Worst Stations

[Bellwater]

Gainsborough Central.

Signalbox is boarded up now... like at Lea Road.

 

[sheff'd victoria]

Gainsborough Central.

Signalbox is boarded up now... like at Lea Road.

Ah the wonderfull world of a passenger service of every Saturday only :roll:

Is Gainsborough Central box now in the hands of Trent Junction ?

 

[Bellwater]

As far as i know it's all controlled from Trent Jc.

 

[ert47]

Its because all the trains are electric, with diesels you'd need extractors if you are roofing over.

Ah yeh >_< that makes sense. Southerns' 171s dont go up to Victoria do they?

 

[northwichcat]

The worst two I have been to are Northwich and Greenbank in Cheshire and are adjacent on the same line.

Northwich station, home to a large number of pigeons:

[Image removed. Please resize. Original image]


Teenage gang hangout Greenbank railway station:

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Lostock Gralam also looks bad, although I've not actually used that station myself.

[Image removed. Please resize. Original image]

(The partly fallen down wall has been completely removed since the picture was taken.)

I can't believe the OP put Leeds, London Euston and London Bridge in the list. They obviously haven't visited a lot of stations. Leeds won a best UK station award shortly after it's refurbishment beating Manchester Piccadilly. I also think too much fuss is made about Manchester Victoria and that the reason for all the fuss is because of the high standard of refurbishment that took place at Manchester Piccadilly.

 

[Bittern]

Resize those pictures, please!

 

[starrymarkb]

Ah yeh >_< that makes sense. Southerns' 171s dont go up to Victoria do they?

They go to London bridge, there were Extractors for DEMUs on at least one platform at Victoria, but they were not suitable for use by 171s

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I can't believe the OP put Leeds, London Euston and London Bridge in the list. They obviously haven't visited a lot of stations. Leeds won a best UK station award shortly after it's refurbishment beating Manchester Piccadilly. I also think too much fuss is made about Manchester Victoria and that the reason for all the fuss is because of the high standard of refurbishment that took place at Manchester Piccadilly.

Look mate, I'm that OP:

Leeds - personally I like it, just someone mentioned hating it on page 2 of this Thread or somewhere like that

Euston - everyone seems to hate because they replaced the Doric Arch with a large slab of concrete, and in places it is dull and gloomy, especially the platforms

Bridge - like Leeds, I like it, just some don't

Lostock Gralam bulding is now fully demoloished too

 

[Old Hill Bank]

No one has mentioned Worcesters two grotty holes, they are seriously bad considering we are talking about a "city"

 

[northwichcat]

Leeds - personally I like it, just someone mentioned hating it on page 2 of this Thread or somewhere like that

Euston - everyone seems to hate because they replaced the Doric Arch with a large slab of concrete, and in places it is dull and gloomy, especially the platforms

Bridge - like Leeds, I like it, just some don't

I was most surprised to see the list of stations omitted a number that were on the list of the worst large stations like Wigan North Western, Stockport, Crewe and Clapham Junction but instead included other stations that I have personally used and think are more than adequate such as Euston, London Bridge and Leeds.

I think to qualify as a worst station it needs to be unfit for purpose rather than having perceptual issues like the outside of the building could look a bit nicer. There simply isn't enough money to make every UK station world class.

Wakefield Kirkgate I'd agree is unfit for purpose. The first thing that's wrong with it is many trains turn up saying 'Leeds' and travel different ways to Leeds and there's no PA system or station display screens to inform passengers which way the train is going. I'm really surprised that a station in a city in a PTE area is in that condition.

What facilities a station needs depends on what kind of service is required. London Underground platforms don't need much platform seating despite large passenger numbers due to very frequent train services. On the other hand a rural Northern Rail, FGW or NXEA station without seating would be a bad thing as if a train's cancelled it can be a very long wait for the next one.

