What is the most dismal un-passenger friendly large railway station in UK

[yorksrob]

Blackpool North

Given its size, I was surprised by the lack of amenities there. A shop and a Pumpkin cafe.

Cleethorpes on the other side of the country seems to have more choice at its buffer ends.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Given its size, I was surprised by the lack of amenities there. A shop and a Pumpkin cafe.

The shop has been closed for the last few years so it's just the Pumpkin cafe now. If you want something for on the way, just go to the Wilko's next door or if you want to eat before getting on your train, the Sainsburys cafe.

 

[DavidGrain]

I'm surprised noone has mentioned Walsall. Horrible bloody place and then there's the train station....

But at least the station is right in the centre of town and from May they will get a service to London

 

[gazthomas]

Edinburgh Waverley. A clogged up mess of a station

 

[anamyd]

But at least the station is right in the centre of town and from May they will get a service to London

Is it Walsall where the railway station goes right from / to the shopping centre...? If so I was surprised by that when I went! (I went to a few new-to-me places in that area in a short space of time recently)

 

[FrodshamJnct]

Stafford. Drab, concrete and bleak.

 

[bionic]

Stafford. Drab, concrete and bleak.

I like Stafford; it's a brutalist masterpiece. There are far more dismal stations than Stafford on the WCML eg: Rugby.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Is it Walsall where the railway station goes right from / to the shopping centre...? If so I was surprised by that when I went! (I went to a few new-to-me places in that area in a short space of time recently)

Some local rail worthy mentioned some years ago , that about 20% of the Walsall populace were unaware they had a station (with about 4 tph to the Second City !)

 

[Robertj21a]

Some local rail worthy mentioned some years ago , that about 20% of the Walsall populace were unaware they had a station (with about 4 tph to the Second City !)

That's surprising given how many just want to get out of the place as quickly as possible !! Presumably, the car owners are well aware that the nearby M6 can get you away pretty fast.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

That's surprising given how many just want to get out of the place as quickly as possible !! Presumably, the car owners are well aware that the nearby M6 can get you away pretty fast.

Conversely it might be a sign of local satisfaction with immediate facilities !

To be fair , I played with the idea of a Silverlink 321 service to Walsall in and around 1997 - via Stechford of course , - a couple of return services a day. It might have had potential , but the extra paths into New Street were granted which kicked the idea into touch. It might have been a contender , to quote "On the Waterfront" ....

 

[_toommm_]

I was there last week and there were a couple of puzzled-looking oriental girls at the west end of pfm 14 who kept looking at the nearest departure board. They said they were looking for the airport train (shown as departing from 14!) so I suggested they leg it to the far end. Their train overtook them after they had gone about 100 yards.
With a platform that long on a curve (and which is signed as split a and b) it is outrageous that the departure boards can't show 13b or 14a.

The boards only designate A and B ends when the opposite to normal platform is used, for example when the 07:50 to the Airport leaves from 14B, with the 07:50 Holyhead leaving from 13B.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I like Stafford; it's a brutalist masterpiece. There are far more dismal stations than Stafford on the WCML eg: Rugby.

I like the new Rugby - to me it's a nice modern station. Crewe would be less grim if redone in a similar style, it blends well with the old buildings.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The boards only designate A and B ends when the opposite to normal platform is used, for example when the 07:50 to the Airport leaves from 14B, with the 07:50 Holyhead leaving from 13B.

I find this very bizarre. The signs as fitted in about 2000 had 13a/b and 14a/b on them, then someone taped over it and the tape stayed. I can't see any sensible reason for this at all - New St seems to manage the a/b thing perfectly well.

 

[AndrewE]

The boards only designate A and B ends when the opposite to normal platform is used, for example when the 07:50 to the Airport leaves from 14B, with the 07:50 Holyhead leaving from 13B.

So how is an occasional or first time traveller supposed to know then? This is a very good example of "the railway" not thinking about its customers' needs.
Regular travellers know enough to cope; first-timers probably won't return!

 

[13h202]

Edinburgh Waverley. A clogged up mess of a station

+1 for Waverley. It's a complete and utter nightmare to navigate as a regular commuter so I can't imagine how it is for visitors. Let's hope the new masterplan drags it kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

 

[Bletchleyite]

+1 for Waverley. It's a complete and utter nightmare to navigate as a regular commuter so I can't imagine how it is for visitors. Let's hope the new masterplan drags it kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

I don't mind it, but while I know what the system for platform numbering is, I don't think the system actually makes sense and it'd be better if it was just one end to the other. It isn't logical to the passenger on the ground, and I only knew what it was (having used it loads of times) when someone posted it on here.

 

[DavidGrain]

Conversely it might be a sign of local satisfaction with immediate facilities !

To be fair , I played with the idea of a Silverlink 321 service to Walsall in and around 1997 - via Stechford of course , - a couple of return services a day. It might have had potential , but the extra paths into New Street were granted which kicked the idea into touch. It might have been a contender , to quote "On the Waterfront" ....

That was interesting. A long time ago when I was travelling regularly from Birmingham to London in the days when there was just two Virgin trains per hour (only one an hour if there was a problem on the Trent Valley line) I noticed that the train would leave New Street almost full and the many people waiting at International and Coventry would have difficulty finding a seat. I wrote to Virgin suggesting that they could put on a peak time train from Wolverhampton to London by-passing New Street which could cater for this traffic. My suggestion was for the train to stop at Bescot (this was before Tame Bridge Parkway was built) then run via the Aston-Stetchford line. I got no reply.

