UK's worst stations.

[greyman42]

Does the staircase count as a toilet?

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.mi...aught-defecating-railway-station-10777282.amp

Most of the time, yes.

 

[j.crocker355]

I'd have put Plymouth firmly up there, dark dank wet and depressing

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[KevinTurvey]

Surprising that nobody has mentioned platforms 5-6 at Manchester Victoria, these are truly awful, although the rest of the station is quite pleasant.

When some more of the dmu's have gone, this area needs a good clean, repaint and new lighting at least.

 

[Strathclyder]

It only had a facelift in 2013 for the Commonwealth games in 2014

Indeed, but sewage is still dumped right onto the tracks, particularly in the eastbound (left) side. One would have thought that an alternative solution would have been found by now. Hardly a pleasant image, especially for a station that's not long after having a major refurbishment...

 

[222ben]

Romiley p.. Dark, depressing,, and all round gloomy.

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Birmingham new street is a major health hazard, the platform staff should be given smog masks.

I am bewildered by Nottingham being on the list, it's attractive, efficient, the bogs are always clean and the new hall where the taxi rank used to be is bright and open. There's some moody types in the booking office mind and beggars and druggies do find it easy to get on to the platform.

Ugliest stations
Large - Euston, the ugly neighbour to stpancras, marylebone and kingsx.
Medium - Stafford- typical brutalist wcml architecture decorated by a mass of ohle.
Small - coleshill parkway - the stench is appalling and the design little more attractive. Great staff though.

 

[dvboy]

Dudley Port has to be a contender.

 

[Kneedown]

I think the thing with Nottingham could be the noise levels. Platforms full of diesels engines of various types all clackety clacking away constantly. Add to this the constant, loud information, mandatory security and other announcements and it really is not a pleasant place to be.

 

[DuncanS]

Another vote here for Birmingham NS, have had the misfortune to be in it 4 times this week and whilst the above platform bit is now all nice and shiny the platform area is still a horrid experience.

 

[pitdiver]

I think the thing with Nottingham could be the noise levels. Platforms full of diesels engines of various types all clackety clacking away constantly. Add to this the constant, loud information, mandatory security and other announcements and it really is not a pleasant place to be.

Sounds like it's as popular as the old Broadmarsh Bus Station

As for the worst STN my nomination would be Luton. For somewhere that wants city status the stn is an absolute dump.

 

[Kite159]

Hope (Flintshire) gets my vote

Waiting shelters smashed up by local crims, no seating, with security announcements on near constant repeat

 

[hassaanhc]

Looks like people clearly haven't been to Elephant & Castle now that is a horrible station, both the National Rail and the London Underground ones.

Ealing Broadway is quite bad as well, the building and stairs are too small for the number of people that use the station.

Same applies to Stratford London, again too small for the number of people that use it.

 

[goblinuser]

That list is a load of rubbish. How about all the decrepit unstaffed dingy stations with dodgy people hanging around which can be found all over the country? Sorry but that list is NICE stations.

 

[backontrack]

I wouldn't say that Barnes is particularly gloomy...

Oh, top bantz.

 

[PHILIPE]

Strange that nobody has mentioned Newport yet following the alterations carried out prior to the 2010 Ryder Cup which was held there. Network Rail let loose consultants and architects on some modern design which doesn't benefit passengers at all. Following the alterations, there is a new large footbridge , hideously designed instead of just a straightforward up and down flight of stairs and lifts and which takes up far more space. The bridge and facilities were moved to the West end which means that eastward bound trains (except HSTs) have to stop at their rear end of the platform and further away from access to the city centre. The refreshment facility is now stuck at the other end of the platform from where the trains stop, together with waiting rooms and toilets on Platforms 2 and 3.

 

[richieb1971]

Lots of tickets sold at those stations. Perhaps its just a matter of scale, biggest gets most votes.

I don't understand how a station can get bad coverage. Its just platforms and waiting rooms. Unless the station has rats, leaking roofs, beggars or a nearby stink I Can't think why anyone would vote it down.

 

[yorksrob]

Lots of tickets sold at those stations. Perhaps its just a matter of scale, biggest gets most votes.

I don't understand how a station can get bad coverage. Its just platforms and waiting rooms. Unless the station has rats, leaking roofs, beggars or a nearby stink I Can't think why anyone would vote it down.

I'd be inclined to vote down largish stations which don't have a toilet or anywhere to get a cup of tea. None of these apply to Nottingham Midland of course.

 

[Parallel]

Strange that nobody has mentioned Newport yet following the alterations carried out prior to the 2010 Ryder Cup which was held there. Network Rail let loose consultants and architects on some modern design which doesn't benefit passengers at all. Following the alterations, there is a new large footbridge , hideously designed instead of just a straightforward up and down flight of stairs and lifts and which takes up far more space. The bridge and facilities were moved to the West end which means that eastward bound trains (except HSTs) have to stop at their rear end of the platform and further away from access to the city centre. The refreshment facility is now stuck at the other end of the platform from where the trains stop, together with waiting rooms and toilets on Platforms 2 and 3.

Newport station is definitely like someone didn't think it through properly. Plus poor quality new designs clashing with the old, run down parts of the station. Also not a fan of platform four - has an awkward waiting room and a narrow platform. The less said about Utterly Crusty or the horror show toilets on platforms 2/3, the better. There's a newish café counter inside the concourse adjacent to platform four that is pretty decent and most certainly the best thing about the station!

