• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Favourite/Worst Northern Rail served stations

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

AndyHudds

Member
Joined
17 Jun 2012
Messages
601
My personal favourite is Brockholes, albeit mostly for the disused and privately owned platform opposite the one currently in use.

Worst is Morley (discounting those with only parlimentary or close to parliamentary services). It's poorly located for the community it serves, as a result it has no interchange facility with buses. Those are not wasily solved admittedly, but given those problems it could really do with a bigger car park or at the very least a decent, well-lit footpath leading back to civilisation!

Even worse than Ravensthorpe?
 

Xenophon PCDGS

Veteran Member
Joined
17 Apr 2011
Messages
35,440
Location
A typical commuter-belt part of north-west England
Hebden Bridge has to be my favourite Northern Rail station, with its open booking-office with friendly staff, warm waiting rooms, clean toilets, excellent privately-run café and L & Y style signage.

I realised that whilst voting for Ardwick as my least favoured station, I had omitted to cast my vote for my favourite one and I hereby concur with your choice of Hebden Bridge, being a great admirer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.
 

61653 HTAFC

Veteran Member
Joined
18 Dec 2012
Messages
19,354
Location
Yorkshire
Even worse than Ravensthorpe?

It's on a par, but Morley serves (or at least is supposed to serve) a much larger settlement. One of the few things either has going for them is their old footbridges, though they'll be on borrowed time.
 

terryc

Member
Joined
6 Jan 2013
Messages
95
Worst Station. Bryn.
In fact I remember a freind of mine a few years back proposing it for the Best Kept Station award, just to draw attention as to how bad it actually was. :)
Best Station. Stalybridge, for the ahem, refreshment facilities ;)
 
Joined
27 Jul 2011
Messages
754
Location
Leeds
Rawcliffe in East Yorkshire is pretty bad. Ok it's not very busy (probably an understatement) but the last time I was there the weeds had grown so high through the fence and the platform it was like being in the Amazon.

The platform itself it's incredibly thin as well. I don't suppose many other people know of it.
 

Gathursty

Established Member
Joined
31 May 2011
Messages
2,649
Location
Wigan
Rawcliffe in East Yorkshire is pretty bad. Ok it's not very busy (probably an understatement) but the last time I was there the weeds had grown so high through the fence and the platform it was like being in the Amazon.

The platform itself it's incredibly thin as well. I don't suppose many other people know of it.

I was there about two months ago. I agree about the width of the platform but I don't think it was too weedy. I like it's incredible proximity to the M62. Snaith, on the same line, I find to be quite sad, apart from the level crossing, there's nothing to suggest it's there.
 
Joined
27 Jul 2011
Messages
754
Location
Leeds
I was there about two months ago. I agree about the width of the platform but I don't think it was too weedy. I like it's incredible proximity to the M62. Snaith, on the same line, I find to be quite sad, apart from the level crossing, there's nothing to suggest it's there.

I used to live in Snaith for a couple of years. I can remember there was only 2 trains to Leeds per day. After doing a bit of research about Snaith I found out it used to be a thriving market town between 1900 and 1950 and the rail links were a big part of it.

The most excitement in Snaith was the occasional freight passing through. They have done up the station a little bit since I was there, I can remember the shelter there was pretty much destroyed and chavs used to hang around in the vacinity.

East Yorkshire continues to be the county that time forget in so many ways. It is genuinly sad because it's a nice place to live.
 

WatcherZero

Established Member
Joined
25 Feb 2010
Messages
10,272
Favourite, Hindley is like a well managed garden and Bolton is nice and spacious with good facilities though the overpass does let it down a bit.

Worst has to be Ince, lonely and cold with very few stopping services.

o2201-0000013.jpg
 

noddingdonkey

Member
Joined
2 Nov 2012
Messages
923
Worst is Morley (discounting those with only parlimentary or close to parliamentary services). It's poorly located for the community it serves, as a result it has no interchange facility with buses.

Ditto New Pudsey which is of no use to anybody in Pudsey who doesn't have a car.

I'm amazed that Wakefield Kirkgate hasn't had a dishonourable mention yet.
 

Gathursty

Established Member
Joined
31 May 2011
Messages
2,649
Location
Wigan
Are you driving to all the stations or using the train?

Both. Other people who are/have done this may have only used the train but for me, my aim is to visit by any means. Besides, I think the task, sadly, may be eye-wateringly time- and cash-consuming if I restricted myself to use of a train.
 
Joined
21 Feb 2011
Messages
214
Location
Doncaster
I would have to say Hellifield was one of the best, simply for the variety of trains, but then I would say that, seeing I am one of the signallers there....
 
Joined
30 Jan 2013
Messages
111
Two words - Hyde North. A dismal and depressing hovel, bleak and without any redeeming features. The only mildly interesting fact being that a footpath uses the bridge over the track to walk up to the equally depressing "Flowery" Fields.

