Trivia: through trains between separate stations with the same name

[py_megapixel]

Is the occasional through train from Stoke-on-Trent to Blackpool, calling at Adlington (Cheshire) and Adlington (Lancashire), the only example of a train which calls at two stations in different places with the same name - or similar enough names that they get "(County)" appended to them? I doubt it, but I can't think of any other examples off the top of my head.

 

[Tayway]

Closest I could find was between Garth (Mid Glamorgan, on the Maesteg line) and Garth (Powys, on the Heart of Wales line) – you can catch a train from both of them to Craven Arms and Shrewsbury, but none run direct between them.

Back when Cross Country ran to Brighton, were there ever any that stopped at Preston Park? Although not quite the same, Preston is often appended with (Lancs) on tickets and in journey planners so it half counts if true.

 

[Revilo]

Same with Whitchurch (Cardiff) and Whitchurch (Shropshire), closest is one change at Cardiff Central.

 

[NSE]

Waterloo has Ashford (Surrey) and Waterloo East has Ashford (Kent).

Ashford (Kent) also has Charing and Charing Cross services. But that’s all I got!

 

[Gathursty]

Very tenuous but Kirkby (Merseyside) has services to Blackburn and Blackburn has the Dalesrail service to Kirkby Stephen.

 

[PTR 444]

Ashford (Kent) also has Charing and Charing Cross services. But that’s all I got!

Have any services ever called at both London Charing Cross and Charing (with trains routed from the SEML to the CML via the Chislehurst - St Mary Cray chord)?

 

[Lloyds siding]

A few years ago I wanted to do Waterloo (Merseyside) to Waterloo (Belgium), which in those days involved travelling via Waterloo International.

 

[30907]

Have any services ever called at both London Charing Cross and Charing (with trains routed from the SEML to the CML via the Chislehurst - St Mary Cray chord)?

Not timetabled that I can recall, but maybe during engineering works.

 

[Gathursty]

I doubt that in the past a Liverpool Exchange service ran to New Holland Pier but if it did, you'd have a train passing through, if not stopping at Upholland and New Holland.

 

[swt_passenger]

Waterloo has Ashford (Surrey) and Waterloo East has Ashford (Kent).

But no connecting track, never mind any through trains?

 

[Kite159]

Same with Whitchurch (Cardiff) and Whitchurch (Shropshire), closest is one change at Cardiff Central.

Although it will mostly be 2 changes (Queen Street & Central) as the trains from Whitchurch in Cardiff generally go towards Cardiff Bay

 

[Dai Corner]

Although it will mostly be 2 changes (Queen Street & Central) as the trains from Whitchurch in Cardiff generally go towards Cardiff Bay

The service pattern is going back to Radyr-Cortyon and Queen Street-Bay with the new timetable though.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Not quite the same but on Sundays (used to be all week until the services got split Mon-Sat), trains between Guildford and Ascot call Ash, Aldershot then Ash Vale.

 

[miklcct]

Is the occasional through train from Stoke-on-Trent to Blackpool, calling at Adlington (Cheshire) and Adlington (Lancashire), the only example of a train which calls at two stations in different places with the same name - or similar enough names that they get "(County)" appended to them? I doubt it, but I can't think of any other examples off the top of my head.

This must be confusing to passengers. How many people have got off the train at the wrong Adlington because of same name on the same line (as timetables and on-board announcement don't show the (county), only the name of the station)?

 

[AlbertBeale]

Not quite the same but on Sundays (used to be all week until the services got split Mon-Sat), trains between Guildford and Ascot call Ash, Aldershot then Ash Vale.

Though in that case, Ash Vale is named from the adjacent Ash - so not really two separate places like the two Adlingtons. More akin to East Action and North Acton!

 

[JamesRowden]

Some HS1 services stop at Rainham (Kent) and run through the Rainham in London.

 

[Watershed]

This must be confusing to passengers. How many people have got off the train at the wrong Adlington because of same name on the same line (as timetables and on-board announcement don't show the (county), only the name of the station)?

Very few, I'd imagine. How many people would be heading from stations between Stoke and Prestury to either of the Adlington stations? A handful per train at most, I'd wager. And of those, the vast majority will likely be commuters or at least vaguely aware of where they are.

There's certainly scope for confusion, but a situation like that could go on for years without anyone getting off at the wrong stop.

