What are the best request stops?

[InkyScrolls]

Lochluichart, Achanalt, Achnashellach, Attadale, Duncraig, and Duirinish, on the Kyle of Lochalsh line.

Personal favourite is Attadale (see image) but along with the other stops on that line they all offer great views.

Time the trains well and you could plan a short scenic walk between any 2 of them!

Attadale is gorgeous! And with Attadale Gardens right there too (I definitely recommend).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I'd recommend the OP reads Dixe Wills' excellent book "Tiny Stations". There's his website and photos of some of his favourite request stops on the link below;

Tiny Stations

Ah yes, some while ago I promised readers that I’d publish a load of pics of railway request stops that were meant to appear in the hardback edition of my book Tiny Stations but which got acc…

dixewills.com

Dixe Wills' book was originally published in 2014. Wonder how many of the various request stops featured in the book are now, some ten years later, no longer designated as request stops?

 

[dk1]

One wonders if some of those stations could have a more regular service, if running times aren't affected?

It really isn't worth it mate.

Maybe I didn't explain myself very well. Although extra time is allowed for reques stops we could sometimes run a little late especially when only one door is released. Additional calling at these little used and often sparsely populated stations would be frowned upon.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Dockyard in Plymouth, served by Gunnislake and occasional Cornish ML trains, is technically a request stop but in practice they usually stop anyway. Not the most salubrious part of the city, but there is a pub nearby, the Queen's Dock.

 

[hermit]

Attadale is gorgeous! And with Attadale Gardens right there too (I definitely recommend).

Another vote for Attadale. It’s the jumping-off point for some particularly inaccessible Munros.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Seeing this thread made me realise how rare it is that I've used request stops. Come to think of it the only one I know for certain that I've used is Flimby (which was a request stop at the time). Not a whole lot to write home about, it's practically on the beach but we're talking bleak and windswept rather than sun and surfing! I was there to ride the 37s though, so there's the highlight!

That is, if we're restricted to National Rail. I've used quite a few request stops on heritage railways, Dduallt on the Ffestiniog and Damems on the KWVR being ones that I'm quite fond of.

 

[nwales58]

Another vote for Attadale. It’s the jumping-off point for some particularly inaccessible Munros.

Not as remote, but Nantmor to Roman Bridge (both request stops) by pretty well any route gets you away from the crowds. Bit unfair stopping a northbound service at Nantmor though.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Last I heard the pub at Portsmouth Arms had closed

Definitely open again. They need to update their Facebook page!!!

 

[Flying Claret]

Entwistle in-between Blackburn and Bolton. You can have a nice walk around the reservoir and have a pint /meal in the Strawbury Duck at the end of the platform...

 

[TheSel]

Or get on (pedancy forever!)

Er ... the word is pedantry.

 

[froggy9]

Er ... the word is pedantry.

Thanks mate you will have to bexcuse me for that crass error

 

[Russel]

Conwy - the railway cuts right through the castle/town walls, it's also a delightful place to visit and the walk from Llandudno Junction across the cobb and over the original suspension bridge is well worth doing.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Conwy - the railway cuts right through the castle/town walls, it's also a delightful place to visit and the walk from Llandudno Junction across the cobb and over the original suspension bridge is well worth doing.

Is Conwy definitely a request stop?

 

[chrisjo]

Conwy - the railway cuts right through the castle/town walls, it's also a delightful place to visit and the walk from Llandudno Junction across the cobb and over the original suspension bridge is well worth doing.

Conwy, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan now compulsory stops?

A query for someone local or someone in the know... I was recently compiling a timetable for the North Wales Mainline (file attached), and noticed that Conwy, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan are no longer listed as request stops. Personally I think that this makes sense, especially for Conwy...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Russel]

Is Conwy definitely a request stop?

Looks like it isn't anymore, my mistake!

Conwy, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan now compulsory stops?

A query for someone local or someone in the know... I was recently compiling a timetable for the North Wales Mainline (file attached), and noticed that Conwy, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan are no longer listed as request stops. Personally I think that this makes sense, especially for Conwy...

www.railforums.co.uk

Thanks.

 

[Sheridan]

From the data on Real Time Trains it appears that Llanfairpwll is no longer a request stop since the December timetable change either!

 

[CW2]

Plenty of request stops to choose from in Scotland. Surely the best pair must be Culrain and Invershin, which are at either end of a bridge, so only a fraction of a mile between them. Nice hotel nearby too.

 

[Jan Mayen]

Plenty of request stops to choose from in Scotland. Surely the best pair must be Culrain and Invershin, which are at either end of a bridge, so only a fraction of a mile between them. Nice hotel nearby too.

I remember staying at a nearby Youth Hostel and illegally walking across the bridge (with many others) to the pub.
Went back the following year and there were signs everywhere saying don't do it.
This was more than thirty years ago, and I still wince at the thought of doing it.

 

[duncombec]

Wishing Well Halt is worth going to for the name.

Edit: I knew I'd got something wrong. It's St Keynes Wishing Well Halt!

St Keyne (no S!) Wishing Well Halt! The well itself is of the "small and natural" type (It's not exactly Bath)... and legend has it that whoever drinks from it first will have the upper hand in marriage (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45182/the-well-of-st-keyne).

