Station Name Changes

[Railjet]

That's an interesting question. When did "Parkways" start? What, exactly, is one? I can see why an airport may be given a Parkway name, but Horwich? Buckshaw?

Bristol Parkway was the first (purpose-built) one, wasn't it? Opened in 1972 according to Wikipedia.

Originally, a station built where there was good road access (usually a motorway exit nearby) and with extensive parking facilities to encourage car drivers to transfer to trains without having to go into a city to do so.

 

[MCR247]

No-one seems to have told South West Trains (who stop at BXW during peak hours Mon-Fri). All of their timetables and network maps still have Boxhill rather than Box Hill. Some Southern publicity e.g. here: http://www.southernrailway.com/your-journey/station-information/BXW/ still uses the old name.

It is Boxhill, it was changed from Box Hill

 

[reb0118]

Dunfermline (DFE)(formerly Dunfermline Lower) was renamed Dunfermline Town when Dunfermline Queen Margaret (DFL) was opened.

 

[jrhilton]

In addition to the Box Hill that I suggested earlier, keeping on the SWT suburban route, New Malden and Surbiton have also had their names changed quite a few times over the years too!

New Malden has had 5 changes (Malden>New Malden and Coombe>Coombe and Malden>Malden for Coombe>Malden>New Malden), and Surbiton has had three name changes I think (Kingston>[station moved 1/2 mile]Kingston Junction>Surbiton and Kingston>Surbiton).

Also, Esher was opened as Ditton Marsh, Walton-on-Thames opened as Walton for Hersham, Byfleet and New Haw opened as West Weybridge, and Woking was originally Woking Common I believe.

All of these were decades ago, so don't count in terms of the original question posted, but are good bits of trivia I suppose.

 

[Helvellyn]

Penrith might as well be renamed "Penrith North Lakes" the amount of times it's reffered to that in announcements (or is that an old name?)

I think it was renamed in the early 2000s. One proposal, if I recall correctly, was to rename the station Penrith for the Eden valley and North Lakes, but Penrith The North Lakes won out.

I'm surprised Oxenholme The Lake District wasn't renamed Oxenholme The South Lakes at the same time.


And on the Parkway theme, I don't get why it's now Southampton Airport (Parkway), almost like they are saying it's for the airport, and we have a car park too as an afterthought.

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

It is Boxhill, it was changed from Box Hill

Er no, definitely the other way round. Southern installed the new signage in 2006 after consulting with local residents. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Box_hill_and_westhumble_station_2007.JPG . The former NSE signs had Boxhill.

 

[jrhilton]

The former NSE signs had Boxhill.

Funny enough I think the NSE sign on the tall post with the BR points logo in the carpark is still there and still says just "Boxhill", and directly under it is the new(ish) Southern Sign saying "Box Hill and Westhumble Station"

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

Funny enough I think the NSE sign on the tall post with the BR points logo in the carpark is still there and still says just "Boxhill", and directly under it is the new(ish) Southern Sign saying "Box Hill and Westhumble Station"

I was last there around May bank holiday time (visiting Box Hill not Boxhill) and, yes, I think you're right I do remember seeing the old BR logo and last remaining Boxhill name looking very faded!

If I remember correctly, one of the motivations for Southern wanting to change it was that Boxhill was occasionally confused with Bexhill (East Sussex). (Apart from the fact that the hill has never been called Boxhill!)

 

[142094]

This is similar to what I posted on another thread about the different languages on signs - all I see is that this would be wasted money. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

This is similar to what I posted on another thread about the different languages on signs - all I see is that this would be wasted money. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Some are for the better though, note Fambridge and Woodham Ferrers, but some like Penrith and Tewkesbury seem utterly pointless.

 

[PR1Berske]

Its meant to have vast car park(s), arent they? Strange on the Preston-Bolton, you will soon have 3 parkways in 6 stations: Buckshaw, Horwich and Lostock

It's not Lostock Parkway quite yet

Anyway, it should, imho, be a station further down the line as "Lostock Junction" or somesuch to allow for traffic to go to/from Wigan and well as to/from Chorley, but that's for another thread......

 

[dk1]

Staff still refer to Harwich Int'l as Parkeston Quay.

Back in the late 80s BR re-named Wroxham 'Hoveton & Wroxham' to better reflect its location. This however was quite daft as not only is Wroxham the better known of the two but caused much confusion as it went from W to H alphabetically in timetables causing many to think the station had closed. Those in the industry suggested Wroxham for Hoveton but this fell on deaf ears.

 

[thefab444]

When did Parkways come about (ie. Didcot?). Soton Airport's good too: It was just Airport, then Airport Parkway, and now Soton Airport (Parkway) or something like that

Well, originally it was Southampton Airport, then Southampton Parkway (for Southampton Airport) when the carpark was added, and then Southampton Airport (Parkway). It's often written as Southampton Airport Parkway though. I imagine the reason for the brackets is to show that it is not a parkway station for the airport (which is next door), but a station for the airport which also has a large car park for rail users.

