Bleakest UK Station (Trivia)

[sk688]

Sydenham station in Belfast is extremely bleak , with a variety of "welcoming" murals, the bypass roaring by and the bridge to reach it from the airport looking like something out of a soviet state

For it being the closest rail link to Belfast City airport its extremely bleak , although I suppose most would use the 300

Titanic Quarter on the same line not much better

Duddeston also bleak because of the sheer amount of dereliction around it

 

[Djgr]

Sydenham station in Belfast is extremely bleak , with a variety of "welcoming" murals, the bypass roaring by and the bridge to reach it from the airport looking like something out of a soviet state

For it being the closest rail link to Belfast City airport its extremely bleak , although I suppose most would use the 300

Amazingly they moved the terminal building further away from the station!

 

[Howardh]

Newhaven Town is closer to the ferry terminal. The terminal was moved some years ago.

According to Wikipedia, the number of passengers using Harbour station is increasing year-on-year (although it's still a paltry 76/day average) so as a tourist passing through, I can't really see where they are coming from/going to. Is there industry/business areas nearby that are served better by Harbour rather than Town? Anyhow if I was there and had 10 mins to wait, I'd probably walk to Town to kill the time and wait in a better environment, although that one still looks pretty basic!

Newhaven Harbour railway station - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Passengers
2020/21	14,020
2021/22	18,298
2022/23	23,176
2023/24	24,584
2024/25	27,934

 

[yorksrob]

At least Newhaven Harbour has decent platform cover. That's more than can be said for Normanton (and many other well used stations).

 

[Recessio]

Newhaven had its own thread a while back for being Britain's most insalubrious station entrance - could Newhaven be a double award winner, both bleak and awful? https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ns-most-insalubrious-station-entrance.290657/

 

[duffield]

One of the usual suspects for least used station, Elton & Orston in Nottinghamshire on the Nottingham-Grantham line is very, very bleak.

One of the two stations where I always look up in the vain hope of seeing a "flying saucer".

Elton & Orston because the station code is "ELO" so I hope to see the spaceship illustrated on the cover of "Out of the Blue" (I still have an original glowing blue vinyl copy of this album although the cardboard spaceship model that came with it is long lost, alas).

Yatton because of the track "Purple Spaceships over Yatton" by Stackridge.

I guess that could be a topic for another thread - stations with space/UFO/aliens connections!

 

[EYFanatic]

Elton & Orston because the station code is "ELO" so I hope to see the spaceship illustrated on the cover of "Out of the Blue" (I still have an original glowing blue vinyl copy of this album although the cardboard spaceship model that came with it is long lost, alas).

Maybe when they were giving out the CIS codes, somebody was a fan of the Electric Light Orchestra so took the chance to be funny

 

[duffield]

Maybe when they were giving out the CIS codes, somebody was a fan of the Electric Light Orchestra so took the chance to be funny

Sounds plausible since the codes date back to just a couple of years after ELO hit what was probably their peak popularity with "Out of the Blue"!

 

[Comfy]

Sunderland

 

[birchesgreen]

Thurgarton on a wet January day when you have to wait 90 minutes for the next train. I enjoyed the solitude though.

 

[Russel]

Thurgarton

There are some very nice but isolated stations on the Notthingham - Lincoln line and Nottingham - Skegness line too.

I've often wanted to explore a few of them but the train frequency is somewhat of an issue.

 

[LowLevel]

There are some very nice but isolated stations on the Notthingham - Lincoln line and Nottingham - Skegness line too.

I've often wanted to explore a few of them but the train frequency is somewhat of an issue.

They tend to be well located for walking, the community rail partnership have produced some walks from the line booklets previously.

Failing that the "shack bashers" who like to visit each station tend to achieve it by catching trains in opposite directions.

Thurgarton in particular has a nice building which is a private house and a concrete factory with a little village up the road with a pub.

It does however have a half hourly 26 NCT bus to Southwell and Nottingham all day from the village.

 

[Russel]

They tend to be well located for walking, the community rail partnership have produced some walks from the line booklets previously.

Failing that the "shack bashers" who like to visit each station tend to achieve it by catching trains in opposite directions.

Thurgarton in particular has a nice building which is a private house and a concrete factory with a little village up the road with a pub.

It does however have a half hourly 26 NCT bus to Southwell and Nottingham all day from the village.

Something I'll have to look into, I like the idea of visiting quaint stations, I'm not so keen on the idea of long waits!

 

[yorksrob]

There are some very nice but isolated stations on the Notthingham - Lincoln line and Nottingham - Skegness line too.

I've often wanted to explore a few of them but the train frequency is somewhat of an issue.

Ditto those between Battersby Junction and Whitby.

 

[Bodiam]

Sunderland

We were in Sunderland a few years ago and I thought the station was odd but I don't know that I'd call it bleak. The entrance was very inconspicuous in a shopping arcade, and the underground island platform was rather dark. It could certainly have done with brighter lighting. It was strange to see Grand Central trains and Metro cars stopping at the same platform.

 

[Steddenm]

We were in Sunderland a few years ago and I thought the station was odd but I don't know that I'd call it bleak. The entrance was very inconspicuous in a shopping arcade, and the underground island platform was rather dark. It could certainly have done with brighter lighting. It was strange to see Grand Central trains and Metro cars stopping at the same platform.

