Stations you would rename.

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, also at Harwich at one time, where you could see trains for "Liverpool Street" and "Liverpool L Street"!

I seem to recall Central Trains changed their PIS to read "London Liv St" and "Lvrpl Lime Street" to avoid this.

 

[Llandudno]

I seem to recall Central Trains changed their PIS to read "London Liv St" and "Lvrpl Lime Street" to avoid this.

Perhaps at stations 100s of miles away from Liverpool Lime Street, it might be better to simply display ‘Liverpool’

 

[Bletchleyite]

Perhaps at stations 100s of miles away from Liverpool Lime Street, it might be better to simply display ‘Liverpool’

Possibly so. This usually grates (e.g. the way VT and Avanti use "Milton Keynes", which is not the name of the station) but as it would avoid specific confusion in this case (and the other three Liverpool stations are only served by local trains) it seems sensible.

However I'm fairly sure CT found it was the word "Liverpool" that caused the confusion, so they abbreviated that.

 

[Sprinter107]

Perhaps at stations 100s of miles away from Liverpool Lime Street, it might be better to simply display ‘Liverpool’

At Audley End, in Central Trains days,it used to come up Lime Street, Liverpool on the PIS system to differentiate from London Liverpool Street. Not sure about other stations served by both services.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

However I'm fairly sure CT found it was the word "Liverpool" that caused the confusion, so they abbreviated that.

That's all the more reason to simply use "Liverpool" for the city of that name and "London" for the city of that name. Using "Liverpool Street" is akin to if SNCF services from Lyon were announced as simply "Gare de Lyon". Whoever thought "Lvrpll" or whatever the abbreviation was, was the best solution, well I'm surprised they managed to get their socks on in the morning without breaking their neck!

 

[adrock1976]

Something similar was proposed for Wellington, possibly in the late 1980s, to be renamed Telford West. This idea went down very badly with some of the inhabitants of the town, who regarded Wellington as being a cut above the rest of Telford and if they had their way it wouldn't be part of Telford at all.

The compromise was to rename the station Wellington - Telford West, and it has now reverted to being just Wellington.

I remember "Wellington Telford West" being displayed at Birmingham New Street on the Solari flapper board many years ago.

Sandwell & Dudley –> Oldbury North
Although the following might be pushing it a bit
Langley Green –> Oldbury East
Rowley Regis –> Oldbury South

I did see in the Birmingham A to Z map around 1983 that Sandwell & Dudley had its original name of Oldbury. It was either in 84 or 85 that it got its present day name, and I recall the West Midlands Travel 87 bus that ran between Dudley and Birmingham via Tividale, Oldbury, Smethwick, Cape Hill, and Dudley Road Hospital used to call in at the station forecourt.

Langley Green I would leave as is, as it is not far from the shooting area and The Merrivale.

Rowley Regis maybe rename to Blackheath (West Midlands) as it is a fair way from Rowley Village, and Station Road that runs nearby has a B65 postcode (Rowley Regis/Blackheath).

The next station through Gosty Hill Tunnel (Old Hill) I would rename to Old Hill and Haden Cross, being as it is a fair trek from Old Hill Cross.

I actually bought a ticket to University in 2020 and I can't remember either. Sandwell & Dudley could definitely go back to Oldbury. After the Brierley Midland Metro extension, maybe Avanti should call at Dudley Port rather than S&D.

I am not sure if the platforms would be long enough for the InterCity trains to call there, and also the canal would be in the way for any required works. I would be in favour of the frequency at Dudley Port being increased when the tram line opens.

Also, Dudley Port could have a modification to its name by renaming to "Dudley Port for Great Bridge".

 

[Wolfie]

Why not just get rid of the name Charing cross and rename the station(s) Trafalgar Square. That would avoid confusion with the hospital.

Because the hospital is absolutely nowhere near there (it's in Fulham) but Charing Cross Underground station is very close to Charing Cross mainline station which has the actual Charing Cross on it's forecourt! A million times no to a ludicrous justification. Oh, and doubtless there would soon be moans from those who want to change from the tube to the mainline station about the different names which isn't the case elsewhere.

