Grubbiest or most dilapidated station on the network in 2023

[dk1]

I recall waiting at Great Yarmouth Station once and found it a pretty grim affair.

The staff keep it & the toilets looking very clean. Fresh flowers/plants too. Unfortunately it’s becoming a little decayed & the town has followed suit over the last 30 years.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Feb 2023 ==

Yarmouth Vauxhall has been mentioned already in this thread.

 

[2T57]

Yes

It does look like there used to be a line going closer to town centre but sadly another one lost forever. I think it’s what’s now used by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire railway. The central Cheltenham section looks to be lost but there’s still evidence of it between town and the current station.

Malvern Road station (on the former through route up to Cheltenham Racecourse - the Racecourse station now used by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, as you say) was indeed closer to the town centre than the current Cheltenham Spa station at Lansdown.

Even closer to town was Cheltenham Spa St James - a terminus station (just west of The Promenade) which closed in 1966.

 

[John Luxton]

Can I return to Chester? Certainly fits the descriptions "grubby" and "dilapidated". And completely unsuited to today's traffic patterns from both a pedestrian and railway operating point of view.
Really apart from the splendid facade, the rest could be flattened and a modern station built on its place with suitable provision for the largest traffic flow (Merseyrail). Contentious statement, I know, but really in the bigger picture a small historical sacrifice would be worth it for the long term good.
In the mean time for the last couple of decades the station has suffered by being in England but leased by Arriva Trains Wales and now Transport for Wales. To be fair, the present jumble is difficult to maintain/clean, but nobody makes any effort. The ill-considered copper trim on the stairs and bridge is absolutely filthy with spilled coffee and so on, but a few hours with a steam cleaner would make all the difference.
We can live in hope.

I have used Chester quite a lot in the past couple of years and I must say I find the mix of heritage and a bit of modern quite pleasing! A few months ago I noticed that the London Holyhead milage board which was looking a bit decayed a year ago has either been refurbished or a new one made. So someone cares.

 

[GoneSouth]

I have used Chester quite a lot in the past couple of years and I must say I find the mix of heritage and a bit of modern quite pleasing! A few months ago I noticed that the London Holyhead milage board which was looking a bit decayed a year ago has either been refurbished or a new one made. So someone cares.

I like to see old features like that. The map of the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway on the tiled wall inside Man Vic is another one. Haven’t been there for a while, hope it’s still there

 

[D6130]

I like to see old features like that. The map of the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway on the tiled wall inside Man Vic is another one. Haven’t been there for a while, hope it’s still there

Yes it is.

 

[bramling]

That needs reporting to the local council environmental health department that issue those green "scores on the doors" hygiene certificates they take a dim view of mice and rats at food outlets.

It always makes me cringe seeing people eating food on the tables out the front at Euston. That whole area is absolutely teaming with rats overnight, especially when cleaners haven’t been round after the previous day.

Actually Euston can probably be added to this thread, feels like the whole place is falling apart these days. Whatever gets done to try and smarten it up never really seems to make much positive impact. It has really gone downhill since the 90s, whilst never wonderfully attractive at least in those days it still seemed reasonably clean and smart.

 

[Ladder23]

Luton, considering it’s popularity I find it really lacking in all ways, also not fit for wheelchair users apart from platform 5

 

[Djgr]

Can I return to Chester? Certainly fits the descriptions "grubby" and "dilapidated". And completely unsuited to today's traffic patterns from both a pedestrian and railway operating point of view.
Really apart from the splendid facade, the rest could be flattened and a modern station built on its place with suitable provision for the largest traffic flow (Merseyrail). Contentious statement, I know, but really in the bigger picture a small historical sacrifice would be worth it for the long term good.
In the mean time for the last couple of decades the station has suffered by being in England but leased by Arriva Trains Wales and now Transport for Wales. To be fair, the present jumble is difficult to maintain/clean, but nobody makes any effort. The ill-considered copper trim on the stairs and bridge is absolutely filthy with spilled coffee and so on, but a few hours with a steam cleaner would make all the difference.
We can live in hope.

Have to say that I am very much like Chester. Not a great fan of soulless places. But then I quite like Crewe!

 

[yorksrob]

It always makes me cringe seeing people eating food on the tables out the front at Euston. That whole area is absolutely teaming with rats overnight, especially when cleaners haven’t been round after the previous day.

Actually Euston can probably be added to this thread, feels like the whole place is falling apart these days. Whatever gets done to try and smarten it up never really seems to make much positive impact. It has really gone downhill since the 90s, whilst never wonderfully attractive at least in those days it still seemed reasonably clean and smart.

Isn't it more or less a permanent building site nowadays.

