TRIVIA: Lines with no closed stations

[nw12398]

As far as I can tell, the Tarka Line, on its current length between Exeter St David's and Barnstaple, has never had a railway station closure. Hence tiny stations like Chapelton and Portsmouth Arms (which also happen to be in what was Tony Speller of Speller Act fame's constituency) still exist. I can't find any lines (or simply stretches of track) that have a similar (or greater) length, number of stations, or age which have never had a station closure. Are there many?

 

[yorksrob]

I don't think the old SER mainline between Redhill and Ashford's had one either

 

[chris_in_salop]

On a related note, I've wondered about the WCML either side of Birmingham New Street. Between Brum and Cov, no stations have closed - in fact with the opening of International - the number of stations has increased. But on the Wolverhampton side, lots of stations have closed over the years - Monument Lane, Winson Green, Soho, Albion, Monmore Green, etc. (Of course Galton Bridge is a new station). Other than just a simple coincidence, I'm not sure why this is!

 

[geoffk]

As far as I can tell, the Tarka Line, on its current length between Exeter St David's and Barnstaple, has never had a railway station closure. Hence tiny stations like Chapelton and Portsmouth Arms (which also happen to be in what was Tony Speller of Speller Act fame's constituency) still exist. I can't find any lines (or simply stretches of track) that have a similar (or greater) length, number of stations, or age which have never had a station closure. Are there many?

A station at Cowley Bridge was constructed in 1848 but never opened, therefore it was never closed! There have been closures on the Cambrian Coast and Far North lines. On the West Highland line to Mallaig, no station north of Whistlefield seems to have been closed. Was there ever a station at Gortan (or Gorton)?

 

[Spaceflower]

Esk Valley - Middlesbrough to Whitby?

Could it even have more now than it ever did?

Are there any tube lines or London overground routes which would comply with the criteria? My knowledge of London is limited to the short walk between the cross and St Pancras and a regularly tired, lambert and latte fuelled trip between Kilburn and High Street Kensington way back in 1998.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Huddersfield to Penistone had Berry Brow closed under Beeching, but then reopened in 1989 on a slightly different site. All other stations have stayed open throughout (barring wartime cuts).
Running through to Barnsley* both Silkstone and Dodworth closed in 1959, but reopened in 1989 (the former as Silkstone Common).
All good through to Meadowhall with Chapeltown only moving without being closed, but then there's Meadowhall itself which serves as a replacement for Brightside but alas not Attercliffe Road.

*= there was also the spur to Barnsley Courthouse station, but that's not on the current route.

 

[krus_aragon]

It's ludicrously short at only three miles or so, but the Llandudno branch still has both of its stations, neither of which ever closed their doors. (Llandudno Junction itself was rebuilt nearby as a larger station many moons ago.)

 

[D6130]

A station at Cowley Bridge was constructed in 1848 but never opened, therefore it was never closed! There have been closures on the Cambrian Coast and Far North lines. On the West Highland line to Mallaig, no station north of Whistlefield seems to have been closed. Was there ever a station at Gortan (or Gorton)?

Glen Douglas, the station North of Whistlefield, also closed in 1964, although the signalbox and passing loop were retained, plus the rail connection into the MOD sidings. With the introduction of RETB in 1988, the box was closed, but the loop remains. Gorton was never a publicly-advertised station, as far as I know, as it had no road access and was only used as a passing place to break up the long Bridge of Orchy-Rannoch section.

 

[M-Train]

The Windsor (GWR) and Greenford branches are still intact.

 

[D6130]

The Portsmouth Direct Line between Woking and Havant.

 

[davetheguard]

The Windsor (GWR) and Greenford branches are still intact.

The GWR's Windsor branch once had a very short-lived station called Chalvey Halt, so doesn't fit the criteria unfortunately.

Slightly further upstream along the Thames, the Henley branch opened with just the one intermediate station at Shiplake, but this was later joined by Wargrave. Both stations remain in use.

 

[matchmaker]

The Kyle line, unless you include the Strathpeffer branch and the relocated Lochluichart station.

 

[Watershed]

As far as I can tell, the Tarka Line, on its current length between Exeter St David's and Barnstaple, has never had a railway station closure. Hence tiny stations like Chapelton and Portsmouth Arms (which also happen to be in what was Tony Speller of Speller Act fame's constituency) still exist. I can't find any lines (or simply stretches of track) that have a similar (or greater) length, number of stations, or age which have never had a station closure. Are there many?