Sunderland has recently opened a new entrance and street-level building. However there are a number of local complaints as the building is just a big, empty glass cavern where the toilets and escalators very rarely work. I never understood why the platforms weren't renumbered 1A, 1B and 2A and 2B when Metro first started. Was odd hearing an announcement today warning of a non-stop service being played out as two seperate platforms. (Also anyone know why Metro services only get announced as three carriages when technically they are two - old Metrocars - or five - the 555s?)

 

[vic-rijrode]

Sunderland has recently opened a new entrance and street-level building. However there are a number of local complaints as the building is just a big, empty glass cavern where the toilets and escalators very rarely work. I never understood why the platforms weren't renumbered 1A, 1B and 2A and 2B when Metro first started. Was odd hearing an announcement today warning of a non-stop service being played out as two seperate platforms. (Also anyone know why Metro services only get announced as three carriages when technically they are two - old Metrocars - or five - the 555s?)

Bleak - no but striving for improvement. The new station building is fairly grand but so far only one retail (catering) kiosk has been placed in the hall.

I have not known the escalator to be out of action and the toilets are at the mercy of the various neanderthals that prowl about during the evening - hardly the station's fault.

I'm not sure how renumbering the platforms like that would help in the slightest. At the moment, because the southbound platform at the southern end (where the Metro trains to South Hylton would normally stop) is too low for the door mechanism on the new 555 Metro stock, the trains are stopping at the northern end of this platform until NR raise the track.

The old trains are formed of 2 units each of 2 carriages, these 2 carriages are walk through. The new 555 stoxk is 5 carriages all walkthrough.

Regarding the previous comment about Grand Central and Metro trains sharing the same platform, I would suggest (others can put me right) that the tracks between Sunderand and Pelaw are the only ones in the UK where "express trains", "regional trains", Metro trains and Freight (usually biomass to/from Tyne Dock) trains all run.

 

[eastwestdivide]

I would suggest (others can put me right) that the tracks between Sunderand and Pelaw are the only ones in the UK where "express trains", "regional trains", Metro trains and Freight (usually biomass to/from Tyne Dock) trains all run.

Continuing the slight diversion from the topic, I'd add the short stretch through Rotherham C, which has a few XC and TP expresses passing or calling (but not many, and only at the start and end of the day), plus regional Northern services, tram-trains, and freight

 

[Pnerick81]

Never alighted at salwick nr Preston . But it’s not got much going for it .small island platform. Fields all around and an old nuclear reactor in the foreground . Not sure if there is a waiting room or anything on there .

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Never alighted at salwick nr Preston . But it’s not got much going for it .small island platform. Fields all around and an old nuclear reactor in the foreground . Not sure if there is a waiting room or anything on there .

Not been on a train that's even stopped at Salwick, never mind alighted there. Think there's a tiny 'bus-stop' type shelter at the bottom of the access ramp heading down to the island platform.

 

[mm333]

Never alighted at salwick nr Preston . But it’s not got much going for it .small island platform. Fields all around and an old nuclear reactor in the foreground . Not sure if there is a waiting room or anything on there .

I used it 6 months ago. I wouldn't call it bleak. It was a typical rural island platform with a small shelter and a few seats. Yes, near a nuclear reactor and a few houses. As bleakness goes, on a par with the stations between Selby and Brough.

 

[eastwestdivide]

If we’re talking nuclear power stations, Dungeness at the end of the RHDR miniature steam railway in Kent: power station, lighthouse and miles of shingle, with the odd hut and barely a tree in sight. Strangely beautiful in its own way, but bleak in the January rain, or even on a windy rainy summer’s day

 

[Pinus contorta]

Never alighted at salwick nr Preston . But it’s not got much going for it .small island platform. Fields all around and an old nuclear reactor in the foreground . Not sure if there is a waiting room or anything on there .

Did it have a nuclear reactor? I thought it was just a manufacturing facility. You learn something new every day . Can't say i disagree with the nomination though. There's a prison nearby. Which isnt very inspiring.

 

[yorksrob]

If we’re talking nuclear power stations, Dungeness at the end of the RHDR miniature steam railway in Kent: power station, lighthouse and miles of shingle, with the odd hut and barely a tree in sight. Strangely beautiful in its own way, but bleak in the January rain, or even on a windy rainy summer’s day

Must have been quite a bleak wait on its own standard gauge station as well (closed 1937).

 

[Dave W]

If we’re talking nuclear power stations, Dungeness at the end of the RHDR miniature steam railway in Kent: power station, lighthouse and miles of shingle, with the odd hut and barely a tree in sight. Strangely beautiful in its own way, but bleak in the January rain, or even on a windy rainy summer’s day

Agree but that's "nice bleak" - in much the same way a horrible day's weather in the Lake District can be. I went for my birthday last February, that breeze across the marsh cuts you in half.

 

[Pnerick81]

Did it have a nuclear reactor? I thought it was just a manufacturing facility. You learn something new every day . Can't say i disagree with the nomination though. There's a prison nearby. Which isnt very inspiring.

It’s called springfields nuclear plant. I think it manufactures nuclear power . Just reading up a bit on it . Yes you’re correct .

 

[sh24]

It’s called springfields nuclear plant. I think it manufactures nuclear power . Just reading up a bit on it . Yes you’re correct .

Technically it manufactures the fuel that goes into a nuclear reactor.

 

[Goofle]

My overwhelming memory of training in the mid 90s was Shotton on a Sunday evening waiting for the train to Wrecsam. That was the definition of bleak to me!