HS2 Old Oak Common Station - What should it be called?

[cle]

No, I get it - but I don’t think those posts were overly cognizant of the line name which will feature heavily there. That connection for users could well be that ostensibly it’s called London Crossrail Interchange / Junction.

 

[takno]

Have a look at posts 3,6 & 8 it stems from that, not particularly related to Crossrail.

Post 3 was categorically riffing on the absurd and obsequious naming of crossrail by the preposterous buffoon who was mayor at the time. It sounds horrible and definitely shouldn't have been taken as a serious suggestion.

 

[Halifaxlad]

Reference to the earlier posts was simply where the name Elizabeth first cropped up.

I am aware that some of the suggestions were a bit preposterous.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Post 3 was categorically riffing on the absurd and obsequious naming of crossrail by the preposterous buffoon who was mayor at the time. It sounds horrible and definitely shouldn't have been taken as a serious suggestion.

I don't see why the Elizabeth Line is any more preposterous than the Victoria Line.

Something like "Queen Elizabeth Interchange" or "Queen Elizabeth Junction" does have a good sound to it, though I prefer the more factual ones like "West London Interchange" as that gives you an idea where it is (including as a non-Londoner; talking of Old Oak or Wormwood Scrubs is fairly meaningless to most HS2 customers going into London).

 

[The Planner]

It will be something exciting like London Old Oak Common, or "LOOC, don't get off there"

 

[Ianno87]

I don't see why the Elizabeth Line is any more preposterous than the Victoria Line.

Something like "Queen Elizabeth Interchange" or "Queen Elizabeth Junction" does have a good sound to it, though I prefer the more factual ones like "West London Interchange" as that gives you an idea where it is (including as a non-Londoner; talking of Old Oak or Wormwood Scrubs is fairly meaningless to most HS2 customers going into London).

Is "Euston" geographically meaningful to your average Wiganer?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is "Euston" geographically meaningful to your average Wiganer?

"London Euston" is, primarily because of the "London" part. (I've long thought it stupid the way Voyagers just say "Euston").

The problem with using "London Old Oak Common" is that that prefix is generally taken to imply "central London"; "West London Interchange" has a different implication to it.

 

[MotCO]

The other way of looking at it is what 3 letter abbreviation is available to be allocated to the new station, and choose the name from that. If WLI is already used elsewhere, then it is probably not a good idea to call it West London Interchange for example.

 

[cle]

Is "Euston" geographically meaningful to your average Wiganer?

Yes, of course it is. It's the area of London where the station is. And the Tap lol. Every Northerner knows Euston and Kings Cross as areas of London surrounding the stations. People aren't idiots. And smartphones can fill in a lot of previous gaps.

Old Oak (Common) will evolve into the vernacular, especially of its users, soon enough. That's what language and place names do.

The people who carp on about St Gile's and so forth may as well suggest Latin names. Place names die off over time too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The other way of looking at it is what 3 letter abbreviation is available to be allocated to the new station, and choose the name from that. If WLI is already used elsewhere, then it is probably not a good idea to call it West London Interchange for example.

The 3-letter code is an internal thing, while I know some planners use it and some people know it it is not a good reason to choose the name of the station. People who use the station often enough to need to know it will learn it, the same way as people know illogical airport codes (and the same way as it doesn't really matter than Luton Airport stylises itself as LLA even though people on here find that grates a bit as it's really LTN).

As an aside, WLI is Welling, but WLH (West London HS2) is available, or you could just change Welling to WLL which is available.

 

[Whistler40145]

Great Western Interchange

 

[MotCO]

The 3-letter code is an internal thing, while I know some planners use it and some people know it it is not a good reason to choose the name of the station. People who use the station often enough to need to know it will learn it, the same way as people know illogical airport codes (and the same way as it doesn't really matter than Luton Airport stylises itself as LLA even though people on here find that grates a bit as it's really LTN).

