Renaming stations.

[Cherry_Picker]

Really just a spin off from the thread about stations not being in the place from where they take their name. A point was made in the thread that a lot of the examples people were giving only exist because the outside world has changed a lot since many of these stations and lines were first built. Places that were important 150 years ago have faded, places that nobody had heard of back then have since sprung up and expanded massively, often meaning that there can be some raised eyebrows at the name of a station.

So, my question is this, how often do stations actually get renamed? It happened earlier this year in Croydon where Smitham station was renamed Coulsdon Town to reflect that there is now a busy town called Coulsdon on the land which once surrounded Smitham station, and that Smitham has largely been forgotten about. The only other relatively example I can think of off the top of my head is when Oldbury station was upgraded to an Intercity station and renamed Sandwell & Dudley in the eighties.

I would imagine there are plenty of examples of stations being renamed in the early days of the railway, and flurries of renaming activities post nationalisation, post Beeching and post the Local Government Act in the mid 1970s. Does anybody have any recent/interesting examples?

 

[Blue Pool Halt]

Broadstone in Dorset

2 December 1872Opened ("New Poole Junction")
January 1875Renamed ("Poole Junction")
July 1883Renamed ("Poole Junction & Broadstone")
January 1887Renamed ("Broadstone & New Poole Junction")
15 February 1889Renamed ("Broadstone Junction")
7 July 1929Renamed ("Broadstone (Dorset)")
1956Renamed ("Broadstone")
7 March 1966Closed


Edit : Not recent

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

There's an old thread here which covers similar ground:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36878

 

[ileikcaek]

It always makes me wonder why they don't change the name of Dover Priory Station so just Dover or Dover Central. The priory is so meaningless . It's not even a priory anymore, just a private school.

Once about 8 years ago I remember that a train guard actually called it Dover Central on the P.A. system

 

[Eagle]

Broadstone in Dorset

2 December 1872Opened ("New Poole Junction")
January 1875Renamed ("Poole Junction")
July 1883Renamed ("Poole Junction & Broadstone")
January 1887Renamed ("Broadstone & New Poole Junction")
15 February 1889Renamed ("Broadstone Junction")
7 July 1929Renamed ("Broadstone (Dorset)")
1956Renamed ("Broadstone")
7 March 1966Closed


Edit : Not recent

From the Wikipedia article on Milverton station (built by LNWR on their Leamington Branch):

1844: Leamington;
1854: Warwick (Milverton);
1856: Warwick;
1857: Warwick (Milverton);
1875: Leamington Milverton (Warwick);
1876: Milverton (for Warwick);
1884: Warwick (Milverton);
1952: Leamington Spa (Milverton) for Warwick.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

There's an old thread here which covers similar ground:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36878

Much appreciated, ta.

 

[wintonian]

Very intresting topic.

It always makes me wonder why they don't change the name of Dover Priory Station so just Dover or Dover Central. The priory is so meaningless . It's not even a priory anymore, just a private school.

Once about 8 years ago I remember that a train guard actually called it Dover Central on the P.A. system

Dover Dockyard?

 

[Fred26]

I have a real dislike for stations that incorporate north, south, east or west, ie Welwyn North, Southend East... they're too ambiguous for me. I don't mind Central though, ie Southend Central or Cardiff Central, as that tells me where the town/city centre is located.
I'd love to rename the previous - Welwyn North would become Digswell (I find it hard to believe that this name was rejected by locals) and Southend East would become Southchurch (I know it's in Southend, but I feel Southchurch to be a better name).

 

[Schnellzug]

I have a real dislike for stations that incorporate north, south, east or west, ie Welwyn North, Southend East... they're too ambiguous for me. I don't mind Central though, ie Southend Central or Cardiff Central, as that tells me where the town/city centre is located.
I'd love to rename the previous - Welwyn North would become Digswell (I find it hard to believe that this name was rejected by locals) and Southend East would become Southchurch (I know it's in Southend, but I feel Southchurch to be a better name).

A bit like Hertford North and Hertford East; I suppose it was because they were built by the Great Northern and Great Eastern.

Actually, talking of renaming Stations, Cardiff Central used to be Cardiff General, didn't it.

 

[Wyvern]

Some stations were give the suffix "Central" because they were opened by the Grand Central, if they weren't sufiixed "Victoria."

 

[Oracle]

Ashurst New Forest was renamed from Lyndhurst Road supposedly to encourage people to alight to walk around the Forest although it is arguable that it avoided those not in the know that it is not in Lyndhurst. It's three miles away by A35.

 

[wintonian]

Ashurst New Forest was renamed from Lyndhurst Road supposedly to encourage people to alight to walk around the Forest although it is arguable that it avoided those not in the know that it is not in Lyndhurst. It's three miles away by A35.

I thought it was renamed purely because it was in Ashurst and as you say 3 miles from Lyndhurst leading to people getting off there thinking they were either in Lyndhurst or a short walk away.

 

[HST Power]

I have a real dislike for stations that incorporate north, south, east or west, ie Welwyn North

Yes, I agree. There's something annoying about having to stop at two stations that serve the same town. It seems rather ludicrous to me. I have to stop at Welwyn North a lot, yet the amount of people that actually board is never really that high. Besides, Welwyn Garden City station is bigger.

