what is the most centre station in the uk?

[robert2000]

we have talked about most northern and southern etc and longest platform etc. so how about using geography and working out which station is nearest the centre of the united kingdom, now this is gonna be tricky.

u can use england, scotlnd and wales seperatly aswell or as a whole for uk.

 

[O L Leigh]

Ah, now isn't that a can of worms.

How are we to decide where the centre of the UK is? Is it the furthest point from the borders (e.g. coasts)? Do you include the various offshore islands or not?

This is either going to be the station closest to Meriden in Warks (Hampden-in-Arden, just 2.21 miles away), which is held to be the location furthest from the coast, or the rival location of the Midland Oak also in Warks (Leamington Spa, 1.08 miles away). Alternatively, if you are looking for the place closest to the centre of a 2-dimensional map of the UK, it could be the station nearest to Dunsop Bridge in Lancs (Bentham, 7.93 miles away) if you are including the various offshore islands, or the station closest to Whalley (Whalley itself) if you are not.

Take your pick.

O L Leigh

 

[Metroland]

we have talked about most northern and southern etc and longest platform etc. so how about using geography and working out which station is nearest the centre of the united kingdom, now this is gonna be tricky.

u can use england, scotlnd and wales seperatly aswell or as a whole for uk.

Haltwhistle is nearest the centre of the UK.

 

[37401]

/\ yup i agree with that /\

and to answer your next Possible Question, Birmingham New Street is the largest interchange station

 

[Oswyntail]

If you folded the old route map from the BR timetable so that the easternmost point of the country touched the westernmost, and likewise north to south, the middle was almost exactly by Dent station on that map. Highly accurate and scientific!

 

[me123]

I believe, in Scotland, the answer is Dalwhinnie. The point lies on the railway line between Dalwhinnie and Blair Atholl.

That's not as contested as the centre of the UK, though. The most definitive answer I could find would be "Brennand Farm, near Dunsop Bridge, Lancashire", which I think would make the nearest station Bentham or Clitherhoe. This location is the centre according to Ordinance Survey, which negates Haltwhistle's claim. I'm not sure what claim Haltwhistle has, of any, to the title.

Link

 

[37401]

i wonder what the Highest station is (in feet from sea level) got to be somewhere in the highlands or on the S+C

 

[RichardB]

i wonder what the Highest station is (in feet from sea level) got to be somewhere in the highlands or on the S+C

Highest in England is Dent ... they have a sign at the station saying so.

A quick Google brings up that...

The highest railway station (3494 feet) in Britain is on Snowdon (3560 feet) in Wales although that is a specialised rack and pinion mountain railway and is not part of the normal railway network. The highest, and probably the most remote, station on the normal railway network is on Rannoch Moor (1350 feet) in Scotland.

(from http://www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk/oldest.html)

 

[robert2000]

Newtown (y Drenewydd) i think is the most centre station in wales. but im also thinking it could be peny bont or llandrindod.

 

[jayjay]

So is Dent the highest mainline station in the UK?

 

[TDK]

Highest in England is Dent ... they have a sign at the station saying so.

A quick Google brings up that...



(from http://www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk/oldest.html)

The highest in Wales is Llangunllo on the HOW line I believe

 

[andyc225]

So is Dent the highest mainline station in the UK?

No, Corrour station is.

 

[156499]

No, Corrour station is.

Yes, I agree, It's Corrour Located on the Rannoch moor with only a Hotel located next to the station which makes this place 12 miles from the nearest road, there is no road access.

The MOST WESTERLY STATION IN BRITAIN is Arisaig located around 10 Miles from Mallaig

 

[Fincra5]

"For centuries Meriden, West Midlands held the claim to be the geographical centre of England, and there has been a stone cross there commemorating the claim for at least 500 years. The justification is that the point farthest from the sea is in the vicinity of Meriden. A rival claim for the true location of the centre of England is made by the site of a tree, the Midland Oak, situated on the boundary between Lillington and Leamington Spa, Warwickshire."

Which would make Leamington Spa the most central station

Where as the centre of the UK is Dunsop Bridge, making Clitheroe the most central in the UK

 

[merlodlliw]

Newtown (y Drenewydd) i think is the most centre station in wales. but im also thinking it could be peny bont or llandrindod.

I dont think it is Newtown,too near the border, Llandod is perhaps too far south
what about Caersws [CWS]?

as for Ireland, thats easy Athlone is in the centre.

 

[andyc225]

It's definitely Caersws. It would've been pretty much perfectly centred at Talerddig I imagine (if the station wasn't closed - the building is in use as a private dwelling), but all that remains there now is the crossing loop.

 

[krus_aragon]

It has no geographical or scientific basis, but my instinctive reaction for Wales is Builth Road, as the crossing point of the Central Wales line (now the Heart of Wales line) and the closed Mid Wales line. That's a bit too far south on the map, though.

On the other hand, surely the most 'central' station in the UK is Glasgow Central, as it has 16 platforms!

 

[poshbakerloo]

Birmingham New Street?

 

[CSR]

I think you guys are missing a point here ....

Great Britain is England, Wales and Scotland.

The UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland !!! I just wondered whether the centre of that lot is somewhere on the Isle of Man ????!!!!!

 

[Lampshade]

I think you guys are missing a point here ....

Great Britain is England, Wales and Scotland.

The UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland !!! I just wondered whether the centre of that lot is somewhere on the Isle of Man ????!!!!!

That settles it then, it's Lewaigue on the Manx Electric Railway

Actually, taking into account the Orkneys/Shetlands and Northern Ireland, I'd say it was probably around Barrow in Furness.

 

[Swift-Deere]

I think you guys are missing a point here ....

Great Britain is England, Wales and Scotland.

The UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland !!! I just wondered whether the centre of that lot is somewhere on the Isle of Man ????!!!!!

Isle of man is not part of the UK thought so that rules that out

 

[33011]

I'd hazard a guess and say the one in the middle

 

[poshbakerloo]

Birmingham New Street is very important...

With London I would say that all of them combined are very important, but on their own they only serve small parts of the country...

 

[37401]

New street isnt exacly slap bang in the middle

 

[jopsuk]

Using this as a guide may be of help?
And then there's the "population centre", thatis, the point where if everyone in the UK was to travel directly to, the total mileage would be a minimum. Polesworth appears to be the closest mainline station to that.

 

[Aictos]

I always thought Crewe was in prime position, well it is if you only count the West Midlands, Scotland, London and Wales!

 

[darkpowers]

A contender for the the highest standard gauge UK railway station (outside of Scotland) is Whistle Inn Halt on The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway in South Wales, which is around 1300ft above sea level.

 

[bnsf734]

Using this as a guide may be of help?

I would think the Ordnance Survey know what they are talking about, and using a bit of local knowledge.
(I live in Nuneaton)
The OS give the centre point of England as Lindley Hall Farm near Fenny Drayton Leicestershire. Using Google maps gives the following distances:

Nearest station - Higham on the Hill (closed in the 1960's) approx 1.75 miles away.

Nearest open stations

Nuneaton 3.5 miles away
Atherstone 4.3 miles away
Hinckley 5.7 miles away

Nearest point on the rail system would be Caldecote on the West Coast main line - approx 1.8 miles away.

Therefore Nuneaton is the most central station in England.

now for the most central station in Great Britain....

Calv