All of the stops on the Looe branch are worthwhile, and while technically not a request stop walking down the hill from Liskeard to Coombe Junction Halt is great fun.

Agreed - the only one I've ever used was Causeland, because I used to have a relative living in a nearby village... coming from suburban Kent, having to hail a train was quite a novelty! My earlier journeys were 153 operated, but later two-car 150s. There were no ticketing facilities except at Liskeard, and I recall one rather busy northbound journey (the train was late coming in, so "load and go") with a very harassed conductor trying to work her way through a busy train but also check if anyone wanted request stops (no stop buttons).

 

[Tetchytyke]

This is a harder question than I thought as a lot of request stops seem to have turned back into normal stops. I was immediately thinking of the likes of Dalston or Aspatria as they're the ones I used fairly regularly but they're normal stops now (Dalston effectively was anyway as the guard never got through the train after departing Carlisle).

Ronaldsway Halt on the Isle of Man Railway - short stroll to the airport. Where else can you make an international connection by steam train?

The Level at Colby is pretty interesting too, the station is less than the length of one carriage. A nice walk from there across the fields to the excellent Shore Hotel pub on Gansey Bay.

 

[CPG]

Just to turn the question on its head for a moment. My nearest station, Clynderwen, a request stop, has absolutely nothing to recommend it whatsoever. Avoid.

Maybe not the most aesthetically interesting location, but is it the request stop with the most number of historic name changes?

• 2 January 1854: Opened as Narberth Road for Cardigan and Tenby
• 1863: Renamed Narberth Road for Cardigan
• 1 December 1875: Renamed Narberth Road for Cardigan
• 6 September 1965: Renamed Clynderwen Halt
• 5 May 1969: Renamed Clynderwen
• 12 May 1980: Renamed Clunderwen

(source Wiki)

 

[davetheguard]

Lochluichart, Achanalt, Achnashellach, Attadale, Duncraig, and Duirinish, on the Kyle of Lochalsh line.

I'll second Duncraig. Here it is back in 2013.

 

[mrd269697]

Glan Conwy on the Conwy Valley Line is delightful. Situated right next to the River Conwy, with Snowdonia looming on the horizon, and, if you go to the northern end of the platform, you can see Conwy Castle, as well as some Holyhead services passing by in the distance.

Dolau on the Heart of Wales Line (only a request stop for southbound services) is not just one of my favourite request stops, but also just one of my overall favourite stations. The platform is absolutely covered with various railway-related paraphernalia, including a plaque commemorating a time that the Queen visited the station. The waiting room has a visitor book, and every inch of the walls is covered in old railway photos. North Llanrwst on the Conwy Valley is also nicely decorated, although not to the same extent as Dolau.

The Cambrian Coast Line has loads of request stops, almost all of them have a certain charm to them, but the most interesting ones in my experience are Penhelig, Llanaber and Llandecwyn. Penhelig very much reminds me of the kind of setting you'd see in a model railway layout - a small halt sandwiched between two tunnels on either side and with the line cutting right past the houses and just a stone's throw from the beach. Llanaber and Llandecwyn are even closer to the sea, although in significantly more barren and remote settings.

I have never visited any of the Scottish request stops, so I can't speak from personal experience on them, but Duncraig is the most scenic one I've come across based on the YouTube videos I've seen of it.

I was at Dolau yesterday. Absolutely gorgeous station. I was planning to walk to Pen-y-Bont but couldn’t be bothered walking the additional 3 miles. Glad I didn’t! Whilst I had to wait for an hour and half, I couldn’t think of a more picturesque little station to wait. I of course signed the guest book.

 

[birchesgreen]

Bearley, still a WMR request stop i believe.

 

[Parallel]

Bearley, still a WMR request stop i believe.

Bearley and Claverdon are no longer request stops.

Entwistle is also no longer a request stop.

 

[birchesgreen]

Bearley and Claverdon are no longer request stops.

Entwistle is also no longer a request stop.

Are you sure? I thought it was still a WMR one (though not Chiltern). Still it would be good if they did remove that confusion.

 

[Parallel]

Are you sure? I thought it was still a WMR one (though not Chiltern). Still it would be good if they did remove that confusion.

Yes. They have removed the ‘x’ from the timetable for West Midlands services, and are no longer listed as request stops on RealTimeTrains or advertised as such at stations.

 

[swidnod]

Hi Gang;

A vote for Newton St Cyres on the Barnstaple/Okehampton line out of Exeter St Davids. A nice little garden on the platform, and a Harington Hump for the one door opening.
Best thing is the nice pub for some good beers and tasty food about 90 secs from the station!

Later;
Swidnod

 

[TheRightTrack]

This is all fantastic stuff! Thanks to everyone so far!. It looks like Duncraig, Attadale and Dolau are the most talked about here so I have noted them down (along with others haha)

 

[172007]

Yes. They have removed the ‘x’ from the timetable for West Midlands services, and are no longer listed as request stops on RealTimeTrains or advertised as such at stations.

@birchesgreen

Drivers and Conductors diagrams plus in train maps and station announcements still have them as request stops. If you don't request we ain't stopping.