Confusing stations or location

[infobleep]

Following on from my thread about train punctuality, I thought I'd start another on confusing stations and locations, as that got a mention.

I can think of three at least:
Waterloo when both Waterloo and Waterloo East were named the same and were connected by a railway line. I have a reference in one book that talks about this being confusing. I thought it was my Dickens Dictionary to London, fifth edition from 1883 but it seems not.

Another confusing one, taken from my 1902 Thorough Guide to the Eastern Counties, and referring to Norwich:

To prevent confusion it may be well to point out that Thorpe (terminus) gets its name from Thorpe Hamlet, the eastern suburb of the city. Thorpe (village) is about 2 miles East from Thorpe (terminus), and its station is called Whittlingham Junction.

Wonder how many people went to Thorpe when they should have gone to Whittlingham Junction? Being a village, not many one might hope.

Then there was Manchester London Road and Manchester Mayflower. Separate stations and names but whereas most services to stations might depart from London Road, the occasional daily service would depart from Mayflower. I wouldn't want to end up in the wrong building, the one hour the train left from the other station!

Any modern examples? Or other old ones?

I guess stations with similar names in different counties.

I over heard a phone conversation once. Someone was pulling into Woking whereas they were due to be picked up from Wokingham, which was no doubt where their friend or family member was waiting.

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[Xenophon PCDGS]

Then there was Manchester London Road and Manchester Mayflower. Separate stations and names but whereas most services to stations might depart from London Road, the occasional daily service would depart from Mayflower. I wouldn't want to end up in the wrong building, the one hour the train left from the other station!

I thought that I had intimate knowledge of the railway history of the railway stations in Manchester and was somewhat taken aback by your mention of Manchester Mayflower station, which does sound quite attractive.

I feel that you actually meant to say Manchester Mayfield station.

 

[Rover]

In the early 80s I remember a chappie turned up at Chesterfield instead of Chester.

 

[dgl]

There's two Gillingham's and iirc two Poole's

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[infobleep]

I thought that I had intimate knowledge of the railway history of the railway stations in Manchester and was somewhat taken aback by your mention of Manchester Mayflower station, which does sound quite attractive.

I feel that you actually meant to say Manchester Mayfield station.

Your quite right. I did. I was relying on my memory. I should know better to do that.

 

[Phil.]

Bury St. Edmunds was always - perhaps it still is - referred to as "Bury" in the Cambridge area. Had to be sympathetic to the bloke who arrived off an inbound Ipswich in the mid seventies having been sent to Bury St. Edmunds after asking a platform bod instructions for a train to Bury. Having said that a punter was taken back a little upon arriving at Paddington asked me how to get to St. Helier. Upon my telling them to go to Waterloo for a train to Weymouth they asked me where I thought St. Helier was. I didn't know about the one near Carshalton. How strange it was then that some ten years later my youngest was born in St. Helier hospital.

 

[Calthrop]

There's two Gillingham's and iirc two Poole's

Being nitpicky: there was in the past Pool-in-Wharfedale, on the NER Arthington -- Burley-in-Wharfedale line; and Pool Quay, on the Cambrian's Whitchurch -- Welshpool route; but to the best of my knowledge, never any other Poole or Pool plain-and-simple.

I gather that the generally accepted pronunciations of the Kent, and Dorset, Gillinghams are different (the former, soft G like "J" as in "Gibraltar"; the latter, hard G as in "glass") -- but that of course is "spoken-word" only, and not something that everybody knows !

 

[Mr Fizz]

Sandwell and Dudley. Sandwell is the name of the local authority which nobody has heard of and the station isn't in Dudley either.

 

[PeterC]

Two Rainhams as well.

Not rail related but when, in Bucks, I was asked for directions to Winchmore Hill I gave directions to Enfield not knowing that there was a hamlet of the same name near Amersham.

 

[daodao]

Two Rainhams as well.

Not rail related but when, in Bucks, I was asked for directions to Winchmore Hill I gave directions to Enfield not knowing that there was a hamlet of the same name near Amersham.

And 4 places called Whitchurch - which caused confusion once when I asked for a single to Whitchurch (meaning the Cardiff suburb) at Cardiff Central station (price at the time just over £1) and the booking clerk tried to sell me a ticket to Whitchurch (Salop) on the Marches line at a somewhat higher price. The other place called Whitchurch that still has a station is in Hants (it used to have a 2nd station on the now closed DNS line) and there also used to be a Whitchurch halt on the Bristol-Frome line.

 

[Lrd]

London Liverpool Street and Liverpool Lime Street must have caused some confusion at some point.

I've heard of a story about a lady thinking that Northampton was very close to Southampton.

