Trivia: Small settlements with multiple stations

[BrummieBobby]

I am often surprised when I look at the town of Burnley, Lancashire and the amount of stations present. Burnley had a population of just over 78,000 at the last census, yet has 4 stations (Burnley Manchester Road, Burnley Central, Burnley Barracks and Rose Grove)

On the other hand, Dudley had a population of 323,500 at the last census but has no station in the town (Although there are several stations in the wider Dudley borough)

Is there a better example of towns being so well served in terms of the number of stations?

 

[Ashley Hill]

St Budeaux does well with two stations.

 

[AndrewBiro]

I am often surprised when I look at the town of Burnley, Lancashire and the amount of stations present. Burnley had a population of just over 78,000 at the last census, yet has 4 stations (Burnley Manchester Road, Burnley Central, Burnley Barracks and Rose Grove)

On the other hand, Dudley had a population of 323,500 at the last census but has no station in the town (Although there are several stations in the wider Dudley borough)

Is there a better example of towns being so well served in terms of the number of stations?

Tyndrum ? Upper and Lower.

 

[Sheridan]

Llanrwst has two, with a population of 3,323 at the 2011 census.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Whitehaven has a population of ~23000 and has 2 stations, Whitehaven and Corkickle.
At a small push you could include Parton for 3 stations.

 

[A Challenge]

Ryde is 24k and has three stations if you count Pier Head, yet the middle and west of the island have no (mainline) stations.

Dawlish is only 15k with two stations.

 

[Falkland Yard]

Greenock, population of over 42k, has 8 stations: Bogston, Cartsdyke, Greenock Central, Greenock West, Fort Matilda, Whinhill, Drumfrochar & Branchton (or 9 if IBM is included)

 

[MadMac]

This is one that comes up here from time to time. Ardrossan has three stations for about 10000 people. Clydebank has five for about 26000 - the former Burgh of Clydebank had seven.

What about Murrow, Cambridgeshire which had two stations for about a thousand people?

 

[CM Punk]

Burscough - 2 stations for approx 10k people
New Mills - 2 stations for approx 12k people
Pontefract - 3 stations for approx 30k people

 

[sir_gummerz]

This does bring up another question, what town/city has the most stations per capita? We would need to exclude population under say ~5000, as there's probably somewhere with a single house that would have 1 station per capita.

 

[stadler]

The civil parish of Beddingham has two stations and a population of just 242 people. Glynde and Southease are both within its borders. Funnily the border of Glynde civil parish is just past Glynde station and the border of Southease civil parish is just past Southease station. Both stations lie within Beddingham civil parish rather than the civil parishes that they are named after. The villages (and civil parishes) of Glynde and Southease have much larger populations than Beddingham but the stations are outside their borders. So technically the village (or it is probably a hamlet) of Beddingham has two stations.

 

[Springs Branch]

Dorking has 3 stations and a population of between ~11,000 and ~17,000 depending whether you count the immediate town or wider built-up area (according to Wikipedia)

 

[Lloyds siding]

Southport (pop 94,000) has five (Southport [Chapel Street], Birkdale, Hillside, Ainsdale and Meols Cop within the old county borough boundary). However, if you were to go back to say 1931, when it had a population of 79,000, in addition to the above there were eleven or twelve others: Woodvale, Ainsdale Beach, Birkdale Palace, Southport Lord Street, St Lukes, Hesketh Park, Churchtown, Crossens, Blowick, Butts Lane Halt and Kew Gardens and the excursion platforms, adjacent to Southport Chapel Street, known as Southport London Street.

 

[JamieL]

Tyndrum ? Upper and Lower.

Tyndrum has a population of just 167 people so two stations does seem a little excessive, especially when the train combines/splits at nearby Crainlarich. I appreciate the historical reasons for the two stations - the Caledonian Railway Perth to Oban and the North British Helensburgh to Fort William/Mallaig - but it is amazing that both stations survive to this day. Given that the demand can't be fuelled by northbound traffic from south of Crainlarich, I wonder what is driving the necessity to keep both stations?

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Brundall has two stations with a population of 4,400

 

[Bletchleyite]

Aughton and Ormskirk (basically one place) has three. Once it sprawls out to encompass Burscough it'll manage six (don't forget New Lane!)

Must admit I was quite taken aback when my horizons widened as a child and found that most of the UK wasn't like that microcosm of almost Dutch style public transport and cycle provision...

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Burscough - 2 stations for approx 10k people

Three. Don't forget poor little New Lane! Well, sort of, it's a bit outside but Burscough is sprawling that way too, like Kempston Hardwick its usage will likely pick up in time.

 

[stadler]

Tyndrum has a population of just 167 people so two stations does seem a little excessive, especially when the train combines/splits at nearby Crainlarich. I appreciate the historical reasons for the two stations - the Caledonian Railway Perth to Oban and the North British Helensburgh to Fort William/Mallaig - but it is amazing that both stations survive to this day. Given that the demand can't be fuelled by northbound traffic from south of Crainlarich, I wonder what is driving the necessity to keep both stations?

Keeping both stations means Tyndrum gets direct trains to both Oban and to Fort William and Mallaig too. With one station it is not possible to access both lines. I imagine both are popular with Tyndrum residents as they are the nearest large towns to do shopping. I can imagine the residents of Tyndrum being very unhappy if they lost access to one and had to go on a time consuming diversion via Crianlarich and back. They are both small basic unstaffed stations so keeping them both open is not that expensive compared to the cost of running the railway line.