As an aside, WLI is Welling, but WLH (West London HS2) is available, or you could just change Welling to WLL which is available.

My concern was that there may be some confusion in some ticket offices, so some passengers may unwittingly get a ticket to Welling, not the new station. (Am I right in thinking that BMH, which is the obvious code from Brmingham, is for somewhere else, and it was this sort of confusion I was trying to avoid.)

 

[Mikey C]

My concern was that there may be some confusion in some ticket offices, so some passengers may unwittingly get a ticket to Welling, not the new station. (Am I right in thinking that BMH, which is the obvious code from Brmingham, is for somewhere else, and it was this sort of confusion I was trying to avoid.)

I can't imagine many people will be going to Old Oak/West London Interchange anyway, as opposed to going via it!

 

[Bletchleyite]

My concern was that there may be some confusion in some ticket offices, so some passengers may unwittingly get a ticket to Welling, not the new station. (Am I right in thinking that BMH, which is the obvious code from Brmingham, is for somewhere else, and it was this sort of confusion I was trying to avoid.)

BMH is Bournemouth. There's no BOU which makes that choice a bit surprising. But I genuinely doubt it actually causes confusion, as anyone wanting Birmingham is just going to type "birm" as that's quicker than trying to remember what the code was.

It's BHM for New St by the way.

Typing "west l" gets you nothing at present so that's how people would likely find it.

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I can't imagine many people will be going to Old Oak/West London Interchange anyway, as opposed to going via it!

There's also that, it's not really a destination. Though I suppose some may want an HS2 or Chiltern ticket to it then use contactless onwards.

Either way, if someone in a ticket office actually issues a ticket to Welling instead of West London Interchange then they want the sack[1], it's really not an easy thing to get confused about. Even if they did mistype the code, things like the number of changes and journey time should ring alarm bells.

[1] This is a joke, obviously, largely because it just isn't going to happen.

 

[takno]

My concern was that there may be some confusion in some ticket offices, so some passengers may unwittingly get a ticket to Welling, not the new station. (Am I right in thinking that BMH, which is the obvious code from Brmingham, is for somewhere else, and it was this sort of confusion I was trying to avoid.)

BNS is Barnes, if that's what you're thinking of, and Birmingham New Street is BHM. I've only ever seen it cause confusion on these forums tbh - the three letter codes are never really used for display purposes, just as an aid to faster typing for people who know them

 

[SargeNpton]

The 3-letter code is an internal thing, while I know some planners use it and some people know it it is not a good reason to choose the name of the station. People who use the station often enough to need to know it will learn it, the same way as people know illogical airport codes (and the same way as it doesn't really matter than Luton Airport stylises itself as LLA even though people on here find that grates a bit as it's really LTN).

As an aside, WLI is Welling, but WLH (West London HS2) is available, or you could just change Welling to WLL which is available.

Amending the CRS code for a station causes a lot of issues as so many rail retail systems use them (in the back end if not overtly). Some rail operating systems also make reference to them. If the station in question is served by reservable trains the problems to overcome increase.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Amending the CRS code for a station causes a lot of issues as so many rail retail systems use them (in the back end if not overtly). Some rail operating systems also make reference to them. If the station in question is served by reservable trains the problems to overcome increase.

I suspect the barriers and costs posed by those changes are rather overshadowed by those relating to the construction of a 150+ mile high speed railway and a number of new stations. Though I don't think there's any need to change it because it won't confuse anyone other than the occasional poster on here (see BNS vs BHM).

 

[takno]

LWI is available for London Western Interchange. Picking a name based on available three letter codes would be crazy though

 

[BrianW]

Thinking of:
London Luton Airport
London Oxford Airport
London Paddington
St Pancras International
London Farringdon
London Blackfriars
London London Bridge
London International
London Central
London White Elephant (sorry White City)
London South Willesden Junction
New Old Oak
North Wormwood Scrubs
Sir George Blake
Cerebos Salt
Gipsy Corner
81A ...
Competition for local kids
Payment for sponsorship- like Bicester Village- North Westfield?
North West Acton (even more Main Line) ...

