Stations next to the beach

[sheff'd victoria]

A great debate started on Twitter a few days ago about travelling to the seaside by train.

This got me wondering which stations, open or closed, and either here in the UK or around the world are nearist to the beach.

Cleethorpes and Dawlish must be good contenders, and what problems did the railway builders at the time have constructing these stations ?

 

[harry42]

Cleethorpes is good.

Skegness not next to the beach but close.

Dawlish line.

Looe (Next to water and the valley line is a causeway over the lake.)

 

[Gwenllian2001]

Barry Island

 

[Buttsy]

Carbis Bay is a short jog down the hill to the beach.
Norman's Bay & Cooden Beach are almost on the sea as well.

 

[Eagle]

Ryde Esplanade is right on the seafront. Ryde Pier Head is several hundred yards out to sea.

 

[cuccir]

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Furness Line and Cumbria Coast Line have a lot very close to the, err, coast! The ones actually on the coast itself are:

Grange-over-Sands
Kent's Bank
Kirkby-in-Furness
Foxfield
Seascale
Sellafield
Braystones
Nethertown
Parton
Flimby

A few of the others are very very very close (Arnside, Askam, Ravenglass, Harrington). Ravenglass in particular should get a special mention, as the beach is down the station access road.

Quite a few of those are next to stretches of coast which are mud-flats/estuarine environments. The station at Seascale is probably the best example of one which is both next to a beach and in a coastal-resort type village.

The whole route is a good example of some of the challenges with coastal rail engineering. In particular, the Whitehaven-Workington stretch runs about half-way up a cliff, hence the slow speed limits!

 

[Colly405]

Severn Beach?

 

[Eagle]

Weymouth is extremely close to the sea (it's literally about 100 yards), but it doesn't feel like it because there are two blocks of buildings between the station and the Esplanade.

 

[dysonsphere]

And of course Blue Anchor and Minehead

 

[Buttsy]

If I remember rightly, Lowestoft is just across the road from the front
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hunstanton was on the prom as well, but is unfortunately no longer with us...

 

[snowball]

Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Penmaenmawr, Llanfairfechan.

 

[swcovas]

Can't get much closer than Ferryside in Carmarthenshire or Llanaber on the Cambrian Coast line. A few others on the Cambrian too such as Barmouth and Borth on the Camb main line.

A walk accross the dunes from Penally station will get you to the beach too.

 

[Old Shire]

Margate

 

[Buttsy]

Weymss Bay

 

[cuccir]

Internationally, the Belgian Coastal Tram must be one of the most interesting beach-side rail services!

 

[Proud Salopian]

Plenty of beach stations on the Cambrian Coast line!

 

[Buttsy]

Weymouth Quay and Folkestone Harbour - both still technically open...

 

[ATW Alex 101]

New Brighton is not too far a walk to the beach, same with St Ives.

 

[The Ham]

Swanage is a gentle stole to the beach.

 

[Hornet]

Morar is close to the beach. Mallaig, Fort William, Oban close to the sea.

 

[MrC]

Lymington Pier - step off the train onto the ferry (almost).

 

[Scotty]

Colwyn Bay

 

[BananaRepublic]

Portsmouth Harbour (Built on a jetty).
Kingwear station (on the quayside)
Dartmouth station - closed (a station that never ever had any railway tracks - linked by a ferry to Kingswear Station across the river)

Stokes Bay - closed (the station was located on a pier out in the Solent and built to connect with a ferry service to the IOW)
Lee-on-the-Solent - closed (ran parallel to and alongside the beach)

Southampton Central when built, was originally situated alongside the waterfront seawall of Southampton Water, but land reclamation in the early 20th century resulted in it now being a quarter of a mile or so, inland from the water.

Southampton Royal Pier - closed (trains ran out on the pier to station at the end).
Another photo here.

Southampton Flying Boat Terminal - closed (Station located on the quayside, built into the Flying Boat airport terminal)
Another photo here.

Dungeness and Lydd-on-Sea Halt. - Both closed.

 

[SussexSpotter]

Seaford, Bishopstone and Newhaven Marine!

 

[bishdunster]

Poole, just the road betwixt it and Holes Bay.

 

[richw]

Falmouth docks has to be a contender. Station overlooks the docks. probably 100 yards as the crow flies to beach (someone built a few hotels in the way), or 200 yards walk

 

[Mojo]

Leigh on Sea is very close to the seafront, as is neighbouring Chalkwell which is almost right on the beach!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chalkwell_railway_station_in_2006.jpg

 

[bicbasher]

Margate.

I would have said Brighton, but when you travel with an elderly person, that short bus ride from the station down the hill changes everything.

 

[sarahj]

Bishsopstone, even has a sign saying Beach. Picture of a sandcastle with a little flag.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

Blackpool Central (Closed)
St Ives
Goodrington Sands (DVR)
Perranporth Beach Halt (Closed)
Golant Halt (Closed to passengers)