 

[LE Greys]

Southampton Central started as Southampton West to differentiate it from Southampton Terminus, which was the original station near the docks. It changed to Central in 1934, by which time the town had expanded westwards, so it really was central, then lost the suffix to become just Southampton in 1966 when they closed Terminus. Finally, it regained it when Southampton Airport Parkway opened in 1986.

 

[fairysdad]

If a station was renamed now to something completely different (like the Ashurst New Forest / Lyndhurst Road station rename), would the three-letter code also change with it? I assume it would, but how would this be rolled out effectively?

 

[swt_passenger]

If a station was renamed now to something completely different (like the Ashurst New Forest / Lyndhurst Road station rename), would the three-letter code also change with it? I assume it would, but how would this be rolled out effectively?

Two slightly different examples:

Coulsdon Town (previously Smitham as mentioned by the OP) has become CDN, was SMI.

'Mottisfont and Dunbridge' code remained DBG from when it was plain Dunbridge.

 

[Bedpan]

Yes, I agree. There's something annoying about having to stop at two stations that serve the same town. It seems rather ludicrous to me. I have to stop at Welwyn North a lot, yet the amount of people that actually board is never really that high. Besides, Welwyn Garden City station is bigger.

Welwyn Garden City serves Welwyn Garden City. and Welwyn North serves serves Old Welwyn which is a village to the north of WGC, as well as Digswell, although its to the south east of Welwyn village, so the suffix "North" is wholly inappropriate in terms of direction it should be Welwyn East. (Although it was originally called Welwyn as there was no such place as WGC when it was built). I use Welwyn North if I am travelling on the GN route as parking is less hassle and cheaper than at Stevenage and WGC.

What would be ludicrous would be closing Welwyn North, or for that matter, say Leagrave (as Luton is in the same town and bigger), London Road Guildford, or any number of other stations, as in each case it would be a comparative nightmare for the residents of the respective stations to get there, not only due to the distance involved but also the amount of traffic in the town centres.

 

[thefab444]

Southampton Central started as Southampton West to differentiate it from Southampton Terminus, which was the original station near the docks. It changed to Central in 1934, by which time the town had expanded westwards, so it really was central, then lost the suffix to become just Southampton in 1966 when they closed Terminus. Finally, it regained it when Southampton Airport Parkway opened in 1986.

I think it was actually renamed back to Southampton Central in 1994, when Southampton Parkway (for Southampton Airport) became Southampton Airport (Parkway).

If a station was renamed now to something completely different (like the Ashurst New Forest / Lyndhurst Road station rename), would the three-letter code also change with it? I assume it would, but how would this be rolled out effectively?

I'm not sure what the CRS (3 letter and used for booking purposes) code for Lyndhurst Road was, but I would hazard a guess at LYR. As these codes can be used by the public they are changed fairly promptly and software updated. However, the TIPLOC (up to 7 chars and using for timetabling purposes) code is still LYNDHRD.

 

[Schnellzug]

I'm not sure what the CRS (3 letter and used for booking purposes) code for Lyndhurst Road was, but I would hazard a guess at LYR. As these codes can be used by the public they are changed fairly promptly and software updated. However, the TIPLOC (up to 7 chars and using for timetabling purposes) code is still LYNDHRD.

When were those introduced? They only seem to have come into use with the advent of National Rail Enquiries. Were they used internally before that? If Lyn. Rd was renamed in '97 it may not have had one before.

 

[Buttsy]

Didcot was renamed Didcot Parkway solely on the basis of the huge car park it now has. As it's now called 'Parkway', it does sound as if it is miles away from the place it proports to serve in the way Bristol Parkway and Horwich Parkway are, rather than just a 5 minute walk from the main shopping street.

 

[matchmaker]

Tyndrum Upper was renamed Upper Tyndrum, so as to eliminate any confusion with Tyndrum Lower when RETB tokens were issued.

 

[Buttsy]

Wasn't Marton station originally called Ormesby?

 

[JoeGJ1984]

North Llanrwst station used to be called simply Llanrwst until another station nearer the town centre of Llanrwst was opened in 1989 - the new station is called Llanrwst and the original station was renamed first to Llanrwst North, then North Llanrwst.

 

[142094]

Wasn't Marton station originally called Ormesby?

Ormesby Hall sounds familiar...

 

[MikeWh]

I have a real dislike for stations that incorporate north, south, east or west, ie Welwyn North, Southend East... they're too ambiguous for me. I don't mind Central though, ie Southend Central or Cardiff Central, as that tells me where the town/city centre is located.
I'd love to rename the previous - Welwyn North would become Digswell (I find it hard to believe that this name was rejected by locals) and Southend East would become Southchurch (I know it's in Southend, but I feel Southchurch to be a better name).

The worst examples are where the station's location is wrong relative to other stations with the same town name. Most notably Canterbury East and West would be much simpler if they were renamed South and North respectively. While East Dulwich is actually further North than North Dulwich.

 

[37 418]

They were introduced in the 80s/90s when APTIS came about I think, it's only recently they have been available to the public.

When were those introduced? They only seem to have come into use with the advent of National Rail Enquiries. Were they used internally before that? If Lyn. Rd was renamed in '97 it may not have had one before.