(TRIVIA) Busy stations which hardly anybody walks to

[Bletchleyite]

Whilst I agree that no doubt the majority of passengers will probably drive to/from the Station for their trains, I'd be surprised if there isn't at least a small proportion who walk there given it's proximity to the housing estate built close to the Station.

Buckshaw and Aylesbury Vale are almost identical in setting with respect to housing, and thus are almost certainly very similar in usage pattern too, i.e. mostly driving but also a reasonable amount of walking, plus a bit of cycling.

 

[realaledrinker]

Clapham Junction and Crewe probably? Isn't most traffic at both of these interchanging?

Try parking in either Crewe car parks midweek for your answer!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 May 2026 ==

Hooton station (730k entrances & exits/year + 94k interchanges) is in the middle of nowhere.

It has a huge car park and attracts passengers for Liverpool from all over mid/west Cheshire and further afield. Six trains a hour and much cheaper than driving through the tunnel and being ripped off for parking.

 

[SargeNpton]

Visited Manningtree back in February. Being outside of the town, I'd be surprised is that many people walk to/from the station. The main road and roundabout at the end of the station approach are not that pedestrian friendly at busy periods.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Visited Manningtree back in February. Being outside of the town, I'd be surprised is that many people walk to/from the station. The main road and roundabout at the end of the station approach are not that pedestrian friendly at busy periods.

Walked over to/from Manningtree station directly from Lawford church just a couple of weeks ago. Doubt many others would have done similar, however, especially so on an inclement day.

 

[blimmo]

I doubt many people walk to Tring, which in practice is more of a parkway station.

I have actually walked to Tring. There are some nice walking routes fairly nearby but the approach to the station is not that fun.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

It might seems crazy but Preston is all taxi or bus and nobody seems to walk there.

 

[Magdalia]

Visited Manningtree back in February. Being outside of the town, I'd be surprised is that many people walk to/from the station. The main road and roundabout at the end of the station approach are not that pedestrian friendly at busy periods.

For people who like a walk, train to Manningtree is a good way to visit Flatford Mill, owned by artist John Constable and now a National Trust property.

Flatford | Suffolk

Visit the pretty hamlet of Flatford and walk in John Constable's footsteps through the places that inspired his most famous paintings.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Discover the views that John Constable painted in the hamlet of Flatford, set within the Dedham Vale countryside

 

[zwk500]

I have actually walked to Tring. There are some nice walking routes fairly nearby but the approach to the station is not that fun.

I have also walked to Tring, although that was part of a journey that technically included a canal boat and cycling so will happily admit it's not representative at all.

 

[Falcon1200]

I have actually walked to Tring.

I use to cycle from Oxford to Tring (and back) to trainspot! This was however back in the 1970s when there was less traffic on the roads and I was somewhat younger, and fitter.

 

[THC]

I have walked there before when interchanging between Yeovil Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction, partly using footpaths and partly using country lanes - it was quite scenic but not very well-signed and not suitable for use after dark.

I have also walked from this station, to access the Grand Western Canal and walk to Tiverton, but I agree this is likely to be a minority pursuit.

Me too on both counts. In fact I walked from Yeovil Junction to Castle Cary, another station mentioned here, from where I took a train back to London. A fabulous day's walking.

THC

 

[Bald Rick]

I have actually walked to Tring. There are some nice walking routes fairly nearby but the approach to the station is not that fun.

Me too, albeit to walk to the Tring brewery (somewhat slower walk back).

I use to cycle from Oxford to Tring (and back) to trainspot!

Still a nice ride (away from the A41 obviously)

 

[brad465]

Castle Cary similar. There is a pavement about 18" wide alongside a long stretch of unlit A road, you could never let children go along there to/from school in winter. No houses around. Big car park.

There is an off-road footpath linking the station from the southern side with the town, albeit crossing a few roads. However, as it is mainly a railhead station, it still applies that most passengers will have come there by car or other means, as well as interchanges to/from the Heart of Wessex line. Glastonbury Festival passengers also don't walk, as dedicated buses take passengers to and from the festival site.

I wouldn't be surprised if Westbury is similar: it is walkable from the town, but it is a major interchange station to the point 50% or so passengers using it have interchanged there. I suspect a number of other passengers have driven there from nearby towns to get trains to/from London.

 

[Steddenm]

What about Ryde Pier Head?

Apparently you can walk the length of the pier, but the number of people who choose to do that and then catch the train back must surely be absolutely dwarfed by the number of people arriving from Portsmouth?

Me and my other half actually did that today as there was a bit of a wait between the Hovercraft arriving and the train to Shanklin so got a bacon roll at the Interchange and walked up to the Pier Head station and then the train to Shanklin.

 

[xotGD]

Kirkstall Forge appears to operate primarily as a park and ride for outbound passengers, and inbound are those working in the next door office building.

I guess there may be a few folk arriving via a walk along the canal.