 

[Grumbler]

Because the hospital is absolutely nowhere near there (it's in Fulham) but Charing Cross Underground station is very close to Charing Cross mainline station which has the actual Charing Cross on it's forecourt! A million times no to a ludicrous justification. Oh, and doubtless there would soon be moans from those who want to change from the tube to the mainline station about the different names which isn't the case elsewhere.

OK then, change the name of the hospital to Fulham Hospital. Job done.

 

[bramling]

Because the hospital is absolutely nowhere near there (it's in Fulham) but Charing Cross Underground station is very close to Charing Cross mainline station which has the actual Charing Cross on it's forecourt! A million times no to a ludicrous justification. Oh, and doubtless there would soon be moans from those who want to change from the tube to the mainline station about the different names which isn't the case elsewhere.

Surely it’s no different to people who come to Euston finding that Euston Square is a couple of minutes walk away?

Neither of the Charing Cross LU platforms are particularly convenient for the mainline station, though the Bakerloo side is the worst. It was satisfactory when the whole complex was linked by the Jubilee Line, but (and this is only my personal view) since the Jubilee left the name sits awkwardly.

 

[SteveyBee131]

New Clee doesn't sit in the area of that name. No station would, as there is no such area of Grimsby known as such, nor officially referred to by that name. Said station actually sits in the East Marsh area.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

New Clee doesn't sit in the area of that name. No station would, as there is no such area of Grimsby known as such, nor officially referred to by that name. Said station actually sits in the East Marsh area.

And it sounds like you might need a lead-lined hazmat suit to alight there...

 

[Parallel]

I think ‘University’ needs to be renamed to Birmingham University or University of Birmingham. It just sounds strange if you’re waiting for a train at Cardiff that stops at ‘University’.

 

[The Planner]

I am not sure if the platforms would be long enough for the InterCity trains to call there, and also the canal would be in the way for any required works. I would be in favour of the frequency at Dudley Port being increased when the tram line opens.

Also, Dudley Port could have a modification to its name by renaming to "Dudley Port for Great Bridge".

Dudley Port would need its platforms literally tripling in length, doesn't help they are an island,

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If the proposal had been taken up under the Trans-pennine Route Upgrade to relocate Deighton station nearer to Bradley Junction, I'd propose renaming it to Bradley. The two areas pretty much merge into each other but Bradley is more spread out, and includes some of the posher parts of town in addition to the estates with a dodgy reputation. The location the new station would have been certainly feels more like Bradley than Deighton, though it's hard to say where one ends and the other begins. Plus, it's obvious how to pronounce Bradley whereas I've heard all sorts of weird and wonderful attempts at Deighton (for the record it's "Deetun" not "Dayton", and definitely not "Duffton"!).

 

[Wolfie]

I think ‘University’ needs to be renamed to Birmingham University or University of Birmingham. It just sounds strange if you’re waiting for a train at Cardiff that stops at ‘University’.

The former l would suggest. The latter is the proper name of the University but fails as a station name for two reasons: firstly it's rare to name a station after an entity close to it; and secondly that formulation is less clear about where the station actually is.

 

[AngusH]

If it should be place names not entites, then maybe Edgbaston or Bournbrook instead of "University"

edit: although presumably these were considered when the station was opened ....

 

[DB]

Sorry, you'll need to explain further about Rushden. Following that logic, every station in the country would have to list any nearby town. It's not even as if Wellingborough station has a convenient bus link to Rushden.

Not sure either about that one. The 'X for Y' formulation only really works where the station is in a village but mainly exists to serve the nearby town, e.g. Alnmouth for Alnwick or Ashchurch for Tewkesbury.

Wellingborough is a good bit larger than Rushden.

 

[JRT]

Knottingley –> Ferrybridge Hill
(not really in the centre of either Knottingley or Ferrybridge)

 

[AForumUser]

The former l would suggest. The latter is the proper name of the University but fails as a station name for two reasons: firstly it's rare to name a station after an entity close to it; and secondly that formulation is less clear about where the station actually is.

While there isn't an entity called "Birmingham university" there are multiple Birmingham universities and so to avoid confusion, who would have to name it University of Birmingham.

