few ideas:

• The narrow entrance to the platforms is a pain.
• The 1960s concourse is still pretty grim despite the half-hearted attempts to tart it up.
• The barrier arrangement is so peculiar in terms of (dis-)organisation that it's almost a Dadaist masterpiece.
• A serious litter problem, more so than similar stations such as Manchester Piccadilly.

Which is the 1960s concourse at Leeds? The original LMS art-deco one is a gem, and is probably pre-WW2. I agree the other one is confusing and a bit of a mess, but isn't that later than the 60s? I'm open to correction.