 

[Edvid]

The Blackfriars bays won't be much help though, because they will be on the wrong side of the Thameslink through tracks.

The through tracks will be shifted to the east and the new bays built in their current place, therefore conflicts immediately south of Blackfriars will be much reduced (conflicts for TL split remain).

 

[daccer]

Most of the usual suspects on everyones top ten lists have plans for them or work has started - Sunderland, Man Vic, New St, Hartlepool even Crewe. The one that stands out is Wakefield Kirkgate. It must be the one that needs the most urgent attention. Also what I dont understand is that I am sure it has a usage of around a million or so and yet is unmanned.

It has a fine station building that could easily be done up for offices and a ticket office. It will soon have GC direct to London and sits in a major conurbation. I really dont understand why things are not happening there whent here is a station improvement budget in place for NR and they can find hundres of millions for Kings Cross and New St and yet a few million for Kirkgate is an issue.

 

[northwichcat]

Also what I dont understand is that I am sure it has a usage of around a million or so and yet is unmanned.

I used Berlin Schönefeld Flughafen station recently and that is a 6 platform unstaffed station used by many tourists and airport workers. There are 4 ticket machines and an instruction in English and German next to them that if you are going to central Berlin then buy a ticket for zones ABC. You have to find out for yourself that a train to Nauen calls at Berlin and a train to Wünsdorf-Waldstadt has come from Berlin and continues south.

 

[4SRKT]

Most of the usual suspects on everyones top ten lists have plans for them or work has started - Sunderland, Man Vic, New St, Hartlepool even Crewe. The one that stands out is Wakefield Kirkgate. It must be the one that needs the most urgent attention. Also what I dont understand is that I am sure it has a usage of around a million or so and yet is unmanned.

It has a fine station building that could easily be done up for offices and a ticket office. It will soon have GC direct to London and sits in a major conurbation. I really dont understand why things are not happening there whent here is a station improvement budget in place for NR and they can find hundres of millions for Kings Cross and New St and yet a few million for Kirkgate is an issue.

I think it may well be because it is potential a great station and quite simply isn't that it features so highly in people's lists. It's such a contrast.

 

[142094]

I'm really surprised that a station in a city in a PTE area is in that condition.

Not really surprising, as Metro have had a hell of a job to get any funding at all for the station. All I can say is wait and see.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I was most surprised to see the list of stations omitted a number that were on the list of the worst large stations like Wigan North Western, Stockport, Crewe and Clapham Junction but instead included other stations that I have personally used and think are more than adequate such as Euston, London Bridge and Leeds.

I think to qualify as a worst station it needs to be unfit for purpose rather than having perceptual issues like the outside of the building could look a bit nicer. There simply isn't enough money to make every UK station world class.

Wakefield Kirkgate I'd agree is unfit for purpose. The first thing that's wrong with it is many trains turn up saying 'Leeds' and travel different ways to Leeds and there's no PA system or station display screens to inform passengers which way the train is going. I'm really surprised that a station in a city in a PTE area is in that condition.

What facilities a station needs depends on what kind of service is required. London Underground platforms don't need much platform seating despite large passenger numbers due to very frequent train services. On the other hand a rural Northern Rail, FGW or NXEA station without seating would be a bad thing as if a train's cancelled it can be a very long wait for the next one.

OK mate, I was defining it as being damp, grotty, gloomy, tedious, dull, horrible stations, as well as general ugliness - Leeds and Euston may not fall into this, but some obviously think Leeds and Euston are awful
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No one has mentioned Worcesters two grotty holes, they are seriously bad considering we are talking about a "city"

Foregate ain't too bad, nice cafe and superb Travel Centre (probably the best rail on in GB). Shrub hill is bad tho, its closure ius threatened with Worcester Parkway, where the XC and Worcs-Oxford cross
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Most of the usual suspects on everyones top ten lists have plans for them or work has started - Sunderland, Man Vic, New St, Hartlepool even Crewe. The one that stands out is Wakefield Kirkgate. It must be the one that needs the most urgent attention. Also what I dont understand is that I am sure it has a usage of around a million or so and yet is unmanned.