 

[Calthrop]

And 4 places called Whitchurch - which caused confusion once when I asked for a single to Whitchurch (meaning the Cardiff suburb) at Cardiff Central station (price at the time just over £1) and the booking clerk tried to sell me a ticket to Whitchurch (Salop) on the Marches line at a somewhat higher price. The other place called Whitchurch that still has a station is in Hants (it used to have a 2nd station on the now closed DNS line) and there also used to be a Whitchurch halt on the Bristol-Frome line.

I'd forgotten about the last here -- Whitchurch, Somerset. Whitchurch thus seems to come out "level pegging" with Britain's other favourite, Newport. We have "living": the South Wales Newport (taking it -- re times past -- just as the one location), and Newport (Essex) between Bishop's Stortford and Cambridge; and "dead": Newport (IOW); Newport (Salop) -- on the Stafford -- Wellington line; and Newport (Tees-side), which closed in 1915 ! One could blatantly cheat, and produce a sixth Newport in the Irish Republic: that on the Westport -- Achill line, abandoned in 1937; but that would hardly be sporting.

 

[Karl]

Preston Junction, a station about 2 miles south of Preston on the East Lancashire line to Bamber Bridge, used to cause confusion with passengers unfamiliar with the area thinking they were actually at Preston. To prevent this in 1952 it had its name changed to Todd Lane Junction.

 

[daodao]

I'd forgotten about the last here -- Whitchurch, Somerset. Whitchurch thus seems to come out "level pegging" with Britain's other favourite, Newport. We have "living": the South Wales Newport (taking it -- re times past -- just as the one location), and Newport (Essex) between Bishop's Stortford and Cambridge; and "dead": Newport (IOW); Newport (Salop) -- on the Stafford -- Wellington line; and Newport (Tees-side), which closed in 1915 ! One could blatantly cheat, and produce a sixth Newport in the Irish Republic: that on the Westport -- Achill line, abandoned in 1937; but that would hardly be sporting.

There is another Newport in South Wales (in North Pembrokeshire), which can occasionally cause confusion with Newport, Gwent, but there was never a railway station there.

Other examples include Adlington (in Cheshire and Lancashire), both still open and served from Manchester stations, and Cheadle (with several former stations, now just Cheadle Hulme) in Cheshire (now Stockport) and Cheadle, Staffs (whose station is now closed).

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It's not just railways though. The other week I was in Huddersfield bus station Travel Centre where I overheard a man asking which bus route would take him to Netherton. The woman at the desk simply said get the 323 or 324, rather than checking whether the man wanted the one in the Holme Valley or the one on the way to Wakefield (for which he'd need the 231).

 

[oldman]

Colchester and Colchester Town seems confusing - I think Town was once St Botolphs. There are similar situations in Poland and other central European countries with a centrally located station with Town (Miasto) and another with just the place name. Often the Town station is passenger only.

 

[341o2]

Lymington and Leamington.

Ford (Sussex) Ford near Devonport, Plymouth (closed)
Tower Hill (LUL) also Padstow branch (latter also closed)

 

[Scouseinmanc]

Lymington and Leamington.

Ford (Sussex) Ford near Devonport, Plymouth (closed)
Tower Hill (LUL) also Padstow branch (latter also closed)

There was also a 'Ford' in north Liverpool, between Seaforth & Aintree (closed 1951)

 

[Calthrop]

Ford (Sussex) Ford near Devonport, Plymouth (closed)

There was also a 'Ford' in north Liverpool, between Seaforth & Aintree (closed 1951)

And at the risk of getting silly, Ford & Crossgates on the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway -- passenger service withdrawn 1933 IIRC.

Re Colonel Stephens's lines and "things confusing": I like the old tale of the GWR employee at the company's station at Clevedon, who was called before his superiors to account for a complaint of insolence toward a passenger. What had happened was: one evening, after the departure of the last GWR branch train of the day Clevedon -- Yatton, a lady turned up at the station, wanting to travel to Weston-Super-Mare. Knowing that there was a later, westbound, working on the neighbouring Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway; the railwayman said to her: "Madam, the best thing you can do is to go to the W.C. & P."

 

[61653 HTAFC]

And at the risk of getting silly, Ford & Crossgates on the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway -- passenger service withdrawn 1933 IIRC.

Re Colonel Stephens's lines and "things confusing": I like the old tale of the GWR employee at the company's station at Clevedon, who was called before his superiors to account for a complaint of insolence toward a passenger. What had happened was: one evening, after the departure of the last GWR branch train of the day Clevedon -- Yatton, a lady turned up at the station, wanting to travel to Weston-Super-Mare. Knowing that there was a later, westbound, working on the neighbouring Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway; the railwayman said to her: "Madam, the best thing you can do is to go to the W.C. & P."

Ford & Crossgates (or is it Cross Gates?!) is a "two-fer"!

 

[Taunton]

London Liverpool Street and Liverpool Lime Street must have caused some confusion at some point.

There are several points which have services to both.