I'm out!

 

[randyrippley]

Taking the lead from "Waterloo", I would like to suggest "Crecy"

 

[Ianno87]

Yes, of course it is. It's the area of London where the station is. And the Tap lol. Every Northerner knows Euston and Kings Cross as areas of London surrounding the stations. People aren't idiots. And smartphones can fill in a lot of previous gaps.

They really don't. My Bolton-residing, smartphone-capable mum still gets the tube from Euston to King's Cross in spite of me having personally shown her the way on multiple occasions.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Taking the lead from "Waterloo", I would like to suggest "Crecy"

Londres-Agincourt

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They really don't. My Bolton-residing, smartphone-capable mum still gets the tube from Euston to King's Cross in spite of me having personally shown her the way on multiple occasions.

I can completely understand, to be fair, why someone who didn't feel comfortable on the streets of London might not want to walk it. The back way in particular (through a very dodgy looking estate) is quite intimidating if you're not familiar with it, and the first time I did it I found it a bit confusing even with a smartphone and Google Maps (and it really doesn't feel like the sort of place you want to be waving a smartphone round and advertising it to anyone dodgy). I very much doubt my Mum would walk it on her own.

And yes, she has a smartphone, she's practically never off Facebook.

 

[cle]

Londres-Agincourt

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I can completely understand, to be fair, why someone who didn't feel comfortable on the streets of London might not want to walk it. The back way in particular (through a very dodgy looking estate) is quite intimidating if you're not familiar with it, and the first time I did it I found it a bit confusing even with a smartphone and Google Maps (and it really doesn't feel like the sort of place you want to be waving a smartphone round and advertising it to anyone dodgy). I very much doubt my Mum would walk it on her own.

And yes, she has a smartphone, she's practically never off Facebook.

They really don't. My Bolton-residing, smartphone-capable mum still gets the tube from Euston to King's Cross in spite of me having personally shown her the way on multiple occasions.

Well, yes ladies of a certain age are a dab hand at Facebook. I have a mother too.

And not to be rude about strangers' elderly mothers, but I said smartphones "can" fill gaps. I wasn't conferring smartphone smarts onto everybody. Individuals' inability or reluctance to use them is a personality trait - the elderly can always ask TMs or others on the train, listen to announcements or look at maps - those options still persist

I didn't mention wandering round Somers Town either, or folks comfort there! Of course that is more extreme and not on topic, a bit of a strawman really. The ask was do people know what 'Euston' is geographically - and the answer is yes, it's an area of London made famous by the station. Northerners probably know it better than most.

 

[Dr_Paul]

How about North-East Acton, thereby adding to the considerable number of Acton stations?

 

[Whistler40145]

How about North-East Acton, thereby adding to the considerable number of Acton stations?

IMHO far too much confusion with the several stations in Acton

As the station is built on Old Oak Common, I'd go for Old Oak Common for Crossrail

 

[AMR]

Acton Junction maybe. As TfL rail and tube is easily accessible from the area. But Scrubsy McScrubface Junction Is far better.

 

[py_megapixel]

Maybe it should be called "City of London Parkway"...

 

[Horizon22]

The station will be connected to the Crossrail station of the same name and it would be rather odd to make the HS2 station any different.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The station will be connected to the Crossrail station of the same name and it would be rather odd to make the HS2 station any different.

You could of course also rename the Crossrail station.

 

[Horizon22]

You could of course also rename the Crossrail station.

True but as Crossrail is more of a metro type service, you wouldn't be putting London in the name.

Old Oak Common is where it is, there's not much else around as it's a former industrial / rail yard area and calling it yet another Action isn't helpful nor Park Royal which has a Piccadilly stop already.