Trivia: Stations that should be rebuilt on a different site

[Whistler40145]

Are there any stations that should be rebuilt on a different site, e.g. for better transport links or other reasons?

 

[6Gman]

NOT Crewe!



Thank you. Just saying.

 

[najaB]

I don't know if this is quite you mean but there is a proposal to close Invergowrie station and open a new station a bit closer to the main bus routes to/through the city centre.

 

[thenorthern]

Before the Todmorden Curve re-opened I thought is should have been after the junction so that it was also served by the Blackpool to York trains. Gloucester I think should be moved so its served by more CrossCountry trains and would prevent reversals.

Before anyone else says it I think I am going to mention Teesside Airport.

 

[Whistler40145]

Well, Teesside Airport station is a complete farce.

 

[34D]

Pontefract (all three).

Chesterfield (somehow nearer to the town).

Thirsk (ditto)

 

[Whistler40145]

Lostock Parkway should've been built south of the junction or have platforms built on the Wigan line.

 

[47271]

Perth station is an amazing sprawling historical site similar to a small Carlisle or even Waverley, but the whole thing could be rebuilt across five or so platforms in the old sidings to the south of St Leonards Bridge and function far better.

I've no idea what would be done with the existing massive buildings and canopies, they certainly couldn't be demolished without provoking a heritage outrage, and for that reason I'm sure it'll still be the same old impractical and gloomy place in 50 years time...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Rice Lane (Merseyside) should perhaps have been a little further south then it could have been a 4-platform interchange with Walton Jn station.

 

[fairysdad]

I reckon the two Dorchester stations should be rebuilt as one slightly further south after the junction of the two lines. Admittedly, it would move the station(s) further away from the town centre than they already are, but it would make it a much easier interchange, and easier for passengers from Dorchester to Weymouth.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

The problem with thirsk, you would have to move the entire east coast mainline 2 mileseast of its current alignment.

Or reopen thirsk town at the cost of the local Tesco, but then part of its route now lies under the A1(M)

 

[Darren R]

...Or reopen Thirsk Town at the cost of the local Tesco,

Well every little helps!

[Sorry - I'll go now...]

 

[RichmondCommu]

Derby station should have been built closer to the city centre. In addition to Friargate station on the Great Northern route, there was also a station located close to Nottingham Road which was just to the north of Derby Midland. This closed in the 1960's but even that wasn't particularly close to the centre of town. Too late to change anything now though.

 

[ian1944]

Dundee (ex-Dundee Tay Bridge) has for some time been on the wrong side of major roads for easy access to/from the city centre. I don't know how practicable it would have been to put a station somewhere along the tunnel to the east, but of the two through stations (West was terminal) East would have been no further from the centre, not as isolated by roads. and close to the out-of-town bus station in Trades Lane.

 

[Altnabreac]

In Scotland I'm aware of 3 current / recent plans to move stations:

The Invergowrie one already mentioned where the intention is to build a new Dundee West station to better serve the Hospital and Science Park. This started off as an entirely new station project but timetable and business case work seems to have led to it being linked to a closure at nearby Invergowrie.

There is also a fairly serious plan to move Bridge of Allan station south around a mile to the Cornton area. This would have a larger population catchment within walking distance while being about the same distance from the village centre as the existing station.

There was also a proposal to move Stranraer Harbour station to a location closer to the town centre (although not identical to the old Town station). The money put aside for this was assigned to other projects by the council and it now seems to have fallen out of favour. Current plan is instead to redevelop the existing station and the area around it.

 

[Railsigns]

In Scotland I'm aware of 3 current / recent plans to move stations:

Also Forres and Dunkeld stations.

 

[Pigeon]

Cambridge. It was deliberately built in a silly place to make it hard for the university students to use it.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There was also a proposal to move Stranraer Harbour station to a location closer to the town centre (although not identical to the old Town station). The money put aside for this was assigned to other projects by the council and it now seems to have fallen out of favour. Current plan is instead to redevelop the existing station and the area around it.

Would the relocation of the ferry terminal to Cairnryan have anything to do with Stranraer station retaining its status-quo location?

 

[Argosy]

In Scotland I'm aware of 3 current / recent plans to move stations:

There was also a proposal to move Stranraer Harbour station to a location closer to the town centre (although not identical to the old Town station). The money put aside for this was assigned to other projects by the council and it now seems to have fallen out of favour. Current plan is instead to redevelop the existing station and the area around it.

At last some sense is prevailing here. There are now plans to infill part of the harbour by extending the marina. The station at Stranraer is not badly sited, it is just awkward to get to because the land is fenced off. If some of the land nearer the shore is dredged and infilled you have a straight line walk into town. The station is also clearly visible from the watefront. With a revamp (restoration) it could be iconic.

Ironically returning it to the town site puts it further way from the town, by about a quarter of a mile.

Of course if the railway ever re-opened to Cairnryan, one could build/re-open the station at London Road - but it wouldn't be very close to the town!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Before the Todmorden Curve re-opened I thought is should have been after the junction so that it was also served by the Blackpool to York trains.