 

[Furryanimal]

Pontypool and New Inn.
Which I remember as Ponypool Road when I was a kid.


Believe improvements are taking place but not been through it since last Summer.

 

[GoneSouth]

Well that’s certainly changed. I hope it gets some TLC soon, it looks like a thoroughly depressing place to wait for a train.

 

[robert thomas]

Pontypool and New Inn.
Which I remember as Ponypool Road when I was a kid.
View attachment 129886

Believe improvements are taking place but not been through it since last Summer.
View attachment 129888

Pontypool and New Inn.
Which I remember as Ponypool Road when I was a kid.
View attachment 129886

Believe improvements are taking place but not been through it since last Summer.
View attachment 129888

Are you sure that the top photograph is Pontypool Road? I took these poor quality photographs in 1963 & 1964 and it they show a much larger station. The old station building on the right in the photo of 45577 does not match that in your photograph.

 

[bramling]

Isn't it more or less a permanent building site nowadays.

Certainly for the HS2 works, but that only affects the west side of the station. But the rest of the station seems to always have work going on as well (such us for the balcony, then constant works around the Underground access escalators), and other parts too. It all looks a right mess to be honest, and this includes the bits which have been worked on.

I think back to Euston in the 90s and it felt a lot more spacious. The mezzanine level has really closed things in, and add to this that the place is just in a much worse state of repair now.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think back to Euston in the 90s and it felt a lot more spacious. The mezzanine level has really closed things in, and add to this that the place is just in a much worse state of repair now.

The toilets are disgusting. I genuinely think that removing the charge has lead to that, both in terms of much heavier usage and in terms of station toilets being the default free facilities for homeless people who don't always respect them (Charing Cross is particularly bad for this).

 

[DanBlanchflowe]

Perth Station has to be given an honorary mention especially for platforms 3&4. This part of the station replicates aged aristocracy which has fallen on hard times. Think of Miss Haversham surrounded by a ghostly, gloomy and darkened atmosphere of cobwebs, pidgeon droppings, flaking paint and asbestos roof coverings amid gothic stonework, beautiful joinery, the magnificent clock and you get the picture!

Yes its pretty grim.
Also has an extensive length of unmodernised Victorian platform buildings. They are quite dominant.
Much effort has been made to clean up & use them at many other stations.

So unlike the great efforts in Scotland to update their propert.

 

[D6130]

Yes its pretty grim.
Also has an extensive length of unmodernised Victorian platform buildings. They are quite dominant.
Much effort has been made to clean up & use them at many other stations.

I sometimes wonder whether Perth station is being deliberately allowed to fall into rack and ruin because there is a long term plan to replace it with a new one South of the Junction? However, as mentioned upthread, the existing station is Grade B listed, so would have to be retained and maintained, even if trains were no longer stopping there.

Pontypool and New Inn.
Which I remember as Ponypool Road when I was a kid.

Are you sure that photo isn't Leominster station?

 

[Strathclyder]

Coatbridge Central is my pick. The reasons for it's precipitous slide into it's current state are well-documented. It isn't a place I'd willingly wait for a train after dark!

For the larger Strathclyde stations, I would've nominated Motherwell in years past, but the refurb/rebuild it's been treated to has improved matters. Last visited in February 2022 (last passed through in December the same year after dark), so maybe I need to revisit soon to see how things have further changed.

 

[Tetchytyke]

don't get why they thought that downsizing the station to such a degree was a good idea

After the Windsor Link opened, almost nothing served Victoria. You had the half-hourly Calder Valley trains, the Oldham Loop, and the local trains to Wigan Wallgate and that was about it. Six platforms were plenty, the place was a ghost town.

Amazing how things go full circle.

Just thinking about it, had any city in Britain suffered as big a downgrade as Bradford? 2 very big and grand stations reduced to 2 tiny low key stations with zero architectural merit.

Sunderland is close, I suppose.

I’d nominate Bradford Interchange and Sunderland as two of the worst stations on the network now. Everything about Bradford Interchange is disgusting, especially the toilets, and I get the feeling Sunderland only avoids that fate by not having toilets.

 

[D6130]

. Everything about Bradford Interchange is disgusting, especially the toilets, and I get the feeling Sunderland only avoids that fate by not having toilets.

IMHO, the toilets have improved considerably since they were gated and an entry charge introduced.

 

[vic-rijrode]

After the Windsor Link opened, almost nothing served Victoria. You had the half-hourly Calder Valley trains, the Oldham Loop, and the local trains to Wigan Wallgate and that was about it. Six platforms were plenty, the place was a ghost town.

Amazing how things go full circle.



Sunderland is close, I suppose.