Mottisfont & Dunbridge was previously Dunbridge, prior to that Mottisfont Dunbridge, and before that Dunbridge again!

 

[PR1Berske]

The story - urban myth? - has it that Leyland used to be "Golden Hill" until workers missing the stop asked for it to be renamed......

 

[BlythPower]

Didn't Boldon Colliery become Brockley Whins at some point?

 

[cuccir]

'Cark & Cartmel' (CAK) is often just known as 'Cark'; at least, that's what the signs at the station say. Not sure if that was ever a name change or just confusion? Northern Rail say Cark, National Rail say Cark & Cartmel. To add to the confusion, the village of Cark is often called 'Cark-in-Cartmell', Cartmel being both a village and the peninsula; so you often here it called 'Cark-in-Cartmel station'

 

[PR1Berske]

'Cark & Cartmel' (CAK) is often just known as 'Cark'; at least, that's what the signs at the station say. Not sure if that was ever a name change or just confusion? Northern Rail say Cark, National Rail say Cark & Cartmel. To add to the confusion, the village of Cark is often called 'Cark-in-Cartmell', Cartmel being both a village and the peninsula; so you often here it called 'Cark-in-Cartmel station'

That's one I noticed, there seemed to be a definate switch from "Cark and Cartmel" to just "Cark". Some Preston announcers still say "Cark and Cartmel", I wonder if they're just old school types who don't like change?

It's odd that the station name plates say just "Cark", though, if they're any definate guide then that must be the station name....?

 

[jrhilton]

Another one to add that has changed over the years is Elstree & Borehamwood.

Elstree>Elstree and Borehamwood>Elstree & Borehamwood>Elstree>Elstree & Borehamwood.

Well over due for another minor change I think :roll:

 

[Matt Taylor]

Portsmouth Harbour station really needs renaming Portsmouth Gunwharf as the Gunwharf shopping mall (adjacent to the station) has increased usage by around 400% since 2005. Portsmouth & Southsea could be renamed Portsmouth Central as Southsea is nowhere near the station.

 

[rob-of-the-roc]

I think Birchington in Kent gained the 'on-Sea' suffix along with another in the past few years.

Birchington-on-Sea and Westgate-on-Sea have had these names since the 1870s

 

[Mojo]

Walton-on-Naze was renamed to Walton-on-the-Naze in 2007 to reflect the name of the place it serves.

 

[Greenback]

Portsmouth Harbour station really needs renaming Portsmouth Gunwharf as the Gunwharf shopping mall (adjacent to the station) has increased usage by around 400% since 2005. Portsmouth & Southsea could be renamed Portsmouth Central as Southsea is nowhere near the station.

I never understood why Southsea was in the title at al!

 

[PR1Berske]

There must be a parish council somewhere having a whinge....

 

[adc82140]

I'm sure I remember Southampton becoming Southampton Central sometime in the 1990s.

Many years ago, Winchfield was Shapley Heath, and Fleet was Fleet Pond, as the actual town at the time was some distance away.

 

[exiled eagle]

"Highbridge and Burnham" in Somerset was originally Highbridge, then split into Highbridge East and Highbridge West, then "Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea", then "Highbridge" before the current "Highbridge and Burnham"

 

[dcmbarton]

I think that what's now Wembley Stadium was Wembley Complex in the 1980s (I've got a feeling it was something else before that). I'm in favour of going back to Wembley Complex as it's far more representative of all that's there (i.e. not just the stadium).

 

[W-on-Sea]

Yes, and before it was Wembley Complex it was Wembley Hill (and at one time there was a separate station specifically for the Stadium on a loop line).

Stepney East became Limehouse in 1987 when the DLR opened up nextdoor (and I guess as a bit of neighhourhood rebranding in a look-away-from-the-tower-blocks-and-main-roads, instead-look-to-the-river sort of way. And Lower Edmonton became Edmonton Green sometime a bit later, I imagine for broadly similar reasons.

 

[mr williams]

Staff still refer to Harwich Int'l as Parkeston Quay.

and isn't its three letter code still HPQ?

 

[WatcherZero]

GMEX became Deansgate-Castlefield last week.

 

[welshdragon]

Ystrad Rhondda station was renamed Ton Pentre in 1987, with a new Ystrad Rhondda station opened a mile or so further south, together with the cretation of a passing loop allowing for the introduction of a 30-minute interval service between Treherbert and Cardiff.
Abercynon North station on the Aberdare branch was opened in 1987, with the previously-named Abercynon (located on the Merthyr branch) being renamed Abercynon South. With the rebuilding of the Abercynon area some 2-3 years ago, Abercynon North was closed, with Abercynon South being renamed Abercynon and incorporating facilities for both the Aberdare and Merthyr branch.