Station names on the UK rail network that you would change

[Mikey C]

There are occasional (possibly apocryphal) reports of people turning up at Alton (Hants) hoping to ride roller-coasters, or arriving at Leeds and asking for directions to the castle, so I suppose it's possible. I look forward to the same people who mistakenly went to Alton also rocking up at a suburban station in Leeds if and when it opens.

We could rename all these stations to try and make things completely idiot-proof... but nature would just invent a better idiot!

I once had to help a lost London motorist in Kennington, who was actually trying to get to Kensington

 

[yorksrob]

True, but it's too bad there are no limited-stop trains between the two towns.

That is unless Kent Rail Strategy 2021 (specifically page 37) was ever realised...

Indeed.

Don't get me started !

I think an express service from the Kent Coast to London Bridge, Waterloo East and Charing Cross would be a popular alternative to HS1.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I once had to help a lost London motorist in Kennington, who was actually trying to get to Kensington

My favourites of these involve football fans not double-checking their bookings or satnavs... Some once turned up in Stamford Bridge near York looking for the Chelsea stadium, Liverpool fans who booked a hotel in Gent instead of Genk, and the Portuguese fans who mistakenly booked train travel to the wrong Frankfurt (Oder instead of Main). That one is particularly funny as they had to pass through Frankfurt-Main on the way!

 

[renegademaster]

Stratford international -> Westfield North
Stratford -> Westfield South
Shepherd's Bush -> Westfield West
West Croydon if Croydon Westfield ever gets built -> Westfield very South

TfL need the money

 

[MadMac]

My favourites of these involve football fans not double-checking their bookings or satnavs... Some once turned up in Stamford Bridge near York looking for the Chelsea stadium, Liverpool fans who booked a hotel in Gent instead of Genk, and the Portuguese fans who mistakenly booked train travel to the wrong Frankfurt (Oder instead of Main). That one is particularly funny as they had to pass through Frankfurt-Main on the way!

A band booked to appear at a social club in Bo’ness called the club on the night to say that they were in Bo’ness but were having trouble finding the club. After several minutes of explaining what street they were on and nobody at the club having ever heard of it, it emerged that they were calling from Bowness-on-Windermere…..

 

[Moritzplatz]

[...] and the Portuguese fans who mistakenly booked train travel to the wrong Frankfurt (Oder instead of Main). That one is particularly funny as they had to pass through Frankfurt-Main on the way!

If you're referring to the incident with the Benfica fans in 2019, that was a car journey to the wrong Frankfurt - which then turned out to be a hoax. The main Portuguese fan who called himself Alvaro Oliveira was in fact an actor called Marcelo Rodrigues, and the whole thing was a PR stunt for the German football magazine "11 Freunde". But a Japanese tourist did confuse the two Frankfurts in 2014, having arrived at Stuttgart to visit a friend in Frankfurt am Main but then travelling nearly 500km eastwards to Frankfurt an der Oder. The Japanese Embassy managed to help her out in the end.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

If you're referring to the incident with the Benfica fans in 2019, that was a car journey to the wrong Frankfurt - which then turned out to be a hoax. The main Portuguese fan who called himself Alvaro Oliveira was in fact an actor called Marcelo Rodrigues, and the whole thing was a PR stunt for the German football magazine "11 Freunde". But a Japanese tourist did confuse the two Frankfurts in 2014, having arrived at Stuttgart to visit a friend in Frankfurt am Main but then travelling nearly 500km eastwards to Frankfurt an der Oder. The Japanese Embassy managed to help her out in the end

Back when I was a student, our main debating person missed an away fixture when they couldn't find Royal Holloway and Bedford New College in Bedford.

They wouldn't have done much better in Holloway either...

 

[leytongabriel]

I suspect that area probably was lush and green when the stations were first built... so maybe inserting the word "former" in the middle of each name might be appropriate...

I suspect that area probably was lush and green when the stations were first built... so maybe inserting the word "former" in the middle of each name might be appropriate...

Yes and London Fields and Hackney Downs are close by large open green spaces still.

 

[Mike Machin]

Purely fictitious, I would love the name of the nearest station in the BBC Radio 4 drama 'The Archers' to be changed from the old-fashioned 'Hollerton Junction' to the much more present-day appropriate 'Hollerton Parkway!'

