What would you do if you could rename any stations.

[RichJF]

Godstone to South Godstone.
The station is sited in South Godstone on the A22 & the real Godstone village about 3-4 miles to the north on the A25!

 

[swt_passenger]

Southampton Airport (Parkway) to just Southampton Airport.

Parkway makes one think the airport is quite far, yet it is opposite the station!

It’s a Parkway for London, not the airport. Why does this even need to be explained?

 

[Killingworth]

what about Hope for Castleton?

Or Hope Valley as the station is more than half a mile from both Hope village and Brough and also serves Castleton and Bradwell, each about 2 miles away.

 

[Grumbler]

Almost anywhere to Station McStaitionface

 

[AlastairFraser]

Or Hope Valley as the station is more than half a mile from both Hope village and Brough and also serves Castleton and Bradwell, each about 2 miles away.

OK but wouldn't that cause confusion with Edale?

 

[Killingworth]

OK but wouldn't that cause confusion with Edale?

Edale is in the Vale of Edale. Hope was the largest village in the next valley, thus the valley of Hope, the Hope Valley.

However, changing the long held names of stations isn't too bright an idea unless there's a very strong reason to do so. The reality is that Edale was not really a village, but a collection of hamlets in the Vale of Edale - Upper Booth, Barber Booth, Grindsbrook Booth, Ollerbrook Booth, Nether Booth. It was the railway station's arrival that got the name Edale accepted as a name for the village rather than the whole dale.

I was there only on Friday.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Edale is in the Vale of Edale. Hope was the largest village in the next valley, thus the valley of Hope, the Hope Valley.

However, changing the long held names of stations isn't too bright an idea unless there's a very strong reason to do so. The reality is that Edale was not really a village, but a collection of hamlets in the Vale of Edale - Upper Booth, Barber Booth, Grindsbrook Booth, Ollerbrook Booth, Nether Booth. It was the railway station's arrival that got the name Edale accepted as a name for the village rather than the whole dale.

I was there only on Friday.

View attachment 57631

Oh yeah, I stayed in a small holiday let near Edale Station in 2013 with family and remember Edale well. The point is that Edale may be not be traditionally seen as being in the Hope Valley, but it probably is economically and its transport links are with the Hope Valley.

 

[Killingworth]

Oh yeah, I stayed in a small holiday let near Edale Station in 2013 with family and remember Edale well. The point is that Edale may be not be traditionally seen as being in the Hope Valley, but it probably is economically and its transport links are with the Hope Valley.

Edale's not in the Hope Valley and nobody locally would think it was, but it's on the line now known as the Hope Valley line and you're right that economically it is part of it. All the stations are proud of their independence and any changes to names would cause as much confusion as they'd solve . The station name board at Hope does say for Castleton.

There are already Castleton and Castleton Moor stations on the network to add confusion.

The line (the Dore & Chinley railway) will be celebrating it's 125th anniversary of stopping passenger services in June. Hope and Edale, together with Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford and Dore & Totley (definitely not in the Hope Valley) are covered by the Hope Valley Rail Users Group, and together with Chinley, New Mills and the Buxton and Glossop lines come under the High Peak & Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership.

On Saturday strike days Northern advise to proceed from Edale (walk about 5 miles?) to Hope to get a bus, although locals would probably walk 2.5 miles over Hollins Cross to Castleton for the same bus if without a car. But I'm digressing too far by bringing that hot potato up again here.

 

[PR1Berske]

It’s a Parkway for London, not the airport. Why does this even need to be explained?

The word London not appearing in the name, perhaps? "Southampton Airport Parkway" suggests a parkway at or for Southampton.

 

[swt_passenger]

The word London not appearing in the name, perhaps? "Southampton Airport Parkway" suggests a parkway at or for Southampton.

There are numerous “Parkway stations” around the southeast that are there predominantly to serve the London traveller. I’d refer you to the various previous threads on the subject but really can’t be bothered.

