Downgraded stations

[MidnightFlyer]

Crewe - there's another 6 or so platforms behind 12.

 

[4SRKT]

Windsor & Eton Central being a great example of a downgraded station where a shopping centre has taken over. Although the magnificent trainshed was retained, an appalling piece of vandalism was perpetrated when the fabulous stained glass reading 'Great Western Railway' was removed from the fanlight where the trainshed end merges beautifully with the street frontage. This was replaced by the legend 'Windsor Royal Station', the name of the shopping centre, and misleading because the station is still called Windsor & Eton Central.

How something like this was allowed to happen as recently as the mid-90s in a place normally so architectural sensitive as Windsor is anyone's guess. Where was Prince Charles when we actually needed him?

 

[imagination]

Bangor (Gwynedd) - "There was a total of nine separate through routes from one tunnel to the other" (from wikipedia). Now there are 5, of which only 2 are regularly used.

 

[sprinterguy]

Manors station north of Newcastle central: Used to have a big station for local Tyneside services, reduced in the sixties to one through island platform on the ECML with hardly any trains calling at it, and the local platforms completely demolished and a science park built on top of them.

In a similar vein, although not quite within the scope of National Rail services, Tynemouth on the Tyne and Wear Metro: Used to have two through platforms, and at least four bays at the south end and two at the north end for excursion traffic. Now just the two through platforms are in use. It may have had through roads at one time as well. I'd love to see the excursion platforms tarted up like the centre of the station has been, and maybe even used for occasional terminating Metros from Newcastle.

Sunderland: Formerly had two island platforms (four platforms), and an impressive overall glass roof: Now only one island platform is in use and the station has been converted into basically an underground carpark!

 

[142094]

Manors station north of Newcastle central: Used to have a big station for local Tyneside services, reduced in the sixties to one through island platform on the ECML with hardly any trains calling at it, and the local platforms completely demolished and a science park built on top of them.

Think you mean 80s lol. The island platform only came into effect in the early 80s once the rest of the station had been demolished when the Metro was introduced.

 

[MikeWh]

How about Carstairs. I've no idea whether it's lost any platforms, but before the south-to-west chord was built it used to be used by many of the inter-city services including all those which divided with half for Glasgow and half for Edinburgh. Now most things either run through or by-pass on the chord.

 

[sprinterguy]

Think you mean 80s lol. The island platform only came into effect in the early 80s once the rest of the station had been demolished when the Metro was introduced.

Oh, that'll be right: For some reason I was thinking that Manors went earlier. My mistake.

 

[CCF23]

The majority of the island line on the Isle of Wight with Ryde Pier Head having 4 and now only 1 is regularly used, Ryde Esplanade has only really one in use, Brading had 3 now only 1, Sandown had 3 now only 2 and Shanklin 2 now only 1.

The exceptions being Ryde St Johns road with all 3 still used on a daily basis, smallbrook junction never had a station until 1991 and Lake has only had a station since 1987.

 

[Lampshade]

Guide Bridge - was a substantial interchange with four electrified platforms and links to most of the North; now a two platform shack surrounded by dereliction.

 

[sprinterguy]

Guide Bridge - was a substantial interchange with four electrified platforms and links to most of the North; now a two platform shack surrounded by dereliction.

Similar to Penistone: The other end of the Woodhead route to Guide Bridge, once a four track junction station with the two lines of the Woodhead route electrified, and at one time Manchester-Sheffield electrified loco hauled services (which I think were part of a longer distance service). Now has an hourly Pacer service from Sheffield to Huddersfield that takes forever round the winding Penistone line, and empty platforms where the Woodhead line was.

 

[142094]

Oh, that'll be right: For some reason I was thinking that Manors went earlier. My mistake.

I wish it had lived on for a bit longer to see it. 10 minute walk away and all I have now is an island platform, bus shelter and and area surrounded by office blocks, car parks and student flats.

 

[The Barlow Boy]

St Pancras?

Silly boy, St. Pancras now has more platforms than it ever did.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Silly boy, St. Pancras now has more platforms than it ever did.

Think it was a reference to it being more of a shopping centre than a railway station

 

[AndyJB]

Pontypridd deserves a mention here.

As does Newton Abbot.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Pontypridd deserves a mention here.

Enjoy the new platform heading your waay soon

Christ's Hospital, nr Horsham, West Sussex, used to have seven platforms, all removed in 1972 bar the old 3 & 4, noow the up & dn respectively

 

[4SRKT]

Enjoy the new platform heading your waay soon

Christ's Hospital, nr Horsham, West Sussex, used to have seven platforms

Why??

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Why??

3 plats: branchline to Cranleigh;
4 plats: Horsham line (2 passing loops and 2 on the mainline)

 

[4SRKT]

3 plats: branchline to Cranleigh;

Again, why?? What sort of branch line was this?

 

[yorksrob]

Again, why?? What sort of branch line was this?

Strictly speaking, two of them were either side of a single line, and the same goes for the loop on the main line. They were expecting thousands of school children to use the station to get to the local public school (I forget which one) hence the generous facilities.

 

[4SRKT]

(I forget which one)

Christ's Hospital?

 

[MCR247]

hock: At our school NCT only just manage to provide a double deck bus

 

[4SRKT]

Indeed. At my school it wasn't even that good. Just service buses, although quite a few of these were Bristol Lodekkas!

 

[scotsman]

Lockerbie - was fairly frequent 125mph service to Edinburgh, Glasgow and the South. Now hourly, if you're lucky 100mph service to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester only. (Albeit with the occasional train to Brummy or London)

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Lockerbie - was fairly frequent 125mph service to ...

When was this, back in the days of VT or BR?

 

[imagination]

Again, why?? What sort of branch line was this?

Wikipedia has a rather interesting article on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranleigh_Line

"It was interesting to note that the lifting of the railway track was executed with little delay and was witnessed by a rather bemused gang of BR Signal & Telecommunications engineers who were busy laying the cabling for the new automatic signalling."

 

[scotsman]

When was this, back in the days of VT or BR?

In the halcyon days of Virgin Pendolinos but no VHF timetables....

 

[MidnightFlyer]

In the halcyon days of Virgin Pendolinos but no VHF timetables....

Cool, at least now you've got ore regular trains to more destinations (Bolton, Manc etc)

 

[yorksrob]

Christ's Hospital?

Oops, I assumed that was a hospital

 

[466.networkers]

Hatfield looked like it was quite important in LNER days with possible journeys to Dunstable via Luton, St Albans, Hertford East and North, Stevenage, London, Welwyn Garden City - now just serves Moorgate/Kings Cross in one direction and Welwyn Garden City/Peterborough/Cambridge in the other direction.

Didn't know that.

Sheerness on Sea - still has 2 platforms - only 1 technically in use (Platform 2 is used on vary rare occasions) but also used to have track between the platforms - a siding only used by the freight trains which now use Platform 1 or 2.

 

[yorksrob]

Bromley North used to be a lot busier, with several through trains to London. These are a lot fewer since the junction at the Southern end of Grove Park was removed. Similar for Addiscombe which used to be the terminus for trains from London before being superceeded by the Hayes branch (before being further downgraded to a housing development).