Which were the largest settlements in Great Britain never to have had a station on the national rail network?

[30909]

Not by rails, but by railway (until Sealink privatisation) steamers and through timetables / ticketing they have been connected to the national network throughout

I accept your view and is why I wrote "connected" however if strictly interpreting the title of the thread;

Which were the largest settlements in Great Britain never to have had a station on the national rail network?​

I took it to mean that you might make an journey by rail without recourse to alternative transport between a "settlement" and a destination

​

 

[AndyW33]

Not by rails, but by railway (until Sealink privatisation) steamers and through timetables / ticketing they have been connected to the national network throughout

And since the line between Ryde St Johns Road and Pier Head was built and owned jointly by the LSWR and LBSCR, after the island railways found themselves unable to fund it, there was even a mainland company presence on the island before 1923, albeit actually operated by island companies.

 

[Western Sunset]

Thamesmead?

I'd have thought that Abbey Wood serves most of it, with Plumstead closer for some of the western districts.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The IoW by definition is not part of the Island of Great Britain though.

 

[D6130]

The IoW by definition is not part of the Island of Great Britain though.

Correct......and nor are the Outer Hebrides (or, as they're known in Scotland, the Western Isles). ISTR someone upthread mentioning Stornoway!

 

[341o2]

Lyndhurst in the New Forest pop. appx 3,000 has never had a railway station, the nearest being Ashurst, formerly Lyndhurst Rd

 

[Taunton]

Dartmouth had a station but never any trains.

Shaftesbury was really served by Semley, about 2 miles north on the main Salisbury-Exeter line, and well within being called Shaftesbury Road as elsewhere on the LSWR. I suspect the fact that Semley is in Wiltshire but Shaftesbury is in Dorset may have something to do with it. Unlike the "New Town" examples above, Shaftesbury was even more significant in the area in Victorian times than it is now. Given this line's liking for short branches from the likes of Yeovil Junction or Chard Junction, that is another slightly surprising omission. Semley (like Chard Junction) only ever had infrequent local trains, and closed when all the other wayside stations on the line did.

Lyndhurst in Hampshire was ill-served by Lyndhurst Road (which, if it's now Ashurst, would be better resited about a mile to the north), everyone uses Brockenhurst for the expresses. A station taxi driver taking me on a trip between the two said he did it about 10 times every day.

 

[BayPaul]

Correct......and nor are the Outer Hebrides (or, as they're known in Scotland, the Western Isles). ISTR someone upthread mentioning Stornoway!

Canvey Island has also been mentioned, and would also not count as being in the Island of Great Britain

 

[Carlisle]

Canvey Island has also been mentioned, and would also not count as being in the Island of Great Britain

On that basis, neither would the likes of Portsmouth

 

[D6130]

On that basis, neither would the likes of Portsmouth

True.....both Canvey Island and Portsea Island are connected to the mainland by bridges - as is the Isle of Skye, but that's hardly likely to qualify for the 'largest settlement' category!

 

[Julia]

Cambourne (the Cambs. one). > 10k population, nearest historic station probably Gamlingay.

 

[DB]

Cambourne (the Cambs. one). > 10k population, nearest historic station probably Gamlingay.

Awkward to get to as well (I've had to go there for work a few times in the past). St Neots is the easiest relatively nearby station if coming from the north on the east coast mainline, but there are no buses. Think I had to go to Cambridge and get a bus from there as I recall.

 

[Llandudno]

There is even a city in Great Britain that never had a station... St David’s!

 

[Glenn1969]

And St Asaph presumably

 

[Gloster]

And St Asaph presumably

St Asaph did have a station, although it closed long before the town became a city.

 

[D6130]

St Asaph did have a station, although it closed long before the town became a city.

Yes, St Asaph had a station on the LNWR Rhyl-Denbigh-Corwen line.

 

[A0wen]

Cambourne (the Cambs. one). > 10k population, nearest historic station probably Gamlingay.

I assume we're using 2011 census data in which case Cambourne was 8,186, so I'll offer up Stotfold in Beds, just north of Letchworth, with a 2011 population of 9632.

 

[Radley]

I suppose, Wisbech?

 

[Gloster]

I suppose, Wisbech?

Wisbech had, not just one, but two stations. I think there has even been talk in recent years of reopening one of them.

