Stations that should be more important than they are?

[southern442]

My local station is Norbury, I haven't compared usage figures but it seems that on a typical Victoria-Sutton or Caterham train that about a quarter to a third of the people get off there. Once we have all got off at Norbury there are quite a few seats available!

 

[CarltonA]

Barnstaple deserves a mention, once Barnstaple Junction and receiving direct express services from Waterloo. It is now a single platform at the end of a fairly quiet branch. The other two platforms are now without track and the footbrige removed. The Ilfracombe branch is gone and no more "Withered Arm" system via Braunton/Halwill Junc.

 

[first_ade]

Wakefield Kirkgate seems that it used to be much more important than it is now.
As does Hellifield

Hellifield is a superb station that is aching to have new life breathed into it, especially as it is still a junction station still albeit for limited services

 

[Train jaune]

Love Hellifield, seems like lots of platforms sat in the middle of the fells with hardly a house in sight

 

[RichmondCommu]

Love Hellifield, seems like lots of platforms sat in the middle of the fells with hardly a house in sight

Lots of platforms? There's only two! Up until the 1960's the station also had two bay platforms but these are now long gone. There was much more to Hellifield than just the station; there was a substantial loco shed that was rebuilt by the LMS and two busy goods yards. In fact for a short while in the 1960's the loco shed housed a few locos which had been saved for the nation.

 

[Welshman]

Lots of platforms? There's only two! Up until the 1960's the station also had two bay platforms but these are now long gone. There was much more to Hellifield than just the station; there was a substantial loco shed that was rebuilt by the LMS and two busy goods yards. In fact for a short while in the 1960's the loco shed housed a few locos which had been saved for the nation.

Not only was Hellifield an important centre because of the loco shed and goods yards, it was also the junction for the Ribble Valley line to Blackburn and Manchester.

In its heyday, it was also the point where the Midland expresses from London St Pancras to Glasgow/ Edinburgh and vv. stopped for the passengers to partake of lunch in the railway refreshment rooms - hence the lavish facilities for what is really a small village.

Perhaps rather than in the "stations which should be more important they they are now" category, Hellifield lies more accurately, like Normanton further south on the ex-Midland main line, in the "stations which were more important than they are now" category.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Perhaps the extended Hellifield to Clitheroe part of the services that will now be continuing to run through the winter months for this coming period offers a brief glimmer of hope for the future of this to continue.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Perhaps rather than in the "stations which should be more important they they are now" category, Hellifield lies more accurately, like Normanton further south on the ex-Midland main line, in the "stations which were more important than they are now" category.

Do I sense the advent of a new thread ?

 

[Welshman]

Considering the widespread closure of goods yards, engine-sheds, branch lines, junctions, and the general rationalisation of the network and infrastructure from the 1930s onwards, it could be a very large thread!

 

[RichmondCommu]

Considering the widespread closure of goods yards, engine-sheds, branch lines, junctions, and the general rationalisation of the network and infrastructure from the 1930s onwards, it could be a very large thread!

A similar thread was created by myself a few months back although it may have now been closed by the moderators. Lots of very interesting posts and a real education in railway history.

 

[Welshman]

A similar thread was created by myself a few months back although it may have now been closed by the moderators. Lots of very interesting posts and a real education in railway history.

My apologies - I see I even made three contributions to the thread!

 

[MK Tom]

I think a few of these posts have wandered more towards ''were more important than they are'' rather than ''should be more important than they are''.