Trivia: oldest station with the same rolling stock it had when it opened

[A S Leib]

I was reading a thread from a few years ago which said that the oldest station running with the same rolling stock it had when it opened was Hatton Cross Tube station, opening in 1975 with 1973 Stock (it seems to have taken a few more years for the last 1959 Stock to leave the Piccadilly, but I'd still say it counts). Once the 2024 Stock's in service, what will the record holder, or likely one, depending on future changes, be?

The website I use for chronological (re)openings goes back to 1993 with the start of the Robin Hood line, which I doubt is the winner. Even if Newstead and Hucknall weren't excluded for being reopenings, services there that year seem to have been 150s or 153s (I think), neither of which are on that line now. I don't know off the top of my head whether any of the Scottish stations listed nearer the bottom – Wallyford, Sanquhar, Prestwick, Camelon, Dalgety Bay, Drumfrochar – have gone more or less thirty years with the same stock, or if anywhere beats them.

A related question I have is which rolling stock precedes stations it regularly calls at by the longest (for argument's sake, excluding heritage railways and long-preserved cases like the Isle of Man or Blackpool's older trams). I'll open the bidding with (I think) 31 years between 156s entering service and Warrington West* opening, but I don't know when they first started on that line specifically.

*unlike Horden, no confusion over whether reopenings count

 

[Kite159]

A related question I have is which rolling stock precedes stations it regularly calls at by the longest (for argument's sake, excluding heritage railways and long-preserved cases like the Isle of Man or Blackpool's older trams). I'll open the bidding with (I think) 31 years between 156s entering service and Warrington West* opening, but I don't know when they first started on that line specifically.

Okehampton Interchange, served by 150s (along with other units)?

I don't know off the top of my head whether any of the Scottish stations listed nearer the bottom – Wallyford, Sanquhar, Prestwick, Camelon, Dalgety Bay, Drumfrochar – have gone more or less thirty years with the same stock, or if anywhere beats them.

Out of those Scottish stations, the only one which doesn't have modern (ish) stock call is Sanquhar with 156s. Although I've got no clue how long the 156s have been on the Glasgow - Dumfries - Carlisle line, and if it opened with some older trains which have since been replaced.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There must be a Northern station still with 150s that had them when it (re-)opened. Lostock (Parkway) perhaps?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

There must be a Northern station still with 150s that had them when it (re-)opened. Lostock (Parkway) perhaps?

The OP's example of Warrington West works.

 

[Farigiraf]

A related question I have is which rolling stock precedes stations it regularly calls at by the longest (for argument's sake, excluding heritage railways and long-preserved cases like the Isle of Man or Blackpool's older trams). I'll open the bidding with (I think) 31 years between 156s entering service and Warrington West* opening, but I don't know when they first started on that line specifically.

Also 31 years between class 158s entering service and Bow Street opening. 40 years between class 150/1s entering service and Okehampton Interchange opening, or longer if you count the initial prototypes.

Not sure if I have my dates correct but 1976-2023 (47 years) would make Inverness Airport, served by HSTs, a winner by a substantial margin. Though if it manages to open before the 398s are fully rolled out then Butetown will get 2nd place.

These are great questions for a trivia thread as the answer changes every few years - e.g. Maghull North with class 507s would've been a good contender for a while.

I was reading a thread from a few years ago which said that the oldest station running with the same rolling stock it had when it opened was Hatton Cross Tube station, opening in 1975 with 1973 Stock (it seems to have taken a few more years for the last 1959 Stock to leave the Piccadilly, but I'd still say it counts). Once the 2024 Stock's in service, what will the record holder, or likely one, depending on future changes, be?

The website I use for chronological (re)openings goes back to 1993 with the start of the Robin Hood line, which I doubt is the winner. Even if Newstead and Hucknall weren't excluded for being reopenings, services there that year seem to have been 150s or 153s (I think), neither of which are on that line now. I don't know off the top of my head whether any of the Scottish stations listed nearer the bottom – Wallyford, Sanquhar, Prestwick, Camelon, Dalgety Bay, Drumfrochar – have gone more or less thirty years with the same stock, or if anywhere beats them.

The Sheffield Supertram is still running the same trams since opening, totalling 32 years (1994-2026), and they'll definitely be at least 35 by the time they're replaced.

Were Streethouse, Featherstone and Pontefract Tanshelf served by 150s when reopened in 1992? Same question for the Aberdare branch stations.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

A related question I have is which rolling stock precedes stations it regularly calls at by the longest (for argument's sake, excluding heritage railways and long-preserved cases like the Isle of Man or Blackpool's older trams). I'll open the bidding with (I think) 31 years between 156s entering service and Warrington West* opening, but I don't know when they first started on that line specifically.

There were 36 years between the opening of Meridian Water and the introduction of the 317s that served it exclusively.

 

[Kite159]

There were 36 years between the opening of Meridian Water and the introduction of the 317s that served it exclusively.

Other than the very occasional 379 when they ended up on stopping services

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Other than the very occasional 379 when they ended up on stopping services

I knew someone would say that. They started becoming very regular on the Meridian Water shuttles once the 745s started coming in, but not before that.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Wednesday at 20:43 ==

37 years between the opening of the Ashington line stations and the oldest 158s.

 

[birchesgreen]

The OP's example of Warrington West works.

It does? Why? It opened in 2019.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It does? Why? It opened in 2019.

Because in the second part of the opening post, the opening poster mentions his interest in new stations where the stock serving them has been considerably older.

