Recent content by Crisps

As we seem to be counting supermarkets close to stations as “facilities”, both Bishop Auckland and Darlington North Road stations have historic Morrison’s stores nearby that were both built on former railway land. The North Road branch dates back to 1980 (I believe it was one of the first...

Darlington arts centre closed a few years ago, a victim of council cuts. I echo what other people have said - a grand Victorian station building in a not-particularly salubrious part of town, with two routes to town that aren’t ideal: a walk either down a busy, fume-filled road or along a less...

Darlington appears to be one of the stations missing out, as the fastest LNER services are reverting back to missing out Darlington (currently only one LNER train per day doesn’t call, and Darlington’s fastest trains to London only call at York), so many journey times to London are increasing. I...

Durham is also 4 (LNER, XC, TPE, Northern), although it’s Northern service is very limited.

A couple of examples in the North East: Darlington: Arriva’s crosstown service 2 has the same route through the town centre in both directions - in via Northgate, out via Tubwell Row and Stonebridge. Most buses in Darlington use this route due to the layout of the town centre and the lack of a...

Does Newcastle count? Although not specifically built as one, the King Edward and High Level bridges essentially form a south-facing turn back loop.

Darlington? I’m sure it’s toilets were accessible from both the main platforms before GNER rebuilt them. I don’t remember wood panelling though.

Another vote for Darlington: there used to be one, but it was a typical diesel-ridden hell-hole that we seemed to be fond of in the North-East - Sunderland and Newcastle both used to have similar hell-holes of their own. It now means whenever you’re walking around the town centre you’re running...

Those of you mentioning Durham - something is FINALLY being done about it - it is being rebuilt over the next couple of years. However, the improvements do nothing about increasing capacity, the bus forecourt will be largely unchanged, meaning the jostling for a stand and sudden dashing over to...

Although I didn’t see the Budget, the local rag is reporting funding has been approved for the redevelopment of Darlington station: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18297708.chancellor-announces-105m-darlington-railway-station-redevelopment-will-funded/

How much of the Shrewsbury area is still semaphore?

It’s nowhere near as bad as just about everything east of Peterborough.

Anderston in Glasgow. You can drive right past it, you can drive right over it, but being in the middle of a motorway junction means the Marriott hotel car park is the best place to go should you have cause to drive there.

Agree with several posts above with the southern approaches to Berwick/Newcastle/Durham, Durham being my favourite railway view of the lot, I always ensure I’m on the eastern side (with the better view at all three but especially of Durham) of the train when passing through. And this might...

You’re not the only one, I’m the same. Pretty doesn’t mean interesting,