How about Reading to Tonbridge - not currently a through service but there used to be one for many years. AFAIK all of the stations are still open. That'd be 66mi2ch.

Obviously "stretch of track" is perhaps somewhat open to interpretation - I'm including a reversal at Redhill above - so if we continue as far as we can go without reversing, then how about Victoria to Sturry, via Herne Hill, Tonbridge and Ashford. It's a slightly unusual route but it could be used in the event of engineering work diversions. That'd be 74mi64ch.

If we're not bothered about the "stretch of line" being one that could plausibly have a direct service, or being remotely sensible , how about Waterloo to Waterloo via Havant, Hedge End and Basingstoke. That'd be 160mi43ch.

 

[Railsigns]

The Kyle line, unless you include the Strathpeffer branch and the relocated Lochluichart station.

Only if you overlook the closure of Achterneed, Glencarron and Duncraig stations (Duncraig having subsequently reopened).

 

[30907]

How about Reading to Tonbridge - not currently a through service but there used to be one for many years. AFAIK all of the stations are still open. That'd be 66mi2ch.

Obviously "stretch of track" is perhaps somewhat open to interpretation - I'm including a reversal at Redhill above - so if we continue as far as we can go without reversing, then how about Victoria to Sturry, via Herne Hill, Tonbridge and Ashford. It's a slightly unusual route but it could be used in the event of engineering work diversions. That'd be 74mi64ch.

The Chatham main line is OK (allowing like-for-like at Rochester) as far as Shepherd's Well, and the Thanet branch as far as Margate.
In both cases (andd the Sturry one) we ignore the closure of the LCDR platforms at Wandsworth Road and Clapham HS.

 

[D6130]

(andd the Sturry one)

What about Chislet Colliery Halt?

 

[steamybrian]

The Portsmouth Direct Line between Woking and Havant.

Woodcroft Halt between Petersfield and Rowlands Castle was opened and closed during WW2.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Dec 2021 ==

What about Chislet Colliery Halt?

Chislet Colliery Halt (and Grove Ferry) were between Sturry and Minster

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Dec 2021 ==

The Chatham main line is OK (allowing like-for-like at Rochester) as far as Shepherd's Well, and the Thanet branch as far as Margate.
In both cases (andd the Sturry one) we ignore the closure of the LCDR platforms at Wandsworth Road and Clapham HS.

Starting from Victoria
Grosvenor Road closed in 1911,
Battersea Park Road closed in 1916
Swanley Junction was closed in 1939
Rochester Bridge closed 1917

 

[PeterC]

I had thought of the GEML beween Stratford and Colchester but that depends if you count the ECR temporary terminus west of the present Romford Station.

 

[181]

The Portsmouth Direct Line between Woking and Havant.

Woodcroft Halt between Petersfield and Rowlands Castle was opened and closed during WW2.

But north of that you can probably get rather further than Guildford; the original Kingston station just east of the current site of Surbiton is the first closed station that I can think of, and if you count that as a like-for-like replacement, and the original Nine Elms terminus as being off route, I think the line as far as Waterloo would qualify.

In the Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer, the first station between Waterloo and Burnemouth that's not still open appears to be Boscombe, just east of Bournemouth, but I don't know whether there were any other short-lived ones or resitings.

How far into France you can get from St. Pancras without passing through a closed station? That's probably not in the spirit intended by the OP, though, as it would count only on the grounds of distance, not number of stations or age.

 

[Eloise]

Nottingham - Newark Castle?

 

[steamybrian]

But north of that you can probably get rather further than Guildford; the original Kingston station just east of the current site of Surbiton is the first closed station that I can think of, and if you count that as a like-for-like replacement, and the original Nine Elms terminus as being off route, I think the line as far as Waterloo would qualify.

In the Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer, the first station between Waterloo and Burnemouth that's not still open appears to be Boscombe, just east of Bournemouth, but I don't know whether there were any other short-lived ones or resitings.

How far into France you can get from St. Pancras without passing through a closed station? That's probably not in the spirit intended by the OP, though, as it would count only on the grounds of distance, not number of stations or age.