I’d nominate Bradford Interchange and Sunderland as two of the worst stations on the network now. Everything about Bradford Interchange is disgusting, especially the toilets, and I get the feeling Sunderland only avoids that fate by not having toilets.

For its population and size Sunderland station currently is pretty dreadful as previous posters have pointed out, although it is now being rebuilt. The southern entrance hall has been demolished and is being replaced by a much larger, airier structure. The northern entrance is simply a couple of passages from the streets east and west which meet at the top of the stairs down to the platform. An ATM is located at the top of these stairs.

From the publicity blurb and pictures of the new station building (https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/05/work-starts-on-26m-revamp-of-sunderland-railway-station.html) it will be a huge improvement and will have toilets! There are also plans I believe (I'm not sure of their status), to reinstate the 2nd island platform to segregate Metro and Northern/Grand Central trains. These currently all stop at the northern end of the platform as the southern exit is closed pending the rebuilding work.

Of course, if Metro stations are considered, Sunderland City Centre has 2 more - both modern - at Interchange (Park Lane) and University, both 5 minutes away from the shopping centre. So it's not all bad.

 

[bramling]

After the Windsor Link opened, almost nothing served Victoria. You had the half-hourly Calder Valley trains, the Oldham Loop, and the local trains to Wigan Wallgate and that was about it. Six platforms were plenty, the place was a ghost town.

Amazing how things go full circle.



Sunderland is close, I suppose.

I’d nominate Bradford Interchange and Sunderland as two of the worst stations on the network now. Everything about Bradford Interchange is disgusting, especially the toilets, and I get the feeling Sunderland only avoids that fate by not having toilets.

Have to say I’ve never found Sunderland *too* bad. Yes it’s a bit of a joke for a station serving a major place and certainly isn’t going to win any awards for beauty, but equally it was functional enough to use. Indeed it felt like a bog standard sub-surface Underground station.

My biggest issue would be that it traps diesel fumes.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

IMHO, the toilets have improved considerably since they were gated and an entry charge introduced.

I think the toilets at Interchange are the responsibility of Metro rather than the railway.

 

[vic-rijrode]

Have to say I’ve never found Sunderland *too* bad. Yes it’s a bit of a joke for a station serving a major place and certainly isn’t going to win any awards for beauty, but equally it was functional enough to use. Indeed it felt like a bog standard sub-surface Underground station.

My biggest issue would be that it traps diesel fumes.

I've not found diesel fumes to be too much of a problem. Maybe it's the wind tunnel effect with it whistling off the Wear and down the tunnel...

 

[Gathursty]

I think a few of the 'wooden' Greater Manchester stations are a bit grubby
Humphrey Park
Trafford Park
Hag Fold
Kearsley (the underbridge and wooden ramp to the down platform is particularly messy)
Moorside still looks sad.

 

[Wynd]

By far and away the grimmest and filthiest station iv been in is Birmingham New Street.

 

[Bletchleyite]

After the Windsor Link opened, almost nothing served Victoria. You had the half-hourly Calder Valley trains, the Oldham Loop, and the local trains to Wigan Wallgate and that was about it. Six platforms were plenty, the place was a ghost town.

There was also the 2tph (I think) Chat Moss stopper (which is why I found it odd they swapped that to Castlefield - it was very long established as a Victoria service) and the Kirkby (which was one of the two Wigans via Atherton), plus a couple of Southport peak extras (again via Atherton) and the Clitheroe (the only service from Vic to go via Bolton as it can't go any other way; if I recall rightly it traditionally did the local stations east of Bolton, with the services from Preston all running fast from Bolton to Salford Crescent). Before Clitheroe reopened I suspect that was just a Blackburn terminator.

And it was fine for that. In essence an above ground diesel version of Liverpool Central. Regulars aren't really fussed about whether it has a shopping arcade on top (though LVC of course does!)

Now, it's become an InterCity station again, and there have been almost no improvements to the facilities other than ones that make things worse for passengers (the gateline), a fancy roof and an improved tramstop. It's just not fit for its new/readopted purpose.

 

[Furryanimal]

I sometimes wonder whether Perth station is being deliberately allowed to fall into rack and ruin because there is a long term plan to replace it with a new one South of the Junction? However, as mentioned upthread, the existing station is Grade B listed, so would have to be retained and maintained, even if trains were no longer stopping there.

Are you sure that photo isn't Leominster station?

Google said it was Pontypool Road!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Mar 2023 ==

Are you sure that the top photograph is Pontypool Road? I took these poor quality photographs in 1963 & 1964 and it they show a much larger station. The old station building on the right in the photo of 45577 does not match that in your photograph.

Think Google got me!