Stations which became the victim of circumstance

[GordonT]

Looking for examples of stations whose location or in extreme cases whose very existence has lost much of its relevance due to some significant economic or structural development. An example would be Stranraer whose harbour location inconvenient for the actual town of Stranraer is a legacy of past days when passenger ferries to/from Northern Ireland operated to/from Stranraer.

 

[norbitonflyer]

IBM, Crystal Palace LL, Arsenal (Tube station). Heathrow Terminal 4 (temporarily)
Going further back, Burntisland (ferry terminal, made redundant by the Forth Bridge).

Some which actually closed:
Folkestone Harbour, Newhaven Marine, Dover Marine (aka Western Docks), Filey Holiday Camp, Crystal Palace HL.

 

[PTR 444]

Pretty much every major town and city station as a result of Covid-19.

Aside from that, there is Lelant Saltings which became pointless as soon as the park and ride moved to St Erth.

 

[Gloster]

Dolgarrog

 

[MadMac]

The example that immediately comes to mind is IBM as the place it was built to serve no longer exists. There's a similar argument for the likes of Teeside Airport.

 

[greyman42]

IBM, Crystal Palace LL, Arsenal (Tube station). Heathrow Terminal 4 (temporarily)
Going further back, Burntisland (ferry terminal, made redundant by the Forth Bridge).

Some which actually closed:
Folkestone Harbour, Newhaven Marine, Dover Marine (aka Western Docks), Filey Holiday Camp, Crystal Palace HL.

Have things changed that much at Arsenal?

 

[johnnychips]

Denton and Reddish South.

 

[greyman42]

Denton and Reddish South.

What was the main cause of their demise?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The original Godley station. Located on a railway junction that ceased to be a junction when one of the routes that branched off it was closed. Station was in due course renamed Godley East, services were reduced to a token (once weekly?) working and the station was eventually put out of its misery and closed.

Simultaneously, a more useable "new" / replacement Godley station was being built / opened half a mile away, closer to/adjacent to the main A57 road in the area.

 

[Ediswan]

For "lost to ... structural development", Angel Road. When the station was built, it was on one of the few roads across the Lea Valley. That road grew, and grew, and grew. The rest is well documented history.

 

[aleandrail]

Pretty much every major town and city station as a result of Covid-19.

Aside from that, there is Lelant Saltings which became pointless as soon as the park and ride moved to St Erth.

nice pub just up the road, Watermill I think its called

 

[johnnychips]

What was the main cause of their demise?

The diversion of Huddersfield trains from Man Victoria to Piccadilly, meaning the Stockport-Stalybridge service became unnecessary.

 

[pdeaves]

The example that immediately comes to mind is IBM as the place it was built to serve no longer exists. There's a similar argument for the likes of Teeside Airport.

Redcar British Steel is also in that camp.

 

[Gareth]

Poor Sankey-for-Penketh. Essentially killed by Warrington's desire for a new station a little to the east which was supposed to see most trains stopping at it. Didn't happen.

 

[Grecian 1998]

Saltash was the busiest station in Cornwall prior to 1962 as it many people used it in preference to the ferry over the Tamar. Once the Tamar Road Bridge was built, its passenger numbers plummeted. Not a complete basket case but XC and nearly all GWR Paddington services don't stop.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Redcar British Steel is also in that camp.

Stanlow and Thornton is now staff-only as Oil Sites Road was closed, and can't be used by the people of Thornton-le-Moors (all 253 of them) at all. Not that either both - it was used by literally nobody (0) in 2020-2021, and just 82 in 2019/2020 (that's about one a week).

 

[mmh]

Dolgarrog

That, and most of the Conwy Valley line, was a victim of circumstance from the moment it opened. The line's on the wrong side of the river. It would have been more difficult to put it down the other side, so what you've always had is very lightly used stations in inconvenient locations, unfortunately.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What was the main cause of their demise?

Removal of the Stockport-Stalybridge hourly service which was, prior to everything being moved to Piccadilly, a useful interchange between south and north Manchester services. With many TPEs going via Vic it would once again be fairly useful, though Stockport-Vic probably more so than Staly.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Dec 2021 ==

Dolgarrog

The bridge is being sorted out, though I doubt it'll get it much more use!

 

[The DJ]

Cleethorpes. Lost its direct trains to London. Local services reduced. Only its layout (multiple platforms covenient for overnight stabling) saved it from the same fate as Hunstanton which following reductions in service lost its rail service completely

 

[Bletchleyite]

Cleethorpes. Lost its direct trains to London. Local services reduced. Only its layout (multiple platforms covenient for overnight stabling) saved it from the same fate as Hunstanton which following reductions in service lost its rail service completely

Similarly Blackpool Central. A victim of the motor car and later the reduction in appeal of British seaside holidays with the coming of first affordable charter flights and then low cost airlines. Same with Morecambe, a shadow of its former self (if a bit nearer the central shopping area), though at least the original building still stands as a pub.

One very much hopes that the Eden Project North allows for a decent regeneration of both the town and the station.

 

[MadMarsupial]

Middlewood. Interchange with a line that has closed.

 

[richard1976]

Manchester United Football Ground

 

[Bevan Price]

Similarly Blackpool Central. A victim of the motor car and later the reduction in appeal of British seaside holidays with the coming of first affordable charter flights and then low cost airlines. Same with Morecambe, a shadow of its former self (if a bit nearer the central shopping area), though at least the original building still stands as a pub.

One very much hopes that the Eden Project North allows for a decent regeneration of both the town and the station.

Blackpool Town Council also shares blame for the loss of Blackpool Central, because it wanted to use the trackbed as a massive car park.

 

[Mikey C]

Some which actually closed:
Folkestone Harbour, Newhaven Marine, Dover Marine (aka Western Docks), Filey Holiday Camp, Crystal Palace HL.

Tilbury Riverside is another one which closed due to the decline is passenger ferry numbers

 

[richard1976]

Balloch Pier, closed when the steamer service on the lake ceased

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Manchester United Football Ground

Is it a structural or economic development that's affected this railway halt/station?

Thought the temporary (maybe permanent?) closure was ostensibly due to supposed health and safety concerns raised by the football club.

 

[Wolfie]

IBM, Crystal Palace LL, Arsenal (Tube station). Heathrow Terminal 4 (temporarily)
Going further back, Burntisland (ferry terminal, made redundant by the Forth Bridge).

Some which actually closed:
Folkestone Harbour, Newhaven Marine, Dover Marine (aka Western Docks), Filey Holiday Camp, Crystal Palace HL.

Arsenal (formerly Gillespie Road) is a bad example as it still handles a load of fans in match days.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Dec 2021 ==

Have things changed that much at Arsenal?

No. The Emirates is about 10mins walk as opposed to about 3 mins to Highbury...

 

[weepingwillowb]

Did Park station, Newton Heath, close because of the decline of industrial works in the area? I seem to remember there being a factory immediately to the north of the station.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Did Park station, Newton Heath, close because of the decline of industrial works in the area? I seem to remember there being a factory immediately to the north of the station.

I was just about to say Park, and also Miles Platting

 

[weepingwillowb]

And Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, too.