I think the bigger risk is that someone could buy a ticket to the "wrong" Adlington, thinking "this is a bit cheap" or vice versa!

 

[GTR fail]

I remember there used to be a service running direct from Gloucester to Stansted Airport - was this ever extended to Cardiff? If so then there would a Newport to Newport service

 

[Watershed]

I remember there used to be a service running direct from Gloucester to Stansted Airport - was this ever extended to Cardiff? If so then there would a Newport to Newport service

There's a Bristol Temple Meads to Stansted Airport via Gloucester service which runs, in that direction only, on Mondays-Fridays. However it doesn't go via Cardiff or Newport and it has also never called at any of the intermediate stations between Cambridge and Stansted other than Audley End. XC are indeed still skipping Audley End on most of their Stansted services.

 

[barbette165]

Waterloo has Ashford (Surrey) and Waterloo East has Ashford (Kent).

Ashford (Kent) also has Charing and Charing Cross services. But that’s all I got!

 

[Dr Hoo]

On the freight side the Rugby Cement works at Halling (Medway Valley) was always called “Rugby” in timetabling terms. There were regular inter-works movements to balance production and distribution with the Rugby Cement works at Rugby in Warwickshire. These were always affectionately called the Rugby-Rugby on special traffic notices, teleprinter messages and so on.

 

[py_megapixel]

Some HS1 services stop at Rainham (Kent) and run through the Rainham in London.

But you can't catch a direct train between them, I don't think.

 

[JamesRowden]

But you can't catch a direct train between them, I don't think.

Unless you pull the emergency stop

There are so few examples that meet the requirements of this thread. To add some extra content to the thread I thought I'd state an 'almost example' whilst clearly stating 'run through' to show that it does not meet all of the requirements.

 

[Watershed]

Unless you pull the emergency stop

HS1 passes just behind the back of Rainham (London) station, but there are obviously no platforms and indeed there is a rather large fence to overcome!

 

[LowLevel]

There isn't a station there but the morning Nottingham to Norwich via Oakham trains pass Wymondham gate box in Leicestershire before calling at Wymondham station in Norfolk.

 

[Class800]

But no connecting track, never mind any through trains?

Ashford (Surrey) to Ashford (Kent) - clearly no direct train in passenger service, but I would like to challenge the idea that there is 'no connecting track' - i.e. that the journey could not be made by rail. A potential route is

Ashford (Surrey), London Waterloo (reverse - I believe the reversal could not be done at Clapham Junction due a lack of line connection there), Havant (via Guildford - reverse at Havant, if for any reason not feasible, continue to reverse at Portsmouth and Southsea), then West Coastway followed by East Coastway, to end up at Ashford (Kent), i.e. Ashford International.

Another option would be

Ashford (Surrey), then via Chertsey to Woking and as above.

Or

Ashford (Surrey), Reading, Basingstoke (subject to track connection at preceding signals to go into something other than the usual bay platform, I believe it's OK as XC services do it?), then via Eastleigh, Hedge End as as above.

 

[swt_passenger]

Ashford (Surrey) to Ashford (Kent) - clearly no direct train in passenger service, but I would like to challenge the idea that there is 'no connecting track' - i.e. that the journey could not be made by rail. A potential route is

Ashford (Surrey), London Waterloo (reverse - I believe the reversal could not be done at Clapham Junction due a lack of line connection there), Havant (via Guildford - reverse at Havant, if for any reason not feasible, continue to reverse at Portsmouth and Southsea), then West Coastway followed by East Coastway, to end up at Ashford (Kent), i.e. Ashford International.

Another option would be

Ashford (Surrey), then via Chertsey to Woking and as above.

Or

Ashford (Surrey), Reading, Basingstoke (subject to track connection at preceding signals to go into something other than the usual bay platform, I believe it's OK as XC services do it?), then via Eastleigh, Hedge End as as above.

All academic really though, because the original post was clearly referring to through services.

 

[Dai Corner]

All academic really though, because the original post was clearly referring to through services.

And a train could travel between any two stations on the NR network with a convoluted enough route.

 

[swt_passenger]

And a train could travel between any two stations on the NR network with a convoluted enough route.

Yes that’s generally true as well.

 

[miklcct]

Yes that’s generally true as well.

I don't see how a train on the mainland can get to a station on the Isle of Wight!