 

[PR1Berske]

There are numerous “Parkway stations” around the southeast that are there predominantly to serve the London traveller. I’d refer you to the various previous threads on the subject but really can’t be bothered.

There are numerous parkway stations up here too but we don't go around calling them "X for Manchester"!

 

[Grumbler]

There are numerous parkway stations up here too but we don't go around calling them "X for Manchester"!

There are numerous “Parkway stations” around the southeast that are there predominantly to serve the London traveller. I’d refer you to the various previous threads on the subject but really can’t be bothered.

So Bristol Parkway is not an out-of-town station for Bristol? Well, I learn something new every day!

 

[swt_passenger]

So Bristol Parkway is not an out-of-town station for Bristol? Well, I learn something new every day!

At that distance from London it'll be both.
Luton Airport Parkway is not just for people driving to Luton Airport either.
Oxford Parkway isn't just for Oxford,
Warwick Parkway is not just for Warwick,
Haddenham and Thame Parkway is yet another aimed primarily at the London market..

 

[swt_passenger]

There are numerous parkway stations up here too but we don't go around calling them "X for Manchester"!

Southampton Airport station's massive carpark isn't actually named 'for London' either. But that's what it is for.

 

[PR1Berske]

Southampton Airport station's massive carpark isn't actually named 'for London' either. But that's what it is for.

You make out sound like it's exclusively used for London!

 

[swt_passenger]

You make out sound like it's exclusively used for London!

That definitely is its main use, always has been since it was given the name.

 

[InOban]

Hyndland to Gartnavel. The original Hyndland station was alongside a depot on a short branch, and was in Hyndland. The replacement station, although accessible on foot from Hyndland, and from Jordanhill, essentially serves the hospital site which includes the Beatson Cancer Centre.

 

[Harbornite]

Rename University as "University (for Harborne"

 

[Mikey C]

Hendon - West Hendon, which is the area it's actually located in, the main road nearby is West Hendon Broadway

 

[AlastairFraser]

Edale's not in the Hope Valley and nobody locally would think it was, but it's on the line now known as the Hope Valley line and you're right that economically it is part of it. All the stations are proud of their independence and any changes to names would cause as much confusion as they'd solve . The station name board at Hope does say for Castleton.

There are already Castleton and Castleton Moor stations on the network to add confusion.

The line (the Dore & Chinley railway) will be celebrating it's 125th anniversary of stopping passenger services in June. Hope and Edale, together with Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford and Dore & Totley (definitely not in the Hope Valley) are covered by the Hope Valley Rail Users Group, and together with Chinley, New Mills and the Buxton and Glossop lines come under the High Peak & Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership.

On Saturday strike days Northern advise to proceed from Edale (walk about 5 miles?) to Hope to get a bus, although locals would probably walk 2.5 miles over Hollins Cross to Castleton for the same bus if without a car. But I'm digressing too far by bringing that hot potato up again here.

Fair enough. It's a shame there isn't any branch to Castleton other than a bus because it's quite a touristy place from what I saw of it. It could be used for the end of a new Sheffield Commuter Rail service down the Hope Valley Line, but unfortunately it seems too small to warrant the costs of building a branch line.

 

[Killingworth]

Fair enough. It's a shame there isn't any branch to Castleton other than a bus because it's quite a touristy place from what I saw of it. It could be used for the end of a new Sheffield Commuter Rail service down the Hope Valley Line, but unfortunately it seems too small to warrant the costs of building a branch line.

Curiously the station name boards say "HOPE" and on the eastbound side from Manchester there's a matching plate below saying "For Castleton and the Caverns". Those arriving from Sheffield and the east just get "HOPE" . Your original suggestion has already been half adopted at the station.

