Trivia: locations which have services to London from 2 different termini

[enginedin]

The recent discussion about Bradford made me realise it has services to London from two different termini (Bradford Interchange and Forster Square).

I assume that Bradford is the only place that currently has services to London from two different termini (initially I'll limit this question to termini rather than just stations on different routes), but have there been other places historically for which this is true?

EDIT

What I thought would be a simple question turned out not to be to people with more knowledge of the railways than me, and I've been asked to clarify what I meant.

So, hopefully more precisely:

- I'm defining a "terminus" as an actual physical terminus where trains have to stop and reverse out. I didn't intend to include stations where all lines run through the station but many services terminate there. There are a couple of edge cases (e.g. Manchester Piccadilly) - I would consider this a terminus station. I don't think this is inconsistent, but that might just be my naivety so apologies if this is confusing. I know many stations have bay platforms, but I don't think a single bay platform makes a station a terminus. I don't know how to quantify this - I guess nobody has ever tried; maybe if 80% of platforms need a train to reverse out it can be classified as a true terminus? In this sense, Bradford Interchange would be considered a terminus. As a layman, I'd assumed it was always considered a terminus (indeed, Wikipedia says "Because of the geography of Bradford, the station was built as a terminus"), but I've been informed that railway folk don't consider it to be a terminus because trains don't end journeys there.
- I'm limiting to current services (otherwise the mods have said this needs to be moved to the "historical" section)

I won't be surprised if my naivety has now introduced other confusions, but hopefully this iteration of my question has at least somewhat clarified what I trying to get at

 

[Cach17]

Birmingham has three; New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill.

Also, Glasgow recently joined the list, since Lumo extended their KGX-Edinburgh services to Queen Street.

 

[enginedin]

Birmingham has three; New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill.

I meant actual terminus stations - New Street isn't (and I'd debate whether Moor Street is, given that through services use it)

Glasgow is true though - I'd not realised Lumo run to Queen Street

 

[SeanG]

Historically, Manchester had four, to three destinations.
Central to St Pancras
London Rd/Piccadilly to Euston
London Rd to Marylebone
London Rd to Kings Cross
Exchange to Euston

 

[Royston Vasey]

Plenty of examples of multiple stations in a town to one or multiple London termini, e.g. Canterbury, Wakefield, Birmingham, and some stations with routes to multiple London termini, e.g. Oxford, Edinburgh, Cambridge.

But I can't think of any others where the origins are also termini. We don't have that many places with multiple termini!

 

[Farigiraf]

Has Windsor & Eton Central had direct trains to London in the last few years, for special occasions such as royal events?

Other than Bradford and Glasgow I don't think there are any. If you stretch what counts as one place, then you could argue Tattenham Corner and Epsom Downs are both in the Banstead or Epsom conurbation. Shoeburyness is also within Southend's city limits so Shoeburyness and Southend Victoria could be another pair.

If we're counting through stations which have services to London from platforms with buffers, I can also think of Portsmouth (Southsea and Harbour), Colchester (Town and mainline) and Watford (Met and Junction).

 

[HamworthyGoods]

The recent discussion about Bradford made me realise it has services to London from two different termini (Bradford Interchange and Forster Square).

I assume that Bradford is the only place that currently has services to London from two different termini (initially I'll limit this question to termini rather than just stations on different routes), but have there been other places historically for which this is true?

Epsom Downs is served by both Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner terminal stations.

 

[StephenHunter]

Has Windsor & Eton Central had direct trains to London in the last few years, for special occasions such as royal events?

There have been charter ones.

 

[43096]

Also, Glasgow recently joined the list, since Lumo extended their KGX-Edinburgh services to Queen Street.

Technically, Glasgow has re-joined the list - there was a Queen Street to King's Cross service before East Coast electrification.

 

[Lloyds siding]

Liverpool had:-
Lime Street to London Euston and London Paddington (and probably other termini).
Liverpool Central (High Level) trains to London Kings Cross, St Pancras and Marylebone over the years.
Liverpool Central (Low Level) had through coaches to London Paddington in the 1890s.
Liverpool Riverside had trains to London Euston.

Southport had through coaches to London Euston from Southport Chapel Street and to Kings Cross from Southport Lord Street.

 

[Arch9enius]

If we're counting through stations which have services to London from platforms with buffers, I can also think of Portsmouth (Southsea and Harbour), Colchester (Town and mainline) and Watford (Met and Junction).

Do any London services start from Portsmouth and Southsea? I thought it was only local services from the ground level platforms.

Cheers.