 

[duffield]

Birmingham International. It's got three or four different crowds using it: those who want the airport, those who want the NEC (and it's various other attractions) and those using it as a park and ride from Birmingham and London. 5 million journeys, an absolutely minuscule percentage of those people will walk to the station.

I used to walk between Birmingham International and Birmingham Business Park regularly for work meetings!

 

[johntea]

Another airport one ... Manchester Airport

Coincidentally the closest terminal (T1) to the station walking distance is now closed too!

 

[FtoE]

Falkirk High?
I’ve always thought it a bit of an anachronism - multiple fast trains per hour but it’s in the middle of low-density ‘burbs compared to Falkirk Grahamston

 

[david1212]

As a proportion of the total users do many walk to Warwick Parkway?
A few more may cycle either to leave the bike or take on the train, although as the platforms are elevated even when the lifts are working not easy.

What about Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway? First does usage fit within the @Old Yard Dog's definition of busy? Initially it was a 'white elephant' but with all the house building have passenger numbers increased?

 

[duffield]

As a proportion of the total users do many walk to Warwick Parkway?
A few more may cycle either to leave the bike or take on the train, although as the platforms are elevated even when the lifts are working not easy.

What about Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway? First does usage fit within the @Old Yard Dog's definition of busy? Initially it was a 'white elephant' but with all the house building have passenger numbers increased?

I used to walk from Warwick Parkway to the IBM offices fairly regularly!

 

[Sakuradori]

I once walked out of Ebbsfleet International

A few mentions of Ebbsfleet, and having walked out of it myself a few times to watch the local football team, it is absolutely bizarre. You step off the train into a giant concourse with nobody inside, spend 5 minutes walking across empty car parks with no cars, and have to walk a decent distance to get into the town, passing either Northfleet or Swanscombe stations to get to any real housing areas.

 

[blimmo]

A few mentions of Ebbsfleet, and having walked out of it myself a few times to watch the local football team, it is absolutely bizarre. You step off the train into a giant concourse with nobody inside, spend 5 minutes walking across empty car parks with no cars, and have to walk a decent distance to get into the town, passing either Northfleet or Swanscombe stations to get to any real housing areas.

Imagine if they built some houses in the empty fields around it. Frequent high speed service to central London.

 

[John Luxton]

What about Betws-y-Coed its a very busy station given the various eateries and retail units in the building - but the majority appear to arrive by car or coach, not so many by train.

 

[thenorthern]

Penrith the North Lakes I would say more people drive to than walk to as many passengers from outside of Penrith use the station.

I am not sure on the exact figures but I would say Rugeley Trent Valley, despite it's small car park has more passengers who drive there than walk there. It might also be true for Lichfield Trent Valley.

 

[The exile]

I am not sure on the exact figures but I would say Rugeley Trent Valley, despite its small car park has more passengers who drive there than walk there. It might also be true for Lichfield Trent Valley.

When I last used it about a month ago, a good two thirds of the passengers appeared to have walked (“appeared” as they may have been dropped off out of sight). The other third were there before me. Saturday afternoon - quite possibly atypical.

 

[Moritzplatz]

Lichfield Trent Valley's minimalist facilities mean that you get a pretty clear view of how people arrive at the station.

And yes, the vast majority of passengers get dropped off in the car park, as opposed to arriving on foot. There's really nothing there other than JCBs balletically moving pallets in a neighbouring industrial estate.

 

[Chrius56000]

It might seems crazy but Preston is all taxi or bus and nobody seems to walk there.

. . .I certainly did as a college student!

. . .The local F.E. college near Morecambe has no electronics teaching facilities, so I had to commute to Preston – initially Lancs. Educational Authority would only reimburse me for bus travel, which took 1h 45min (min!) each way, and not only that, Preston Bus Station was a considerably longer walk to the colleges I studied electronics for 4 years than the railway station – fortunately the L.E.A. relented after a letter from my late mum and I was allowed a train pass after that – not only was the Morecambe–Preston journey time half that of the bus, the walk was half the distance as well!

 

[xotGD]

Another airport one ... Manchester Airport

Coincidentally the closest terminal (T1) to the station walking distance is now closed too!

I once had to attend a work meeting in an office building near Manchester Airport. Got a taxi to the office, but then walked back to the station.

 

[thenorthern]

Realistically most the London terminals very few passengers will actually walk to as most will get taxis or the London Underground to and from the stations.

 

[Haywain]

It might seems crazy but Preston is all taxi or bus and nobody seems to walk there.

Complete nonsense. A town centre station with significant footfall and people visiting Preston won't have a car waiting for them.

 

[Magdalia]

Realistically most the London terminals very few passengers will actually walk to as most will get taxis or the London Underground to and from the stations.

Only someone called the Northern could say this!

All London terminals have large numbers of commuters who walk to and from their place of work, especially those in the City or near to Whitehall and Westminster. Even the terminal stations on the north side of central London have lots of destinations that are within walking distance.