 

[Bletchleyite]

While there isn't an entity called "Birmingham university" there are multiple Birmingham universities and so to avoid confusion, who would have to name it University of Birmingham.

Most people would see the name "Birmingham University" as meaning the main red-brick one, the ex-Polys would always get a qualifier. A bit like "the station" by default means the railway station.

There also seems to be a tendency in the red-bricks to flip between "(The) University of X" and "X University", anyway. Lancaster is presently on the latter but has been the former and I'm sure will be again.

 

[xotGD]

Knottingley –> Ferrybridge Hill
(not really in the centre of either Knottingley or Ferrybridge)

But it is more in Knottingley than Ferrybridge.

Possibly 'Knottingley and Ferrybridge'?

 

[Dr_Paul]

OK then, change the name of the hospital to Fulham Hospital. Job done.

But Charing Cross Hospital is a just a few minutes' walk from Hammersmith station, and a long way from Fulham Broadway (which ought to revert to Walham Green, but let's not complicate things). And Hammersmith Hospital is next-door to Wormwood Scrubs nick, nearest station East Acton, just to confuse matters.

I agree with what's been said about Holborn, perhaps Holborn Kingsway might be a better name.

Tottenham Court Road is a problem, as what else could it be? St Giles perhaps, thereby reviving an old London district name, or maybe Soho Square, which is just around the corner, about as far away as Leicester Square Station is from Leicester Square itself.

Chancery Lane could be Gray's Inn Road, if one uses Tottenham Court Road as the criterion, but that would therefore be confusing. Perhaps it could be Holborn, if the current Holborn becomes Holborn Kingsway as previously suggested.

 

[Wolfie]

Most people would see the name "Birmingham University" as meaning the main red-brick one, the ex-Polys would always get a qualifier. A bit like "the station" by default means the railway station.

There also seems to be a tendency in the red-bricks to flip between "(The) University of X" and "X University", anyway. Lancaster is presently on the latter but has been the former and I'm sure will be again.

To be fair Aston University, which is very definitely in Brum but unlikely to cause any confusion, was never a poly.

 

[60019]

I also feel like Stratford Int'l should change, but no idea to what.

There's a few people on uk.railway who pushed "Stratford in the Hole", to match Stratford upon Avon and Stratford on Lea

 

[William3000]

There are a few railway stations where the current name seems outdated or misleading. While I acknowledge a lot of the failure to change station names is down to unnecessary cost, I wondered if there were any that justify being changed. Some of my suggestions include:
Birmingham International to Birmingham Airport (for NEC);
Cambridge to Cambridge Central;
Whittlesea to Whittlesey;
University to Birmingham University;
Lincoln Central to Lincoln;
Haymarket to Edinburgh Haymarket.

 

[furnessvale]

Years ago, the pub at Bamber Bridge was renamed from "L & Y Railway" to "The Sun" on the grounds that the railway next door had not been the L & Y for many years.

People were not amused when it was pointed out what a poor choice of new name they had made given the appearance record of the golden orb in that part of the country.

 

[zwk500]

University to Birmingham University;

Given the institution is the University of Birmingham rather than Birmingham University, I'm not sure this is really an improvement. There's also a Birmingham City University, none of which's premises are near University station. As there are no other stations named for universities, and University is only served by local trains within Birmingham, I don't think the lack of Birmingham is a problem.

 

[William3000]

A few years ago I was at Cambridge station going to see a friend at the University of Birmingham and I asked for a return to University. The person in the ticket office told me it was a 20 minute walk so I said Birmingham University. It’s just a strange name for a mainline station in my opinion.

 

[unlevel42]

Dore and Totley to Abbeydale
Grindleford to Nether Padley or Padley Gorge
Meadowhall to Meadowhell Meadow Hall

 

[daodao]

Given the institution is the University of Birmingham rather than Birmingham University, I'm not sure this is really an improvement. There's also a Birmingham City University, none of which's premises are near University station. As there are no other stations named for universities, and University is only served by local trains within Birmingham, I don't think the lack of Birmingham is a problem.

This station is also served by longer distance trains from Nottingham to Cardiff and Birmingham to Hereford.