Seconded for Stalybrige as best station.
 

ANorthernGuard

Established Member
Joined
8 Oct 2010
Messages
2,662
Worse stations than Hyde North. Hyde North has pretty much the same facilities that 90 percent of Northerns stations have... A shelter lol
 

Gathursty

Established Member
Joined
31 May 2011
Messages
2,649
Location
Wigan
I have now visited every station on the Northern Rail network. :D I must say Chathill's platforms are a delight with the many plant pots and flowerbeds, although practically it is very deep in the sticks unless you want to go to Bamburgh Castle early in the morning.
 

transmanche

Established Member
Joined
27 Feb 2011
Messages
6,021
I must say Chathill's platforms are a delight with the many plant pots and flowerbeds, although practically it is very deep in the sticks unless you want to go to Bamburgh Castle early in the morning.
It's a shame really, as a service to Chathill[*] at a reasonable time would make an excellent service for walkers/cyclists who want to explore what is a beautiful part of the world. But pathing a 75mph DMU on a 2-track section of the ECML must be nightmare.

* Plus a re-opened station at Belford, seeing as the train has to go there anyway to reverse.
 
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Messages
790
Location
Brigg Line
Best one is Huddersfield as it has a great railway pub at the front of the station.

Worse has to be Gainsborough Central, the platforms are falling apart, the footbridge is unsafe and today when I went to take some pictures it was locked up
 

61653 HTAFC

Veteran Member
Joined
18 Dec 2012
Messages
19,354
Location
Yorkshire
Best one is Huddersfield as it has 2 great railway pubs at the front of the station.

Worse has to be Gainsborough Central, the platforms are falling apart, the footbridge is unsafe and today when I went to take some pictures it was locked up

Edited for ya! :D
 

Gathursty

Established Member
Joined
31 May 2011
Messages
2,649
Location
Wigan
Worse has to be Gainsborough Central, the platforms are falling apart, the footbridge is unsafe and today when I went to take some pictures it was locked up

I also wondered why it was locked up, although by the time I got there from Wigan via Barnsley, Adwick, Thorne, Sconthurpe, Barton and Cleethorpes and being a weekday, I thought it may be similar to Peartree's security policy. I still remember the signaller scratching his head thinking why I was there for all of one minute.
 
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Messages
790
Location
Brigg Line
Edited for ya! :D

Have I missed one ? :o

I also wondered why it was locked up, although by the time I got there from Wigan via Barnsley, Adwick, Thorne, Sconthurpe, Barton and Cleethorpes and being a weekday, I thought it may be similar to Peartree's security policy. I still remember the signaller scratching his head thinking why I was there for all of one minute.

I am now told they lock the station due to the local yobs at night coming onto the station and vandalising it.
 
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Messages
790
Location
Brigg Line
There's the 'Head of Steam' in the old L&Y Booking Hall, and the 'King's Head' (formerly the Railway Tavern) in the matching (formerly used for goods/mail I think) building at the opposite end of P1.

Ta for that. :D

I must pop in and help with the profits next time im shopping in Huddersfield
 
Joined
27 Jul 2011
Messages
754
Location
Leeds
I've always found Church Fenton to be good. One of the main reasons is that there is a decent amount going on, plenty to see.

Micklefield is another one that's a bit dull.

Sherburn in Elmet is slightly more interesting with it's bizarre level crossing in which is the road is closed yet the crossing is still in operation.
 

Old Yard Dog

Established Member
Joined
21 Aug 2011
Messages
1,823
Stanlow & Thornton is the least welcoming in the sense that you have to drive (from the east only), cycle or walk past a number of very forbidding signs to actually get to it. The right of way situation is unclear as Oil Sites Road is a private road belonging to Essar.

Neverless the station has shelters and seats and it even had a part time ticket office in the 1980's.
 

MidnightFlyer

Veteran Member
Joined
16 May 2010
Messages
12,856
... except perhaps Blackburn and Accrington.

Said no-one ever ;)

Accrington station is the town's only redeeming feature, I'll grant you that. Blackburn station is a wonderful example of both a rushed job and not thinking about the future.
 

Lampshade

Established Member
Joined
3 Sep 2009
Messages
3,777
Location
South London
Said no-one ever ;)

Accrington station is the town's only redeeming feature, I'll grant you that. Blackburn station is a wonderful example of both a rushed job and not thinking about the future.

Still can't work out why the ticket office was put on the island platform and not down near the entrance. The shelter on platform 4 has been done properly though.
 

gnolife

Established Member
Joined
4 Nov 2010
Messages
2,047
Location
Johnstone
Everything on that line is grim, except perhaps Blackburn and Accrington.

Burnley Manchester Road is about as welcoming as a punch in the face.

Burnley Manchester Road station. At least when you're there, you know your means of escape should be on the way...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top