 

[A S Leib]

A third question

 

[Paul AC]

I offer Derby Castle to Groudle Glen on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man, opened in 1893 and still worked by vehicles built for the railway's opening.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I offer Derby Castle to Groudle Glen on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man, opened in 1893 and still worked by vehicles built for the railway's opening.

excluding heritage railways and long-preserved cases like the Isle of Man or Blackpool's older trams

 

[norbitonflyer]

Have 170s always worked the Borders Line?

 

[dgl]

Further to the original question, what if we extended the question to include heritage lines? I bet Norden on the Swanage Railway could be in with a shout, there was never a station there originally and was built essentially as a park and ride as part of being allowed to extend the railway back to Corfe Castle. Being that Corfe Castle is not built for loads of cars.

Not sure what rolling stock/locos SR would have had when Norden opened that is still in service now.

 

[A S Leib]

A third question

That didn't save correctly; that was meant to be

A third question I have is what the youngest station with none of its original rolling stock is. That feels easier to answer. I don't know whether Meridian Water (opened 2019) and Lea Bridge (2016) were exclusively served by 315s or 317s, but it definitely couldn't have been 720s. Maghull North (2018) has seen Merseyrail change to 777s, and Wood Lane (Tube) opened in 2008 with the change from C69 and C77 to S7 Stock being 2012-14.

 

[EYFanatic]

What about the Central Tramway in Scarbrados? Whilst the bodies have been replaced, their online history suggests that the frames and underparts are still the same from opening

 

[Farigiraf]

That didn't save correctly; that was meant to be

A third question I have is what the youngest station with none of its original rolling stock is. That feels easier to answer. I don't know whether Meridian Water (opened 2019) and Lea Bridge (2016) were exclusively served by 315s or 317s, but it definitely couldn't have been 720s. Maghull North (2018) has seen Merseyrail change to 777s, and Wood Lane (Tube) opened in 2008 with the change from C69 and C77 to S7 Stock being 2012-14.

If we count relocations, then South Shields interchange (opened 2019) beats those, now no longer being served by any Metrocars.

 

[Merle Haggard]

That didn't save correctly; that was meant to be

A third question I have is what the youngest station with none of its original rolling stock is. That feels easier to answer. I don't know whether Meridian Water (opened 2019) and Lea Bridge (2016) were exclusively served by 315s or 317s, but it definitely couldn't have been 720s. Maghull North (2018) has seen Merseyrail change to 777s, and Wood Lane (Tube) opened in 2008 with the change from C69 and C77 to S7 Stock being 2012-14.

Corby? - I mean the most recent time it re-opened, 2009.

Started with 222s, then went downhill.

Edited to include date.

 

[A S Leib]

What about the Central Tramway in Scarbrados? Whilst the bodies have been replaced, their online history suggests that the frames and underparts are still the same from opening

I was going to mention the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway; that's younger than Scarborough's Central to begin with, and – going off of Wikipedia – it used flat platforms then passenger carriages, and I don't know if the former were used for the latter.

 

[Paul AC]

My offer was in response to the OP's first question, which does NOT exclude the Isle of Man.

 

[A S Leib]

Corby? - I mean the most recent time it re-opened

Started with 222s, then went downhill.

Alloa fits into a similar category, having also been electrified since reopening (as far as I know, there's no diesel passenger services).

Strictly speaking, Workington North, Corfe Castle, and Bishops Lydeard work for the third question. They (re)opened to National Rail services in 2009, 2018 and 2019 using Class 47s, 158s/159s, and 150s, none of which run services there now.

 

[Farigiraf]

Strictly speaking, Workington North, Corfe Castle, and Bishops Lydeard work for the third question. They (re)opened to National Rail services in 2009, 2018 and 2019 using Class 47s, 158s/159s, and 150s, none of which run services there now.

Can also count Sampford Courtenay then. And did Okehampton receive class 150, 158 or 166 trains during the summer specials, or was it HST operated?

 

[midland1]

I offer Derby Castle to Groudle Glen on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man, opened in 1893 and still worked by vehicles built for the railway's opening.

The Talyllyn Railway 1865 still have some of the 1865 buildings and still worked by the first locos and rolling stock.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Have 170s always worked the Borders Line?

I'm sure I've done it in a 158.

 

[D6130]

I'm sure I've done it in a 158.

Aye.... it's been a mixter-maxter of 158s and 170s since opening in 2015.

 

[Doomotron]

By no means the oldest, but Stratford International has been served exclusively by 395s since it opened.

 

[43010]

Can also count Sampford Courtenay then. And did Okehampton receive class 150, 158 or 166 trains during the summer specials, or was it HST operated?

In my experience, the Summer Sunday trains to Sampford Courtenay and Okehampton were operated by class 150s, but I am unsure if that was always the case. An HST operated a charter train from Okehampton to London Paddington on 18 March 2017, however this suffered wheel flats on the branch, with a set swap at Exeter St Davids.

 

[Kite159]

In my experience, the Summer Sunday trains to Sampford Courtenay and Okehampton were operated by class 150s, but I am unsure if that was always the case. An HST operated a charter train from Okehampton to London Paddington on 18 March 2017, however this suffered wheel flats on the branch, with a set swap at Exeter St Davids.

I've had 153s & 143s on the summer Sunday services before they disappeared.

 

[birchesgreen]

Because in the second part of the opening post, the opening poster mentions his interest in new stations where the stock serving them has been considerably older.

oh ok, just that the reply was to the first question. Maybe this thread should just stick to one