 

[A S Leib]

Not first, but Exeter does well for its size; the city council area has a population of 130,000 and ten stations (St. Davids, Central, St. Thomas, Digby & Sowton, Marsh Barton, Newcourt, Pinhoe, Polsloe Bridge, St. James Park, Topsham). Bristol has close to half a million people and only four more stations, and Leicester's 370,000 people gets it one station (and no tram or metro stops to compensate).

 

[stadler]

Brighton with a population of 277,965 has 11 stations. Aldrington, Brighton, Falmer, Fishersgate, Hove, London Road, Moulsecoomb, Portslade, Preston Park, Shoreham By Sea, Southwick, are all within Brighton and its suburbs. Technically two of them (Shoreham By Sea and Southwick) are outside of the Brighton Council area but in reality they are still in Brighton and part of the same continuous urban area. So i think it can be said that Brighton has 11 stations.

Bournemouth with a population of 196,455 has 9 stations. Bournemouth, Branksome, Christchurch, Hamworthy, Hinton Admiral, New Milton, Parkstone, Pokesdown, Poole, are all within Bournemouth and its suburbs. Technically one of them (New Milton) is outside of the Bournemouth Council area but in reality it is still in Bournemouth and part of the same continuous urban area. So i think it can be said that Bournemouth has 9 stations.

Worthing with a population of 112,044 has 6 stations. Durrington On Sea, East Worthing, Goring By Sea, Lancing, West Worthing, Worthing, are all within Worthing and its suburbs. Technically one of them (Lancing) is outside of the Worthing Council area but in reality it is still in Worthing and part of the same continuous urban area. So i think it can be said that Worthing has 6 stations.

Hastings with a population of 92,855 has 4 stations. Hastings, Ore, St Leonards Warrior Square, West St Leonards, are all within the town.

Sevenoaks with a population of 29,506 has 3 stations. Bat & Ball, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks, are all within the town.

Pevensey with a population of 3,196 has 2 stations. Pevensey & Westham, Pevensey Bay, are both within the village.

 

[SimplyLlama]

Llandudno has a population of about 14,000 yet 2 stations

 

[William3000]

Exeter has about 9 stations - a lot for a city of around 130,000.

 

[Magdalia]

Brundall has two stations with a population of 4,400

Nearby Oulton Broad also has two stations.

This does bring up another question, what town/city has the most stations per capita? We would need to exclude population under say ~5000, as there's probably somewhere with a single house that would have 1 station per capita.

Much care is necessary to ensure that the stations and the population are on the same geography.

Brighton with a population of 277,965 has 11 stations. Aldrington, Brighton, Falmer, Fishersgate, Hove, London Road, Moulsecoomb, Portslade, Preston Park, Shoreham By Sea, Southwick, are all within Brighton and its suburbs. Technically two of them (Shoreham By Sea and Southwick) are outside of the Brighton Council area but in reality they are still in Brighton and part of the same continuous urban area. So i think it can be said that Brighton has 11 stations.

For example, as far as I can tell the Brighton and Hove population of 278k does not include Shoreham By Sea and Southwick.

An interesting example is the City of London which has a population of 8600 in the 2021 census and 6 stations: Fenchurch Street, Liverpool Street, Moorgate, City Thameslink, Blackfriars and Cannon Street.

 

[A S Leib]

An interesting example is the City of London which has a population of 8600 in the 2021 census and 6 stations: Fenchurch Street, Liverpool Street, Moorgate, City Thameslink, Blackfriars and Cannon Street.

Plus Aldgate, Bank / Monument, Barbican, Mansion House, St. Paul's and Tower Gateway tube and DLR stations. I think there's closer to a third of a million people in the City of London in working hours, but that doesn't change the full-time population.

Definitely not cohesive settlements, but Highland does well, with 3916 people per station (a population of 235,000 and sixty stations). Gwynedd has 27 stations for a population of 118,000, or a station for every 4370 inhabitants.

 

[pitdiver]

Am I right in saying that Berney Arms along with some Northern Scottish stations has a station but no residents.

 

[Kingston Dan]

Glasgow has 59 rail stations plus 15 subway stations for a population of 600,000.

 

[Djgr]

Llandudno has a population of about 14,000 yet 2 stations

Llandudno Junction is really a separate town.

 

[Class15]

Llandudno Junction is really a separate town.

And of course Deganwy is between the two stations…

 

[duffield]

Not first, but Exeter does well for its size; the city council area has a population of 130,000 and ten stations (St. Davids, Central, St. Thomas, Digby & Sowton, Marsh Barton, Newcourt, Pinhoe, Polsloe Bridge, St. James Park, Topsham). Bristol has close to half a million people and only four more stations, and Leicester's 370,000 people gets it one station (and no tram or metro stops to compensate).

Leicester arguably has three stations** - Leicester, South Wigston and Syston. All fall pretty much in the continuous Leicester built-up area.

Narborough is just about detached, over the far side of the motorway.

** Or four if you count the GCR heritage railway station, Leicester North, located near the site of the former GCR Belgrave & Birstall station.

 

[Howardh]

Atherton (15k) has two, Atherton and Hag Fold, and arguably a third (Daisy Hill) within walking distance. Depends if a population of 15k is considered "small"!

 

[matchmaker]

Tyndrum has a population of just 167 people so two stations does seem a little excessive, especially when the train combines/splits at nearby Crainlarich. I appreciate the historical reasons for the two stations - the Caledonian Railway Perth to Oban and the North British Helensburgh to Fort William/Mallaig - but it is amazing that both stations survive to this day. Given that the demand can't be fuelled by northbound traffic from south of Crainlarich, I wonder what is driving the necessity to keep both stations?

The Caledonian Railway did not run between Perth and Oban. The Callander and Oban Railway ran between Callander and Oban and remained independent until it was absorbed into the LMS in 1923.