 

[D6130]

Purely fictitious, I would love the name of the nearest station in the BBC Radio 4 drama 'The Archers' to be changed from the old-fashioned 'Hollerton Junction' to the much more present-day appropriate 'Hollerton Parkway!'

....based on Honeybourne, I believe.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

....based on Honeybourne, I believe.

Hollerton Junction is certainly always supposed to be on that line. Where the junction line leads/led to is not clear - maybe one or both of the major population centres of Felpersham or Borchester. If the latter, then Hollerton may be marginally nearer to Ambridge so would the station used by the villagers.

 

[Simon75]

Tutbury and Hatton to Hatton ?

 

[kaysha]

Given that Polmont straddles the villages of Polmont and Brightons I would be in favour of renaming the station to Brightons if only for the chaos it would produce

 

[duffield]

Tutbury and Hatton to Hatton ?

If you had to change it, Hatton for Tutbury would be better, the station's in Hatton but the edge of Tutbury is only 4 minutes walk away and maybe twice the size. Tutbury should certainly be mentioned.

 

[Zomboid]

Hatton station is between Warwick and Solihull, I can't see what benefit there would be to create a second station of the same name.

If anything Tutbury & Hatton should drop the Hatton part entirely.

 

[The exile]

Given that Polmont straddles the villages of Polmont and Brightons I would be in favour of renaming the station to Brightons if only for the chaos it would produce

In similar vein and with a nod to history, couldn’t Hartlepool become West Hartlepool East or even East West Hartlepool?

 

[Henffordd]

Hollerton Junction is certainly always supposed to be on that line. Where the junction line leads/led to is not clear - maybe one or both of the major population centres of Felpersham or Borchester. If the latter, then Hollerton may be marginally nearer to Ambridge so would the station used by the villagers.

Evesham, I think. When I lived in Ambridge (well one of the villages purported to be the model) years ago I listened regularly. One evening there was a story about one of the characters worried about missing the train to get to the annual conference of the Women's Institutes. The following morning, having to go to London, I went to Evesham for the train, and saw on the platform an older woman, well dressed with a floral hat, and with a badge saying "Wyre Piddle WI".

 

[D6130]

In similar vein and with a nod to history, couldn’t Hartlepool become West Hartlepool East or even East West Hartlepool?

Not a monkey's chance!

 

[Mike99]

Evesham, I think. When I lived in Ambridge (well one of the villages purported to be the model) years ago I listened regularly. One evening there was a story about one of the characters worried about missing the train to get to the annual conference of the Women's Institutes. The following morning, having to go to London, I went to Evesham for the train, and saw on the platform an older woman, well dressed with a floral hat, and with a badge saying "Wyre Piddle WI".

Was the loo working on the train?, I hope so!!!!

 

[ilfordchap]

Wanstead Park. Terrible choice. Change to Forest Gate North.

 

[SargeNpton]

Not so much now, but back in 1997 a certain station in Lincolnshire could have been renamed as "Althorpe (but not the Princess Diana one)".

 

[frodshamfella]

Id change Liverpool South Parkway to Liverpool Airport Parkway. It is essentially the airports station, with airport logo on signage and flight departures and arrivals displayed in concourse.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Seeing as the council, and even bizarrely the service station on the M65, are called Blackburn with Darwen I would rename Blackburn station Blackburn with Darwen and Darwen station Darwen without Blackburn.

 

[D6130]

Seeing as the council, and even bizarrely the service station on the M65, are called Blackburn with Darwen I would rename Blackburn station Blackburn with Darwen and Darwen station Darwen without Blackburn.

 

[xotGD]

Rename Teesside Airport to Do Not Alight Here.

 

[Cach17]

Rename Teesside Airport to Do Not Alight Here.

Barlaston, Wedgwood, British Steel Redcar and Manchester United Football Ground too!

 

[Dr Hoo]

Barlaston, Wedgwood, British Steel Redcar and Manchester United Football Ground too!

And Stanlow, and IBM as well?

 

[The exile]

And Stanlow, and IBM as well?

Presumably with the county name in brackets to avoid people not alighting at the wrong one!

 

[dvboy]

Rename Sandwell and Dudley back to Oldbury

As for University, perhaps “Edgbaston Central”

 

[SoloSR334022]

Given that Polmont straddles the villages of Polmont and Brightons I would be in favour of renaming the station to Brightons if only for the chaos it would produce

Couldn't agree more