The classic was in the 1980s when the Watford Junction to Broad Street peak hour local service was diverted to Liverpool Street. Apart from commuters, it formed a convenient connection there into the Hook Continental which left at about 9.30am for Harwich and the Continental boat. For the foreign teenage au-pairs of Hertfordshire houses going home laden with cases, it was an easy way, just one change within the same station.

Unfortunately, having said their farewells at the Watford barrier and been directed towards the DC line bays for the Liverpool Street train, which you get to by walking along the Down Fast platform, just at that moment the morning express for Liverpool Lime Street was making its call. Platform staff stand by doors, shout out "Liverpool (blah) Street", window labels say the same, on they get.

Next stop, Runcorn. Apparently the stationmaster there had to deal with this one on multiple occasions.

 

[Calthrop]

London Liverpool Street and Liverpool Lime Street must have caused some confusion at some point.

There are several points which have services to both.

The classic was in the 1980s when the Watford Junction to Broad Street peak hour local service was diverted to Liverpool Street. Apart from commuters, it formed a convenient connection there into the Hook Continental which left at about 9.30am for Harwich and the Continental boat. For the foreign teenage au-pairs of Hertfordshire houses going home laden with cases, it was an easy way, just one change within the same station.

Unfortunately, having said their farewells at the Watford barrier and been directed towards the DC line bays for the Liverpool Street train, which you get to by walking along the Down Fast platform, just at that moment the morning express for Liverpool Lime Street was making its call. Platform staff stand by doors, shout out "Liverpool (blah) Street", window labels say the same, on they get.

Next stop, Runcorn. Apparently the stationmaster there had to deal with this one on multiple occasions.

There's a thread going on at present in the Infrastructure & Stations sub-forum, on very much the same "confusion" theme, as this thread; in which Liverpool Street terminus, London / city of Liverpool, Merseyside, have also featured.

I can't help feeling -- despite sentiments to the contrary, on above other thread -- that the Eastern Counties / Great Eastern Railways should, "back in the day", have realised the confusion-potential of naming their London terminus, "Liverpool Street"; and called it something else, preferably non-geographical !

 

[Taunton]

Try explaining to an Asian tourist on an Underground platform, when there's no map immediately to hand, that they need to go Southbound on the Northern Line, not Northbound, and then that "Northern" and "Morden" are two different words.

 

[edwin_m]

Two Abbey Woods, with the one on the DLR having a poster telling people looking for the Beatles studio they've come to the wrong place.

Not far away, two Stratfords and no doubt lots of tourists wandering round the Olympic Park looking for the theatre.

Two Gillinghams and two Chichesters (if you allow T&W Metro), both pronounced differently. Charing Cross in Glasgow and London, not to mention Clapham (former) Junction in North Yorkshire.

 

[Calthrop]

...not to mention Clapham (former) Junction in North Yorkshire.

I recall a mention in a long-ago book about Britain's lesser lines -- by O.S. Nock? -- of holidaymakers from London travelling by train through the abovementioned venue, reading the "Clapham Junction" station / signalbox nameboard, and falling about laughing...

 

[Thebaz]

A former colleague of mine actually did mix up the two Rainhams. We were working out in the Essex one (horrible place) and she went to the Kent one (er, horrible place)

Also there's Ashford (Int.) and Ashford (Surrey, formerly Mddx).

 

[341o2]

Try explaining to an Asian tourist on an Underground platform, when there's no map immediately to hand, that they need to go Southbound on the Northern Line, not Northbound, and then that "Northern" and "Morden" are two different words.

My Lymington & Leamington is based on something similar. I signed up for a service over the phone, all went well until problems regarding an "invalid" postcode. Eventually the penny dropped.

Madam, there is a "y" in my town's name. It is on the south coast and has a Southampton postcode. Not in Warwickshire with "spa" afterwards

 

[Rover]

Heard a story many years ago, don't know if was true or not, about an old lady turning up at Oxford or somewhere wanting to go to Exeter. She had got on the wrong train because she had seen "Exeter" on the side of the locomotive (50044)

 

[EveningStar]

As told me by a friend years ago, when she was on a local train out of Lime Street. After stopping at West Allerton and Allerton, lady opposite asked my friend if the next station was Northallerton.

 

[Waldgrun]

Heard a story many years ago, don't know if was true or not, about an old lady turning up at Oxford or somewhere wanting to go to Exeter. She had got on the wrong train because she had seen "Exeter" on the side of the locomotive (50044)

An old chestnut! Heard the same thing about an old lady at Portsmouth Harbour station, she had seen Boats labelled for Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, and she was waiting for one labelled Newport, which was where she was going! (At one time Isle of Wight ferries carried local place names).

On another note, sometimes, it not the Railway staff fault, I know of one time two older ladies arrived at Southbourne station (or Halt as it used to be called) in West Sussex. They where a bit miffed to find the Southbourne they wanted was the one near Bournemouth. Which has never had a station!