 

[Farigiraf]

@Arch9enius The 07:32 and 17:33 services from Portsmouth & Southsea to London Victoria usually depart from platform 4 which is one of the bays. Plus there's an 06:58, 16:07 and 18:07 to Waterloo. So 5 daily departures to London using the bays.

 

[321362]

Sure, there's a few that start from Southsea https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P62191/2026-01-16/detailed#allox_id=0

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jan 2026 ==

@Arch9enius The 07:32 and 17:33 services from Portsmouth & Southsea to London Victoria usually depart from platform 4 which is one of the bays. Plus there's an 06:58, 16:07 and 18:07 to Waterloo. So 5 daily departures to London using the bays.

beat me to it!

 

[Arch9enius]

Sure, there's a few that start from Southsea https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P62191/2026-01-16/detailed#allox_id=0

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jan 2026 ==


beat me to it!

Thanks both. I've only arrived at those platforms on the stopper from Southampton, otherwise I'm heading for the island.

 

[Acathater]

Exeter
Glasgow

 

[enginedin]

Exeter

Which are the 2 terminus stations in Exeter?

 

[Lloyds siding]

Birmingham has three; New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill.

Also, Glasgow recently joined the list, since Lumo extended their KGX-Edinburgh services to Queen Street.

Historically Glasgow also had St Enochs.

The criteria set by the OP mean that such places will be mainly on the coast.

Historically Blackpool had Blackpool Central and Blackpool North.
Morecambe had Morecambe Promenade to London St Pancras and Morecambe Euston Road to London Euston.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

It seems in terms of Terminuses within the same City/Town Neighbourhood with direct trains to London we have the following station pairs unless anyone can think of any more;

Bradford Forster Square & Bradford Interchange

Glasgow Central & Glasgow Queen Street

Epsom Downs & Tattenham Corner

 

[z444z]

A slightly cheeky one maybe, Heathrow Terminal 5 and Heathrow Terminal 4…

 

[styles]

London.

Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Fenchurch Street, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, King's Cross, Marylebone, Moorgate, Paddington, St Pancras, Victoria, and Waterloo all have services which go to London

 

[saismee]

But I can't think of any others where the origins are also termini. We don't have that many places with multiple termini!

You're forgetting Cambridge North! Cambridge would have two terminal stations with a direct route into London.

 

[michael8]

Southend on Sea?

 

[Djgr]

Liverpool had:-
Lime Street to London Euston and London Paddington (and probably other termini).
Liverpool Central (High Level) trains to London Kings Cross, St Pancras and Marylebone over the years.
Liverpool Central (Low Level) had through coaches to London Paddington in the 1890s.
Liverpool Riverside had trains to London Euston.

Southport had through coaches to London Euston from Southport Chapel Street and to Kings Cross from Southport Lord Street.

I thought the Paddington trains were from Birkenhead Woodside. Were there trains from Liverpool as well?

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Yarmouth - Vauxhall and South Town.

 

[Falcon1200]

Inverness has direct services to both Euston and Kings Cross.

Pedantry alert; As there are no through platforms I am definitely counting Inverness as a terminus! However the same does not apply to either Glasgow Central or Queen Street.....

 

[Royston Vasey]

You're forgetting Cambridge North! Cambridge would have two terminal stations with a direct route into London.

I'll give you that, though if we are including bay platforms on through stations it'll widen the net a bit!

 

[yorkie]

Inverness has direct services to both Euston and Kings Cross.

I thought the opening post was asking for examples of places that have services to London from two different termini; Inverness only has one station.

It is unclear what counts as a "termini"; Bradford Interchange wouldn't normally be considered a "termini" but if the definition is along the lines that most or all platforms have buffers, then I guess it counts, even though most trains do not terminate there.

I see someone posted Southend Central (3 through platforms and 1 bay), but that clearly can't count if the opening poster stipulates that Birmingham Moor Street (2 of each) doesn't count.

There are through platforms at both Glasgow Central and Queen Street, but if the requirement is for most platforms to have buffers, then that counts.

As for Great Yarmouth, if this is a historical thread, I'll move the thread to that section.

Either way I've asked @enginedin to edit the opening post to clarify some matters and avoid some confusion in this thread.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Manchester for a spell had Wales & West trains (158s) to Waterloo, via the Marches, Bristol and Salisbury.
It also had HSTs to Waterloo for a short spell, via the WCML and WLL, to connect with Eurostar when they were based there.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Portsmouth and Southsea used to have a morning London Bridge service until Covid.

 

[BeijingDave]

Fairly sure Manchester Victoria had Euston services too at one point (before the Ordsall Curve was reinstated).

Euston-Stockport-Victoria-Glasgow through service, which then moved over to Piccadilly after the chord.