 

[30907]

As discussed on another thread, there was the Westerham branch line fairly close by.

3.5 miles (from the modern shopping centre) and a steep hill. "Westerham for Biggin Hill" would be stretching credulity.

 

[Ribbleman]

Wisbech had, not just one, but two stations. I think there has even been talk in recent years of reopening one of them

It’s rather more than talk. Although the timescales are incredibly drawn out there is a real expectation that Wisbech will have a service restored within the next few years, at least as far as March. Network Rail have just agreed to make provision for a twice hourly Wisbech - Cambridge service in the work to be carried out remodelling Ely North, though that is not due for completion until 2028.

 

[A0wen]

It’s rather more than talk. Although the timescales are incredibly drawn out there is a real expectation that Wisbech will have a service restored within the next few years, at least as far as March. Network Rail have just agreed to make provision for a twice hourly Wisbech - Cambridge service in the work to be carried out remodelling Ely North, though that is not due for completion until 2028.

There may be "expectations" but like all others it needs to have a viable business case and ISTR @Bald Rick pointed out that something like 80% of the benefits could be achieved by running a half hourly service to March and that doesn't need about half a billion quid spending on infrastructure.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Beaumaris, Anglesey (Biwmares, Sir Fon) is one of the few significant towns in Wales which never had a railway. Steamers from Liverpool called at the pier, there was a ferry from Garth and a bus from Bangor along the winding Straits-side road. I was brought-up there in the 1950s, which does nothing to explain my interest in railways!

 

[Bald Rick]

There may be "expectations" but like all others it needs to have a viable business case and ISTR @Bald Rick pointed out that something like 80% of the benefits could be achieved by running a half hourly service to March and that doesn't need about half a billion quid spending on infrastructure.

More than 80%!

Infrastructure isn’t that much though - but still well north of £100m.

Network Rail have just agreed to make provision for a twice hourly Wisbech - Cambridge service in the work to be carried out remodelling Ely North, though that is not due for completion until 2028.

Presumably, the marginal cost of that will be added to the Wisbech proposal.

 

[bramling]

More than 80%!

Infrastructure isn’t that much though - but still well north of £100m.


Presumably, the marginal cost of that will be added to the Wisbech proposal.

I've always thought Wisbech ought to be one which should be reasonable easy to justify. A relatively isolated town which is quite deprived by the standards of the surrounding area, combined with a railway line which isn't going to cost a mega amount to reinstate.

I'd guess the main factor would be how much of a decent journey time it could offer to Cambridge. Presumably the faster the journey time, the more opportunity for Wisbech to become attractive to commuter types. Presumably at the moment anyone for London would simply railhead to Peterborough, and I can't see a reinstated Wisbech branch changing that massively.

 

[Glenn1969]

But Wisbech is OT for this thread because I believe it previously had a station

I mentioned Ullapool in an earlier post. Did the railway ever serve that port?

 

[Andrew1395]

The Outer Hebrides?

Fails the definition of Great Britain.

 

[Gloster]

I mentioned Ullapool in an earlier post. Did the railway ever serve that port?

No. There were a number of proposals, even one as late as the end of World War II (I think), but nothing ever got done.

 

[Dr_Paul]

Shaftesbury was really served by Semley, about 2 miles north on the main Salisbury-Exeter line, and well within being called Shaftesbury Road as elsewhere on the LSWR. I suspect the fact that Semley is in Wiltshire but Shaftesbury is in Dorset may have something to do with it. Unlike the "New Town" examples above, Shaftesbury was even more significant in the area in Victorian times than it is now. Given this line's liking for short branches from the likes of Yeovil Junction or Chard Junction, that is another slightly surprising omission. Semley (like Chard Junction) only ever had infrequent local trains, and closed when all the other wayside stations on the line did.

Shaftsbury is on a rather steep hill some 300' above the railway at Semley, which would have made either a branch or a through line pretty difficult to build.

Beauminster, to the north of Bridport, is in a valley about 200' above sea level, and is surrounded by steep hills on most sides. A branch there could have been built northwards from Bridport, which would have been rather inconvenient, or a slightly less inconvenient but longer one south-eastwards from between Crewkerne and Chard.

 

[ashkeba]

Rothwell, Northamptonshire. Unlike its Yorkshire namesake, it looks like no one tried a passenger service on its railway.