Trivia: Defunct TOC names still used by passengers / media

[xotGD]

I once had to call the police about incident outside Vauxhall station, and the location on the later paperwork was listed as "Vauxhall BR station". This was 2022!

To differentiate from Vauxhall underground station. Looks OK to me.

 

[Recessio]

To differentiate from Vauxhall underground station. Looks OK to me.

The differentiation wasn't what I found amusing, it was the use of "BR" when "National Rail" has been the name for the last 27 years. Makes me wonder how old the mapping system they use is!

 

[xotGD]

The differentiation wasn't what I found amusing, it was the use of "BR" when "National Rail" has been the name for the last 27 years. Makes me wonder how old the mapping system they use is!

I've never heard anyone refer to a "National Rail Station". Indeed, I was not aware that this was the correct terminology for a BR Station.

 

[Russel]

I still refer to London Northwestern Railway as London Midland as most London Northwestern Railway is a bit of a mouthful and people generally know what you're talking about if you say London Midland.

 

[Recessio]

I've never heard anyone refer to a "National Rail Station". Indeed, I was not aware that this was the correct terminology for a BR Station.

TfL announcements and signage* always says "National Rail" and on Oyster journey history it shows as e.g. "Vauxhall NR" vs "Vauxhall LU".

*of course except at Vauxhall actually, where one old historic sign still says British Rail but there's not many left on LU that still say that

 

[xotGD]

TfL announcements and signage* always says "National Rail" and on Oyster journey history it shows as e.g. "Vauxhall NR" vs "Vauxhall LU".

*of course except at Vauxhall actually, where one old historic sign still says British Rail but there's not many left on LU that still say that

So its a London thing then.

 

[tfw756rider]

I still occasionally Arriva Trains Wales and London Midland

In Shrewsbury in 2022 when the West Midlands Railway 196s and Transport for Wales 197s were on testing/training around each other, their crew could be seen wearing London Midland and Arriva Trains Wales hi-vis jackets (they ceased operating in 2017 and 2018 respectively). You couldn't have made it up!

 

[tfw756rider]

I still call them Virgin because the essential features associated with them being called that in the first place are still the same: Pendolinos, Voyagers, overcrowding and eye-watering fares.

Avanti West Coast withdrew its last Voyager on the 14/12/24; they now have Hitachi AT300s alongside the (refurbished) Pendolinos.

 

[Class 466]

Virgin came up in conversation last weekend with family, they were shocked that it didn't exist anymore and included questions like "How do you get to London from Manchester now then?" So began a TED Talk on railway franchising that lasted longer than they probably wanted

 

[xotGD]

In Shrewsbury in 2022 when the West Midlands Railway 196s and Transport for Wales 197s were on testing/training around each other, their crew could be seen wearing London Midland and Arriva Trains Wales hi-vis jackets (they ceased operating in 2017 and 2018 respectively). You couldn't have made it up!

Good.

No reason whatsoever to get rid of perfectly good PPE.