There was a plan for a branch to Castleton but it was never taken forward and would surely have been one of the first to close if it had been built. Today Castleton is becoming a village for the wealthy retired, holiday lets, and back packers. Hope is, as you've said, the hub in the valley, although Hathersage is similar. Hope would be where valley residents and visitors might like some of the fast trains to stop to provide better services to both Sheffield and Manchester.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Curiously the station name boards say "HOPE" and on the eastbound side from Manchester there's a matching plate below saying "For Castleton and the Caverns". Those arriving from Sheffield and the east just get "HOPE" . Your original suggestion has already been half adopted at the station.

There was a plan for a branch to Castleton but it was never taken forward and would surely have been one of the first to close if it had been built. Today Castleton is becoming a village for the wealthy retired, holiday lets, and back packers. Hope is, as you've said, the hub in the valley, although Hathersage is similar. Hope would be where valley residents and visitors might like some of the fast trains to stop to provide better services to both Sheffield and Manchester.

Yes, but is the Manchester direction where most of the walkers will come from? I think a semi-fast train could be useful also stopping at Dore and Totley,and Hazel Grove + Stockport depending on whether there was enough capacity on the Buxton line and WCML towards Piccadilly or as an alternative,New Mills Central,Marple and Hyde Central. Could use the 3rd path an hour.

 

[Killingworth]

Yes, but is the Manchester direction where most of the walkers will come from? I think a semi-fast train could be useful also stopping at Dore and Totley,and Hazel Grove + Stockport depending on whether there was enough capacity on the Buxton line and WCML towards Piccadilly or as an alternative,New Mills Central,Marple and Hyde Central. Could use the 3rd path an hour.

That's a subject for the Hope Valley Capacity Scheme thread. Chinley users would like that idea too, but we'd end up with a semi-fast instead of a fast service. Possibly what could happen!

 

[swt class 450]

I would also rename "London Fields" to "Hackney South" to avoid any confusion with the main London Terminals stations as London Fields is not in Central London.

 

[Ianno87]

I would also rename "London Fields" to "Hackney South" to avoid any confusion with the main London Terminals stations as London Fields is not in Central London.

My wife once had to head to the Tate Modern area of the South Bank in London, and tried to look up train times on NRE to South Bank.... I quickly corrected her.

 

[Merciful Zeus!]

I have already posted this in another thread elsewhere on the website, but it makes sense to post it here also, as it directly answers the question being asked.

I think it'd make sense to rename Blackrod to Horwich Parkway & Blackrod and the current Horwich Parkway to Middlebrook to better reflect the areas they both serve, and to provide better clarity for the geographical locations of both stations.

Except "Parkway" would suggest that there is some subsantial parking at the station. Horwich Parkway is intended to serve as a park-and-ride for commuters, and Blackrod most certainly isn't.

 

[Merciful Zeus!]

Southampton Airport (Parkway) to just Southampton Airport.

Parkway makes one think the airport is quite far, yet it is opposite the station!

"Parkway" doesn't refer to the airport, but the city - it's intended to act as a park-and-ride point of departure for commuters into Southampton.

 

[Merciful Zeus!]

I've always hated "London Road" as a station name, in both Guildford and Brighton - they're ridiculously vague. London Road (Brighton), which isn't even near London Road (it's several hundred yards away) should be renamed, but it's hard to see what. "Ditchling Road" doesn't really help the traveller to identify its location, and "Brighton East" is just wrong. "Guildford East" would make sense for London Road (Guildford).

 

[MedwayValiant]

There will soon not be a barracks in Maidstone, so that could be changed to maybe Maidstone Buckland Hill, or Maidstone St Peter's.

If you were actually going to the barracks that do currently exist in Maidstone, Maidstone East station is nearer anyway. So let's call Maidstone Barracks station Maidstone East (West), since it's connected to Maidstone East by a footbridge! It's actually west of Maidstone West station, which would be better called Maidstone South.

 

[HowardGWR]

Crewkerne station should be Misterton or Crewkerne Road. It's a long two kilometre walk to the centre of Crewkerne from there!