Train or Railway Station?

[RogerB]

Following a discussion elsewhere, does the team think the place a train stops should be called a "Train Station" or a "Railway Station"?

Applies to the UK only please.

 

[Llanigraham]

Personally I have found it a very regional thing, so does it matter, as long as everyone knows what you mean?

 

[jopsuk]

Where's the "not this tiresome, circular debate that gets people angry over frankly very little" option?

 

[RogerB]

It's only recently I've heard the term "Train Station". "Station" on its own always referred to the railway station.

 

[starrymarkb]

Oh not again! Language changes - Pedants need to deal with it!

 

[RogerB]

Where's the "not this tiresome, circular debate that gets people angry over frankly very little" option?

Not a debate as such, just curious.

 

[OxtedL]

What you will find is that a very large number of people don't really mind - the poll would have been better with an 'either' option.

 

[ainsworth74]

Agreed I would have voted neither

 

[RogerB]

^^
So what would you call it?

 

[Johnny_w]

to be fair - either.

I've always refer to it as Railway though

 

[EM2]

Neither, as far as I'm concerned. It's a station. Any other use of 'station' gets a qualifier.

 

[RogerB]

^^
That's my take, perhaps it's an age thing too?

I expect the next thing to come along will be the "Fire Engine Station"

 

[DarloRich]

Railway Station. Any decent Englishman knows that to be true. No further discussion is required.

 

[prod_pep]

Usually just 'station' but if pushed, I'd add 'railway'. You often hear 'train station' around these parts but it's really not a big issue either way.

 

[DarloRich]

Usually just 'station' but if pushed, I'd add 'railway'. You often hear 'train station' around these parts but it's really not a big issue either way.

it is a big issue - it is just another example of the lazy Americanisation of our language and culture.

 

[ainsworth74]

^^
So what would you call it?

Sorry meant either Though I do often use 'station'.

 

[RogerB]

I suppose my question should have been 'suppose you were a stranger in town and asked a passerby'

"Where's the Station please?"

Passerby: "Which station?"

You "Railway...... (or) "Train......... station" ?

 

[6Gman]

it is a big issue - it is just another example of the lazy Americanisation of our language and culture.

I agree with DarloRich ...


--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I suppose my question should have been 'suppose you were a stranger in town and asked a passerby'

"Where's the Station please?"

Passerby: "Which station?"

You "Railway...... (or) "Train......... station" ?

If somebody asks me the way to the "Train Station" my reply is:

The railway station is that way.

 

[yorkie]

Where's the "not this tiresome, circular debate that gets people angry over frankly very little" option?

You missed it! That option was to not click on the thread!

Anyway, railway for me. But of course I know what train station means. I'd rather a railway station to be called a train station than a full size train to be called a tube train though

 

[HowardGWR]

It's not regional, it's age related. Americanisms take a while to enter our language. When I was young the yank films called it the 'deepoe' (depot).

 

[balne-wonderer]

I've always said Railway Station but had a discussion with a friend who said why is a bus station a bus station but a Railway Station not a train station?

Passes the time....

 

[HowardGWR]

I just remembered something else. When newsreaders used to say 'station' we all knew they meant a railway station, just the same as when they said 'here are the racing results' we know they mean 'horse racing'.

Bus stations did not used to exist. They had bus depots. Only recently have we had the fancy word for draughty place smelling of diesel and urine.

 

[dcsprior]

Personally I have found it a very regional thing

It's not regional, it's age related

I think it is a regional thing:

• "Waverley Train Station" (with quotes) gets 712k results in a google search, "Waverley Railway Station" gets fewer (590k) - a ratio of 1.21:1
• If you call it Edinburgh rather than Waverley then it becomes 255k/10.3k - 24.75:1
• Newcastle 425k / 326k - 1.30:1
• Darlington 165k / 416k - 0.40:1
• York 57.5k / 1,440k - 0.04:1
• Kings Cross 689k/1,310k - 0.53:1

 

[t o m]

Station comes from the Latin word statio, meaning to stand. So you could say that the train stands in the station, therefore train station.

I'm not fussed either way though.

 

[RogerB]

So why don't we have fire engine station?

Would a dentist work in a filling station?

Did Shakespeare write for a Playstation?

Have I had too much wine tonight?

 

[Muzer]

Why don't buses stop at a road station?

 

[GatwickDepress]

I remember told by a very sarcastic grandparent, that it was called a railway station 'cos there were so many engineering works on, calling it a train station would breach the Trade Descriptions Act.

But really, don't care. I prefer railway station, since to me, the railway is always there even if no trains are providing the service (flawed as a diamond, I know) but I certainly won't "correct" anyone for saying train station.

 

[Starmill]

In the majority of my conversation, it's obvious that simply by naming the station I mean the railway station and not the settlement. Where this is not obvious, simply 'station' can be added where necessary (because there is almost zero chance I'm talking about any other type of station! ). I don't generally refer to it as a train station, but if anyone else does, I wouldn't dream of correcting them. I liken it to people who write to supermarkets to tell them that "Five items or less" should really be "Five items or fewer" - even though absolutely nobody could ever misunderstand that.

 

[Searle]

it is a big issue - it is just another example of the lazy Americanisation of our language and culture.

It's called language development, and it's been happening to modern English for roughly 300 years

 

[samuelmorris]

I've slipped up a couple of times and said 'train station', but I know it should really be railway. In reality I just use 'station' so often I don't really think about this much.