Where is your local station?

[142094]

Good place to live (until those flats are built).

Unfortunately I can't see the ECML from where I live but I can tell what type of train it is usually by the rumbling (Manors scissors crossing makes a unique sound). Even better, when the wind is blowing in the right direction I can hear the announcements from Central clearly enough to know where the train is going.

 

[bILLOO]

Northampton or Wellingborough; prefer Wellingborough though.

 

[Anon Mouse]

Good place to live (until those flats are built).

Unfortunately I can't see the ECML from where I live but I can tell what type of train it is usually by the rumbling (Manors scissors crossing makes a unique sound). Even better, when the wind is blowing in the right direction I can hear the announcements from Central clearly enough to know where the train is going.

I think once those flats are built I better see how much the rents are, not sure if my Wife would be best pleased mind! You live in Newcastle City Centre? you must be minted lol

 

[Robinson]

Don't forget the reasonably regular Class 377's either

 

[Poolie]

As a kid many years ago, it was Preston Road/South Kenton. But every Saturday between 1961 -1965 I would be at Northwick Park where Marylebone and Euston lines crossed.
When I look at my number books from that time, the variety of motive power is amazing. When electrification came to Euston, Satutrdays were then spent on the 11.15 Harrow to Marylebone until September 3rd 1966. After that it was Waterloo -Basingstoke until July 3rd 1967......
.......and then after that it was oooop North to Hartlepool to see the last few months of Q6's, J27's and then after that to Patricroft, Heaton Mersey, Speke, Bolton, Lostock Hall, Carnforth until that fateful day on August 11th 1968 when I was at Carlisle........Fantastic memories

 

[142094]

I think once those flats are built I better see how much the rents are, not sure if my Wife would be best pleased mind! You live in Newcastle City Centre? you must be minted lol

Oh no, we've lived in the same place for ages (before all this building happened). Still, 15 minute walk to town, 10 minutes to Manors Metro and 2 minutes down to the Ouseburn. Very handy indeed.

 

[WelshBluebird]

At home its Ton Pentre (on the Rhondda Valley branch line). About 5 minutes from my house, I can sometimes hear horn noises if the wind is blowing the right direct.
At uni it is Oldfield Park (a small station in Bath). Less than 2 minutes away. I can usually hear the HST's thunder past, and sometimes the DMU's trundle along.

Both are small unmanned stations with no ticket machine (although oldfield park has someone selling tickets in the morning peak). That is a convenience sometimes (as it means I can treat the trains as I do buses - just turn up whenever I want and jump on a train without worrying about buying a ticket beforehand), but it is very annoying when I want to pick up tickets bought online!

I live 10 minutes walk away from both Treherbert and Ynyswen stations,the top two stations on the Rhondda Valley line.Ynyswen was opened in 1986.When it first came into operation Ynyswen was known to Treherbert train crew as Lawthom's halt as it was located in exactly the same position as a previous hole in the fence where we used to drop one of our drivers off when he was travelling home on the cushions.

What a small world!

 

[Oracle]

We can see the trains out of our back bedroom window yet we never hear them because of the double glazing. The tracks are about 100 yards away?

 

[Andyjs247]

Bicester Town is my nearest station, about 15 minutes walk. Unstaffed, one platform served exclusively by Chiltern Railways 165/0 Turbo units roughly 2t per 3h to Islip and Oxford and signs in English and Japanese. Until quite recently the service was operated by First Great Western using 165/1 Turbo units. Chiltern Railways now operate the service in anticipation of approval of the Marylebone - Oxford service which hopefully would commence in 2014. Limited freight activity sees class 66s heading to/from Calvert with the 'binliner' and to the MoD at Bicester.

Looking forward to the upgrade which will see 2 new staggered platforms built, much improved station facilities, double track with 2tph to Marylebone and 2tph to Oxford. If East - West services begin (hopefully by around 2017) there would then be a further 1tph to Milton Keynes, 1tph Bedford and 2tph Oxford.

My other local station is Bicester North. It is a fairly pleasant station with waiting room, newsagent/buffet on the down platform. The up platform was rebuilt last year and the track realigned to allow 100mph running. Thanks to Chiltern Railways we have a fairly good service - generally 3/4tph to London Marylebone and 2tph to Birmingham (one of which may continue to Stourbridge or Kidderminster) plus 1tph to Stratford-on-Avon or Banbury. Services are operated mainly by class 168 or 165 units with a couple of loco hauled turns Monday-Friday peak hours with class 67+Mk3 and DVT. Usually there is 1 fast service non-stop to Marylebone each hour which takes about 45 minutes. There is a bus link from Bicester North to the Bicester Village retail outlet - signage on the station also appears in Japanese and Chinese!

 

[AJP62]

Macclesfield is my station. Three platforms with buildings dating from 1960's electrification but maintained well. One platform northbound and an island southbound. Loop on the back of the island used for the odd terminator from Manchester and looping slow trains - it can be used in both directions.

Roughly half hourly fast trains to Manchester with an hourly stopper but enhanced service in the peaks with around 5 fast services getting there for 9ish. Coming back there are two fast trains an hour but something like xx.25 and xx.35 off Piccadilly so not as useful.

Service to London normally hourly and very fast and although turn up fares are high there are usually good value advance tickets available. Hourly to Birmingham too, mainly going on towards Reading/Bournemouth.

All services are units - Pendolinos, Voyagers and 323s with the odd diesel unit appearing in the morning peak. Doesn't see that long since it was 47s and 86s with MkIIs or HSTs on Cross Country and 87s plus MkIIIs on the Eustons! We used to get the 101s on the odd peak service right to their end and also had ex-Clacton units on one peak trip each way at one time! There are no regular freight trains that I know of.

Staff are friendly and station is kept tidy. Not sure how they will handle platform lengthening on the southbound for 11 car Pendolinos but it may be thay can just be squeezed in.

Still has a signal box at the north end - you can see the panel from the platforms and car park so have an idea where trains are though with a couple of non-stops each way per hour it may not be your train! Speed limit for the non-stops is low due to curves through the tunnel at the north end.

Overall a good local station. If anything is lacking it would be better access to the WCML going north - current access precludes use for work trips to Scotland!