Largest UK Station

[xc170]

Hello all,

Just out of intrest what is the largest station on the UK rail network? Ime guessing its probobly somewhere like London Waterloo or Leeds(?)

Adam

 

[Ilove165's]

I would have thought Clapham Junction seeing as though the old Eurostar platforms are out of passenger use

Sam

 

[j0hn0]

platform-wise at a guess, Euston?

 

[EM2]

How do you define 'largest'?
Number of platforms? Total area?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

In terms of acres, probably Waterloo station (in London) which is something like 25 acres. Waverley station in Edinburgh won't be too far behind.

 

[Bayum]

Yeah thats right. Waverley is the largest outside London, and the largest is Waterloo.

 

[Proud Salopian]

This might be useful in answering the question -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_railway_stations_in_Great_Britain

The busiest railway stations on the British network by annual passenger numbers.

 

[delt1c]

I would have thought Clapham Junction seeing as though the old Eurostar platforms are out of passenger use

Sam

When did clapham Junction have Eurostar platforms?

 

[laseandre]

He means the ones at Waterloo, since Clapham Junction would be bigger now they're out of use.

 

[glynn80]

This might be useful in answering the question -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_railway_stations_in_Great_Britain

The busiest railway stations on the British network by annual passenger numbers.

Problem with those statistics is that they don't include transit passengers at stations. Clapham Junction for example probably sees a lot more passengers than the statistics let on but because they have not bought a ticket from or to Clapham Junction, they are only changing trains there, those passengers do not get included into the stats.

 

[Proud Salopian]

Ah yes, that is true.

Clapham Junction is an absolute beast!

 

[mrcheek]

In terms of number of trains, I cant imagine anything busier than Clapham JUnction.

Im surprised Waverley is so far down the list though.

 

[djw1981]

I guess it is worth that remembering that all lines in to Waverley are only double track, no fast and relief/slow lines here. So for all there are 3 lines from the West, there are actaully only 4 tracks from Haymarket - 2 each way.

 

[TDK]

Ah yes, that is true.

Clapham Junction is an absolute beast!

I read somwhere that Clapham Junction is the busiest train station in the world for train movements.

 

[driver9000]

Waterloo is largest at 24 platforms (including the former Eurostar ones)
Edinburgh Waverley is second largest.

As far as I remember Manchester Piccadilly is busiest for people using the station.

 

[GNERman]

The big ones are London Waterllo, Leeds, Birmingham New Street, Man. Piccadilly and Edinburgh.

 

[P156KWJ]

The big ones are London Waterllo, Leeds, Birmingham New Street, Man. Piccadilly and Edinburgh.

According to NR, London Waterllo is not a station.

 

[Coxster]

I read somwhere that Clapham Junction is the busiest train station in the world for train movements.

Not sure about the world, but certainly Britain. All passenger trains into Waterloo pass through, most Southern services into Victoria pass through, plus the London Overground/Southern services onto the West London Line and occasional freights. As this photo by Steve Upton shows, some of the platform signs boast this. If you believe Wikipedia, Clapham Junction is not only the busiest in Britain - but Europe as a whole. To quote the 'Train Station' page...

"Clapham Junction, in south London, is the busiest by rail traffic, with one train every 13 seconds at peak times (one train every 30 seconds at off-peak times)."

As for the number passengers using the station, I was always under the impression that Waterloo held that title, though I guess the figure I heard may have been calculated prior to Eurostar's move to St Pancras (if it even included international passengers that is!).

In terms of the actual space taken up by a station; this page on the Network Rail website says that title goes to Waterloo, taking up 24.5 acres.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Leeds is the busiest station in England outside London and the second busiest in the UK outside London behind Glasgow Central. I was under the impression that Waterloo was the busiest in the UK. In terms of number of platforms, again Leeds is the largest outside London with 17. Waterloo has 24 platforms, Victoria 19 and Liverpool Street 18. In terms of number of trains, Clapham Junction easily has the beating of allcomers.

 

[90019]

In terms of number of platforms, again Leeds is the largest outside London with 17.

Waverley has 18.
Or 20 if you count that 8 and 9 are split into two (8e, 8w, 9e and 9w).
According to Network Rail, it's the largest station outside London.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

my apologies! i was aware of waverley but failed to include it. I guess i'm just so darn proud of Leeds...

 

[34067James]

In terms of acres, probably Waterloo station (in London) which is something like 25 acres. Waverley station in Edinburgh won't be too far behind.

To me in size I think London Victoria is bigger then Waterloo though that has more platforms, floor size is not as big as Victoria I think plus there is a shopping mall at Victoria Station. Though is Platform 2 at Victoria the longest in the UK? :-?

James

 

[LucaZone]

Id have thought Birmingham New Street would be higher up on that wiki list. There isnt a more central interchange station for the midlands. I thought EVERYTHING went through new street unless it was on the ECML or GWML (discounting southern or scottish networks )

 

[37401]

Birmingham new street as its the UK`s largest interchange station

 

[Proud Salopian]

I thought EVERYTHING went through new street unless it was on the ECML or GWML

:???:

Or the WCML via Nuneaton! Or the Welsh Marches line via Shrewsbury. Or the Midland Mainline... etc etc. You seem to have an odd impression of the size of the network north of Watford Gap!

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

How large is the platform for the channel tunnel?

 

[Spaceflower]

Too many criteria to go on here
1. area or floorspace
2.no. of passengers (would this count connections?)
3. no. of platforms
4. revenue (again what about connections, indirect revenue through refreshment sales, etc)
5. no. of routes
6. quantity and quality of services provided (not train sevices, e.g. accomodation, taxi ranks, parking,etc)
7. other more subjective criteria, e.g regional/national importance, history, cost of building, architecture, etc

Could award points based on each criteria and see which comes out on top, Anyone got a spare 12 months?
Alot can change in 12 months

 

[Voltage]

I read somwhere that Clapham Junction is the busiest train station in the world for train movements.

That is very true. Even there is a sign that says 'Britain's busiest railway station'. Stopping at Clapham Junction on the up line from Earlsfield is a bit of a handful due to the sharp curvature of the line. Because of this most platforms at Clapham Junction have a banner repeater signal.

 

[TGVDUDE]

london waterloo

 

[Waverley125]

IIRC:

Most platforms-Clapham Junction
Most train movements-Clapham Junction
Largest area: Waterloo
Largest Area outside london: Waterloo
Most Passengers (inc. non-alighting): Clapham Junnction
Most Passengers (alight/board only): Waterloo
Largest Area outside london: Edinburgh Waverley
Most passengers out of london (inc. non alighting): Leeds
Most passengers out london (alight/board only): Man Picc