 

[DavidGrain]

Some local rail worthy mentioned some years ago , that about 20% of the Walsall populace were unaware they had a station (with about 4 tph to the Second City !)

They must be newcomers to Walsall then as the station used to have a big canopy over the forecourt in one of the main shopping streets of the town centre. Walsall used to have three line into the station from the south and three lines in from the north making it a significant interchange in the past. However the routes to the north are through tunnel under the town centre and to the south through an industrial area so unless you worked there the railway might not be obvious.

 

[Journeyman]

+1 for Waverley. It's a complete and utter nightmare to navigate as a regular commuter so I can't imagine how it is for visitors. Let's hope the new masterplan drags it kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Waverley's location is both a blessing and a curse. It's fantastically convenient for the city centre, but being plunged so deep into a cutting, access is difficult and congested, and there's limited space available for much-needed expansion. It regularly gets horrifically crowded, and even as someone who uses it regularly, it's a struggle to find your way to the right platforms sometimes.

In terms of the actual station fabric, I think it's quite airy and pleasant, but yes, it has a lot of issues.

 

[Journeyman]

I'm surprised noone has mentioned Walsall. Horrible bloody place and then there's the train station....

Last time I went there was on a class 304 just before they were withdrawn! The grottiness was strong on that trip. I've got a lovely black and white photo of the 304's nose poking out of the gloom, though.

 

[Statto]

They must be newcomers to Walsall then as the station used to have a big canopy over the forecourt in one of the main shopping streets of the town centre. Walsall used to have three line into the station from the south and three lines in from the north making it a significant interchange in the past. However the routes to the north are through tunnel under the town centre and to the south through an industrial area so unless you worked there the railway might not be obvious.

Think could be well to do with the more frequent express bus service[now X51], the express bus Walsall-Brum is only a few minutes longer than the stopper, the X51 bus has 6 an hour, for me the bus now that's got regular platinum deckers on is far more appealing, than waiting for the train

 

[AlastairFraser]

I am going to say Reading.
In winter its an inhospitable place
The bridge over the tracks is cold - I really feel for the the poor people who have to man the catering outlets up there. No attempt to make it even slightly weatherproof.
and the canopy sweeps up to cover the escalators so unless there is no wind, the platforms there are wet, as are the escalators.

The Platform 7 waiting room is the worst on a cold day because everyone keeps coming in and out with the automatic doors constantly letting cold air in. The toilets are nice at Reading though and one benefit is that you don't usually have to spend that long there waiting for a late HST or Turbo since the electrification.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Last time I went there was on a class 304 just before they were withdrawn! The grottiness was strong on that trip. I've got a lovely black and white photo of the 304's nose poking out of the gloom, though.

Went to have a look at the newly wired Chase Line today - and planned to get off at Walsall (station was buried in the shopping centre) -but stayed on to Rugely Trent Valley and I have to say (off topic a bit) - very impressed with the "BR look" OLE fittings and the intermediate stations are fine . The whole route has really smartened up , and a lot of development has taken place.

Quick 350 dash to Stafford , and back to Euston on the fast - who ever critiscised Stafford is wrong - yes a modernist station , but well tended and staffed. Decent enough facilities.

 

[AndrewE]

...whoever criticised Stafford is wrong - yes a modernist station, but well tended and staffed. Decent enough facilities.

Glad to hear another vote in favour: I like Coventry too.
I think the big cuboid buildings reflect the attractive original concourse at Euston (empty and uncluttered) and I like the simple materials (basically wood and concrete) as well.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Glad to hear another vote in favour: I like Coventry too.
I think the big cuboid buildings reflect the attractive original concourse at Euston (empty and uncluttered) and I like the simple materials (basically wood and concrete) as well.

Big thumbs up for Coventry ! - again well tended and impressive array of Larkin etc plaques. Modernism can be very fitting.

Newport South Wales excepted !

 

[Bletchleyite]

Big thumbs up for Coventry ! - again well tended and impressive array of Larkin etc plaques. Modernism can be very fitting.

Newport South Wales excepted !

Newport South Wales is a third rate garden shed. A nasty station in the extreme.

Talking of the West Midlands I quite like the BR frieze on the footbridge at Wolves. I wonder is it listed?

 

[Robertj21a]

Think could be well to do with the more frequent express bus service[now X51], the express bus Walsall-Brum is only a few minutes longer than the stopper, the X51 bus has 6 an hour, for me the bus now that's got regular platinum deckers on is far more appealing, than waiting for the train

Agreed. The much improved bus service is often preferable to the train nowadays.

 

[DavidGrain]

Talking of the West Midlands I quite like the BR frieze on the footbridge at Wolves. I wonder is it listed?

Wolverhampton station is being rebuilt so I don't hold out much hope.

A local historian in the West Midlands once asked the question When is a listed building demolished? Answer when it is in the way.

 

[SideshowBob]

Can't remember how many platforms it has but Wigan North Western is pretty grim and grotty!

 

[Tetchytyke]

I've not read all 11 pages, but anyone who doesn't answer London Euston is objectively wrong.