 

[tsr]

I take it nobody in this thread, or taking part in the survey, has ever been to South Bermondsey.

 

[cactustwirly]

I take it nobody in this thread, or taking part in the survey, has ever been to South Bermondsey.

At least South Bermondsey has a ticket machine! Many stations in West Yorkshire do not

 

[nlogax]

I take it nobody in this thread, or taking part in the survey, has ever been to South Bermondsey.

Only once, having been to an away match at Millwall. I've tried to erase the memory from my mind..the whole day, not just the station experience.

 

[tsr]

At least South Bermondsey has a ticket machine! Many stations in West Yorkshire do not

A ticket machine does not a pleasant station make. Particularly when it's between a long alleyway and a steep flight of stairs with a blind bend.

 

[Gathursty]

I am struggling to think of a 'worst' station. I've had uncomfortable feelings but they've been external (type of area/time of day/nearby people). Coming from Northern Rail-land, my benchmark is a bench/shelter and a timetable poster. Even South Bank has that.

For those stations where you can talk about customer service and facilities, I'd again say that I've only had rare awkward experiences when asking for advice for distant travel that has thrown someone more used to commuter questions. I wouldn't say that makes a station bad on it's own.

For stations I use regularly however, Bryn seriously needs to be given a lick of paint and new shelters. It's sadly just outside of Merseyrail land so doesn't benefit from the sterling effort they put into their stations and is not an intercity station unlike Wigan North Western.

 

[Abpj17]

...As for the worst STN my nomination would be Luton. For somewhere that wants city status the stn is an absolute dump.

And to address a point earlier on the page, the roof actually leaks.

And in terms of largest station without 'facilities' aka loos - probably Farringdon? Millions of passengers a year (especially if you include the tube: 30mn or so vs. 0.5 - 0.7mn for Sunderland)

(And Sunderland appears to be refreshed twice in the last decade or so)

 

[96tommy]

I use South Bermondsey when I go and see Millwall play, I wouldn't say it is in my top 5 worst stations I've been too but could sure do with a but if paint.

I

 

[duffield]

Nottingham isn't nice but it isn't that bad, just some of the areas around it and near Broadmarsh etc and the walk from the city center to the station is very run-down and very glum and honestly one of the most depressing walks I've ever had from a city center to a station.

This should improve considerably in the near future.
They've just started demolishing the hideous Broadmarsh car park and bus station for a total rebuild, and the Pedestrian unfriendly Colin Street and Canal street should improve a lot because as part of this scheme they're being changed to something like Buses, Taxis and access only, with through traffic being pushed further out of town (along Queen's Road on the south side of the station etc.).

Along with the new shops on Carrington Street and the pedestrianized bit at the top of Station Street, it should be quite civilized when it's done.

 

[adrock1976]

I'm surprised that "What's it called?" Cumbernauld has not had a mention so far.

The present station is not actually sited in the New Town bit or even the old village, rather it is in the South Carbrain area of the town. The platforms can get rather windswept, with a dose of horizontal rain in the mix too.

Although situated along the Caledonian Railway mainline, the farthest south you can travel on a direct train is Motherwell (except Sundays) and the farthest north is Camelon (again, except Sundays). It can be tricky to get to Perth, Inverness, or Aberdeen northbound and Carlisle, Preston, and Intercity destinations as the connections are not friendly in either direction, combined with Virgin West Coast cutting the calls at Motherwell at the December 2008 timetable change.

On a side note, Cumbernauld has the pleasurable (or dubious) honour of winning the Urban Realm magazine's Carbuncle Award, nicknamed the "Plook on a Plinth" Award the most number of times. There was one year where Cumbernauld had a break when it was awarded to Coatbridge. For anybody who has ever been to Coatbridge, it is not a glamourous or exotic place to be, with Coatbridge also having the pleasurable (or dubious) honour of having the highest amount of sales of Buckfast across the UK. It is understandable that when Hue & Cry hit the big time circa 1987, they could not escape their home town of Coatbridge quick enough.

 

[richieb1971]

I've only had one bad travelling experience that concerned the station.

It was at St Neots. The ticket machine was facing the street outside and the rain poured down like you wouldn't believe with high winds. I got drenched.

I can't remember but I put that on here previously and someone said another machine resides in the stair well. But thats news to me.

 

[DuncanS]

I'm surprised that "What's it called?" Cumbernauld has not had a mention so far.

The present station is not actually sited in the New Town bit or even the old village, rather it is in the South Carbrain area of the town. The platforms can get rather windswept, with a dose of horizontal rain in the mix too.

Although situated along the Caledonian Railway mainline, the farthest south you can travel on a direct train is Motherwell (except Sundays) and the farthest north is Camelon (again, except Sundays). It can be tricky to get to Perth, Inverness, or Aberdeen northbound and Carlisle, Preston, and Intercity destinations as the connections are not friendly in either direction, combined with Virgin West Coast cutting the calls at Motherwell at the December 2008 timetable change.

Since they did the station up a couple of years ago its not that bad - the removal of the foot bridge did confuse me the first time!! Walked to the end of the platform before realising it had gone.

Its 2 main faults -

1. Its 15 minutes from the town, with NOTHING around it.
2. The connections are awful, coming from Falkirk if I want to go to Motherwell its a 45 minute wait, its easier to go via Glasgow.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I take it nobody in this thread, or taking part in the survey, has ever been to South Bermondsey.

I've used South Bermondsey at midnight plenty of times and never been as scared as at Angel Road during the day