Trivia: Potentially confusing journeys between two stations sounding the same

[iharding]

I've been sold a ticket to Farncombe when Farnborough was requested.
Potential for either of the above to be confused with Farnham.

The only reason I wasn't sold a ticket to Great Yarmouth when requesting Yarmouth Isle of Wight (not rail connected, but through tickets available via Lymington and Wightlink ferry) was because I queried the higher price and was told my Network Card didn't apply.

On another occasion a booking clerk was surprised to be asked for a ticket to Yarmouth because he knew the station closed in 1952!

 

[anti-pacer]

Hinckley to Hindley
Horsham to Horsforth
Weeton to Whitton
Shipley to Shepley
Brigg to Drigg
Aston to Ashton (under Lyne)
Clapton to Clacton

Back in 1993 I witnessed someone on the Norwich-Liverpool Lime Street train looking rather confused after we left. It seems he thought he was on the "Liverpool Street" train. Needless to say he had to get off at Peterborough and head to King's Cross.

When I did my ALR back in April, I noticed in Norwich station that the Liverpool Lime Street trains were showing as "Lime Street Liverpool" on the destination monitors. I'm therefore guessing this has caused problems on more than a few occasions.

EDIT: Just noticed JCollins mentioned the above on his post.

 

[imagination]

I once had someone at a ticket office spend 5 minutes trying to convince me that I wanted a ticket to Mitcham Junction when I asked for a ticket to Midgham. Might have made sense if I was somewhere around the South London area but this was from Reading.

 

[Ianno87]

I once had someone at a ticket office spend 5 minutes trying to convince me that I wanted a ticket to Mitcham Junction when I asked for a ticket to Midgham. Might have made sense if I was somewhere around the South London area but this was from Reading.

A former colleague regularly flummoxed the FGW staff at Paddington by pre-buying her train ticket home to Goring-by-Sea (rather than their more familiar Goring & Streatley)

 

[Parallel]

Kings Norton to Kings Nympton
Brighton to Albrighton
Swindon to Swinton (EDIT: already been mentioned)
Portsmouth Harbour or Southsea to Portsmouth Arms
Chapelton to Chapeltown
Pensarn to Abergele and Pensarn. (Edit: already said)
Filton Abbey Wood to Abbey Wood
Lymington Town or Pier and Lympstone and Leamington
Talsarnau and Tonfanau. Bizarrely, I once asked a guard for a ticket from Pensarn to Talybont and got sold one to Talsarnau!
Cholsey and Chorley
Church Fenton and Church Stretton
Keynsham and Keyham
Bucknell and Hucknall
Hopton Heath and Haywards Heath
Newcourt and either of the Newport stations
Westbury and Wrenbury
Bridgend (Pen-y-Bont) and Pen-y-Bont
Lapford and Lapworth
Layton and Leyton Midland Road and Leyland
Mill Hill and Mill Hill Broadway
Penryn and Penrith

Appley Bridge and Apperley Bridge just seem set to confuse.

 

[Deepgreen]

Penrith to Penarth. Also wonder how many tourists turn up at Abbey Road DLR wanting to see the studios!

Very many, is the answer there!

 

[adrock1976]

Another one from me:

Spring Road (Birmingham)
Springburn (Glasgow)
Springfield (Fife)

 

[Smelly_Diesel]

Green Lane And Green Road

 

[father_jack]

About once a month some American navy bloke travelling from Bristol TM to Filton Abbey Wood will come up to question why he paid $65 to get to "Abbey Wood"............

People with golf bags have been known to turn up at St Andrews Road after asking for St Andrews in Scotland, served by Leuchars.

 

[jhy44]

Northfield - Northfields.

I once asked for a ticket to Northfield at Wigan North Western to be quoted a monstrous fare almost double what I was expecting, to realise he'd made this confusion.

 

[MK Tom]

I've known several people confuse Wolverton with Wolverhampton before now.

 

[lewisf]

Worcester Park to Worcester Shrub Hill/Foregate Street

 

[JamesRowden]

Dunton Green to Dumpton Park
Martins Heron to Martin Mill
Tadworth to Tamworth

 

[button_boxer]

Obvious scope for confusion between Liverpool Lime St and London Liverpool St.

I remember travelling (north) from Stansted Airport back in the days when there was a through Liverpool service from there, seeing departure boards offering services to

London Liv St
Liverpool L St

At an airport station with people just off a flight, where English is not their first language...

 

[DelayRepay]

Not sure if this counts but my friend who was supposed to be visiting me in St Albans ended up in St Neots. I am still not sure how he managed that but at least it's not too far!

I had to pick him up in the car so am glad he did not choose St Andrews or St Austell!

 

[hassaanhc]

Herne Hill and Herne Bay. Southeastern serve both from Victoria, although I believe there are no direct services between the two

 

[Dr_Paul]

I've been told that Aldersgate was renamed Barbican because people were confusing it with Aldgate; I don't know if that's true.

 

[Envy123]

Old Street to Old Hill.
Hatfield (Herts) to Hatfield Perevel or Hatfield & Stainworth.

 

[Trog]

Was there a story on here once about American tourists saving themselves the journey across London by catching the train to Central station on the south side of their destination town rather than Castle station on the north?

 

[IanD]

Was there a story on here once about American tourists saving themselves the journey across London by catching the train to Central station on the south side of their destination town rather than Castle station on the north?

If there was a thread about confusing posts rather than stations then that one would be at home.

 

[Trog]

If there was a thread about confusing posts rather than stations then that one would be at home.

I would have thought you would have been aware of the town of Hampton as the north side of it with Castle Station is not that far from Newport Pagnell.

 

[Matt_pool]

Also wonder how many tourists turn up at Abbey Road DLR wanting to see the studios!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20431978

 

[Ianno87]

I would have thought you would have been aware of the town of Hampton as the north side of it with Castle Station is not that far from Newport Pagnell.

To be fair, your post was written a bit like a cryptic crossword clue (but I get it now, at least)

 

[Steelwheels]

Moreton (Mersey) to Moreton (in the Marsh)

 

[fairysdad]

To be fair, your post was written a bit like a cryptic crossword clue (but I get it now, at least)

... at least someone does... :-?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Moreton (Mersey) to Moreton (in the Marsh)

Or indeed Moreton (Dorset)!

 

[Calthrop]

Moreton (Mersey) to Moreton (in the Marsh)

Or indeed Moreton (Dorset)!

To say nothing of -- until 1958 -- Moreton-on-Lugg...

 

[Bedpan]

Was there a story on here once about American tourists saving themselves the journey across London by catching the train to Central station on the south side of their destination town rather than Castle station on the north?

I've tried to puzzle this one out a few times over the last 6 weeks and I'm completely stumped! Presumably nothing to do with Leeds as there's no Leeds Castle station. Similarly there's no Dunrobin Central, Elephant and Central, Rowlands Central or Newark Central - I can't think of anywhere else with "Castle" at the end of the station name.

 

[IanD]

I've tried to puzzle this one out a few times over the last 6 weeks and I'm completely stumped! Presumably nothing to do with Leeds as there's no Leeds Castle station. Similarly there's no Dunrobin Central, Elephant and Central, Rowlands Central or Newark Central - I can't think of anywhere else with "Castle" at the end of the station name.

He did explain it a while back. It was Southampton and Northampton, the latter of which's station was called Castle. Presumably they wanted to be in Hampton for the Court Palace but that bit's not clear.

 

[bnsf734]

I was at Nuneaton ticket window recently and asked for a day return to Attenborough but he came back with a much larger fare than I was expecting - he was trying to sell me a ticket to Attleborough (Norfolk) ! I declined his kind offer.