I suppose by the location that you refer to as the new station site would be somewhere in the Priestwell area. However, the present location of Todmorden station is in a very good situation to serve the town centre and a move such as you propose would not be well received by the "locals".

 

[dk1]

Cambridge. It was deliberately built in a silly place to make it hard for the university students to use it.

And to keep them away from ladies of the night. The university has a lot to answer for but thankfully the much needed development of this quarter of the city will go a long way to balance things.

 

[Altnabreac]

Also Forres and Dunkeld stations.

Forres of course is actually confirmed and underway.

What are the plans for Dunkeld? Last A9 dualling plans I saw definitely had the station in the same place as now, although with a new car park.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Are there any stations that should be rebuilt on a different site, e.g. for better transport links or other reasons?

I'm not quite sure whether you mean, stations that ideally would have been built in a slightly different location, or whether you mean stations where it would actually be worth-while and cost effective to move them. I imagine there are loads of stations in slightly annoying locations where moving them would make them far more convenient to get to (though in most cases you probably couldn't justify the huge cost and disruption involved with actually doing so). A couple that immediately come to my mind are:

Waterloo (East): In my experience almost everyone who gets off there actually wants to get to Waterloo main. If the platforms had been about 100m further West along the track, this would have been a much shorter walk.

Hellifield: Out in the country, but the line goes past the village a little further south. (Although where it is now does allow the rare trains from Clitheroe to stop there).

Windermere: Was in a fairly convenient location until BR sold the land to Booths supermarket, so everyone has to walk the extra distance to get to the station.

Crayford: Seems to me that it would be much more convenient to get to the town if it was a little further East along the tracks.

Southamption Central: I'm not too certain since it's a long time since I've been there, but my memory is that the tracks pass right under the town centre, but the station is quite a way out from there, further West.

And if the underground counts too:
Euston Square - would obviously have been more sensibly sited closer to Euston.
Bank - putting the Waterloo and City Line platforms a bit nearer the other platforms would've been nice (Would have required extending the tracks a little).

 

[Railsigns]

What are the plans for Dunkeld? Last A9 dualling plans I saw definitely had the station in the same place as now, although with a new car park.

It was mentioned at a meeting on the Highland Main Line upgrade that Dunkeld station would possibly be moving further north and that consultants were looking at developing a new transport corridor in the area for both road and rail. The listed station building would be moved to the new site brick by brick and relocated on the opposite side of the railway.

 

[northwichcat]

Hartford so it's a station on both the Liverpool-Crewe and Altrincham-Chester lines.

 

[PR1Berske]

Lostock Parkway should've been built south of the junction or have platforms built on the Wigan line.

I've always thought this. I think there's many technical reasons why turning Lostock Parkway into Lostock Junction is a non starter, though.

 

[swt_passenger]

Southamption Central: I'm not too certain since it's a long time since I've been there, but my memory is that the tracks pass right under the town centre, but the station is quite a way out from there, further West.

When the railways were built, Southampton's town centre was nearer the closed Southampton terminus down by the eastern docks. The present Central started out as a small local stop on the branch towards the west, the town then spread much further to the north long after the railway was laid out. But because of the tunnel (about 500m) required to reach the station it is probably as near to the modern centre as you could get without building an underground station, which would be at quite a significant depth compared to ground level.

It wasn't until the western docks were built that the site of modern Central became an 'inland' site, when new the bank of the much wider River Test ran along by the tracks...

 

[30907]

When the railways were built, Southampton's town centre was nearer the closed Southampton terminus down by the eastern docks. The present Central started out as a small local stop on the branch towards the west, the town then spread much further to the north long after the railway was laid out. But because of the tunnel (about 500m) required to reach the station it is probably as near to the modern centre as you could get without building an underground station, which would be at quite a significant depth compared to ground level.

It wasn't until the western docks were built that the site of modern Central became an 'inland' site, when new the bank of the much wider River Test ran along by the tracks...

It was called West for years. Its predecessor was Blechynden and slightly nearer the tunnel.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Waterloo (East): In my experience almost everyone who gets off there actually wants to get to Waterloo main. If the platforms had been about 100m further West along the track, this would have been a much shorter walk.

Southamption Central: I'm not too certain since it's a long time since I've been there, but my memory is that the tracks pass right under the town centre, but the station is quite a way out from there, further West.

Waterloo East was Junction until the 20s, though the connection was removed when the main station was rebuilt, which explains it's location. Though 100m is marginal in terms of the typical train to train walk there!

 

[najaB]

Dundee (ex-Dundee Tay Bridge) has for some time been on the wrong side of major roads for easy access to/from the city centre. I don't know how practicable it would have been to put a station somewhere along the tunnel to the east, but of the two through stations (West was terminal) East would have been no further from the centre, not as isolated by roads. and close to the out-of-town bus station in Trades Lane.

Have a look at this map, it looks like the current station has always been a through station. The terminal station was on the site currently occupied by the car park at Yeoman's Shore.

 

[thenorthern]

A couple of places with 2 stations built by separate companies I think could be merged.

St Albans City and Abbey, Windsor and Eton Central + Riverside, Bradford Interchange and Forester Square are some to name a few.