Between Waterloo and Bournemouth closed stations are-
Clapham Common - closed 1863 (between Clapham Jn and Earlsfield)
Kingston- first station closed 1845 (Between Berrylands and Surbiton)
Bramshott Halt- closed 1940s (Farnborough area)
Atlantic Park Hostel Halt- closed in the 1940s rebuilt and reopened as Southampton Airport
Blechynden- closed 1895 (replaced By Southampton Central)

 

[PTR 444]

Between Waterloo and Bournemouth closed stations are-
Clapham Common - closed 1863 (between Clapham Jn and Earlsfield)
Kingston- first station closed 1845 (Between Berrylands and Surbiton)
Bramshott Halt- closed 1940s (Farnborough area)
Atlantic Park Hostel Halt- closed in the 1940s rebuilt and reopened as Southampton Airport
Blechynden- closed 1895 (replaced By Southampton Central)

Also the original Northam (1839-1840) and Portswood (1861-1866).

 

[Kingston Dan]

West Highland Line (at least from Crianlarich) surely?

 

[JohnRegular]

If we're not bothered about the "stretch of line" being one that could plausibly have a direct service, or being remotely sensible , how about Waterloo to Waterloo via Havant, Hedge End and Basingstoke. That'd be 160mi43ch.

As well as others mentioned above, there's also Knowle Halt between Fareham and Botley, which closed in 1964, according to the source of all knowledge, Wikipedia.

Whilst we're in that area, I don't think there are any closed stations on the Netley line (St Denys-Fareham)?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

West Highland Line (at least from Crianlarich) surely?

As mentioned upthread, there was of course Gorton/Gortan station in the middle of Rannoch Moor. Effectively a private station for the railway folk that lived/worked there.

On the Oban branch, there was a now closed station/halt at Ach-na-Cloich (between Taynuilt and Connel Ferry).

 

[leytongabriel]

Esk Valley - Middlesbrough to Whitby?

Could it even have more now than it ever did?

Are there any tube lines or London overground routes which would comply with the criteria? My knowledge of London is limited to the short walk between the cross and St Pancras and a regularly tired, lambert and latte fuelled trip between Kilburn and High Street Kensington way back in 1998.

The Victoria line hasn't had any station closures.
What about some of the Cornish branch lines?

 

[backontrack]

Has anyone mentioned the Lakes Line yet?

Windermere - Staveley - Burneside - Kendal - Oxenholme Lake District. No closed stations there.

 

[181]

West Highland Line (at least from Crianlarich) surely?

As mentioned upthread, there was of course Gorton/Gortan station in the middle of Rannoch Moor. Effectively a private station for the railway folk that lived/worked there.

It appears that the northernmost permanent and unquestionably public station on the current route* to have been closed was Whistlefield, to the north of which were:

Glen Douglas: 'precise details of naming and use are debated', but it appear to have been public for at least part of its history.
Inveruglas: temporary and private during hydro-electric construction works in 1945-8.
Glen Falloch Halt: appears to have been similar to Inveruglas.
Gorton: private for railway staff.
Fersit: temporary and private during hydro-electric construction works in 1931-5.

*I.e. not incuding the original Fort William station, or Banavie Pier.

Does anyone know of any more?

(Source: mostly Wikipedia, but I haven't investigated it exhaustively; some things I knew anyway from various sources).

 

[nw12398]

The Victoria line hasn't had any station closures.
What about some of the Cornish branch lines?

I checked the Cornish branch lines - the Par-Newquay Atlantic Coast Line appears to have had one closure - at St Blazey near Par. The St Ives, Maritime (Falmouth) and Looe Valley lines appear to have had none, although they are all much shorter than the Tarka Line example. The Tamar Valley line is of course partly in Cornwall, but it has one closed station on the present route - Tamerton Foliot.

 

[London Trains]

Another question could be which lines have had no station closures and the most new stations (stations being resited is fine).

I would take a guess at the Wimbledon to West Croydon line, with the conversion to Tramlink adding 6 more stops to the original 6 when it was a railway line.

Original Stations:
Merton Park
Morden Road
Mitcham
Mitcham Junction
Beddington Lane
Waddon Marsh

New Tram Stops:
Dundonald Road
Phipps Bridge
Belgrave Walk
Therapia Lane
Ampere Way
Wandle Park