Does this make it the busiest unmanned station in GB (by number of passengers)?

 

[142094]

Not sure how the ticket numbers are allocated, but it could be due to the fact it is part of Wakefield STNS, so hard to tell. Westgate is certainly going to be much busier than Kirkgate.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Not sure how the ticket numbers are allocated, but it could be due to the fact it is part of Wakefield STNS, so hard to tell. Westgate is certainly going to be much busier than Kirkgate.

Definately in excess of 500,000 per year use Kirkgate, and apart from Chiswick and Isleworth and the like in London, this must defo be up there.

 

[142094]

2008/9 stats say it is around 480,000, which is possible. Everytime I've been there there haven't been many people getting on or off, most use it as an interchange station.

 

[lrjlo]

Clapham Junction is pretty awful, it's miles between the platforms and it seriously lacks capacity, especially in peak times. I used to change there twice a day between Southern and South West train services. One thing I particularly remember is a morning where no trains were coming out of Waterloo because of a broken down train or something like that and there hadn't been any trains coming through the platform I was waiting on for almost an hour and weren't any signs of any coming soon. A member of station staff was walking up and down shouting at people to stand behind the line on the platform, about a meter away from the edge. It didn't go down well with people who were already an hour late for work. They're putting in lifts now which means the stairs are closed on some of the platforms so you can only go through the tunnel which makes it even more crowded. Also if you choose to change platforms through the bridge, you pretty much have to guess which way to go to get your connecting train.

London Bridge is quite an annoying station because coming in from Croydon, the trains always have to wait ages for a platform, so trying to catch a connecting train has involved watching the connecting train leaving for me before. Also it is a very long way to the tube, although it's not so bad for capacity. The queue outside the London Dungeon was also very annoying because they got in the way.

Paddington is very noisy. It isn't too bad architecturally and it has some quite nice cafe areas. Trying to get to the District and Circle platforms in the underground station can be very difficult at peak times too as the narrow corridors are generally obstructed by jet lagged tourists just arrived from Heathrow... or perhaps I'm just impatient.

 

[Lampshade]

Wakefield Kirkgate really can't be giving first time visitors to Wakefield a good impression upon arriving from London on Grand Central (although Westgate obviously gets the bulk of the London traffic). It's a shame because looking at pictures it has potential but needs a good few million throwing at it.

 

[142094]

When I saw the plans for the West Riding service, the only reason I could think of why GC would stop at Kirkgate would be to attract passengers from Westgate to London. After all it is only a few minutes and £1 on the train or free on the shuttle bus (if it is still running that is).

Interesting that you can get a ticket from one station to another in the same group.

 

[LE Greys]

Paddington is very noisy. It isn't too bad architecturally and it has some quite nice cafe areas. Trying to get to the District and Circle platforms in the underground station can be very difficult at peak times too as the narrow corridors are generally obstructed by jet lagged tourists just arrived from Heathrow... or perhaps I'm just impatient.

Now that the Circle runs into the Ham & C platforms, it's even more awkward, especially with heavy luggage (which airport passengers often carry). I hope they go back to the proper Circle arrangement before too long (although the people of Hammersmith may not agree).

 

[4SRKT]

Wakefield Kirkgate really can't be giving first time visitors to Wakefield a good impression upon arriving from London on Grand Central (although Westgate obviously gets the bulk of the London traffic). It's a shame because looking at pictures it has potential but needs a good few million throwing at it.

The city may have a good number of attractive buildings, but it's been mercilessly knocked about by badly planned roadschemes and modern developments. Like Bradford, I'm not sure there's anything that can be done to alleviate this, and both cities are reduced to promoting the small cluster of good buildings they have left in the vain hope that someone might be interested ('Civic Quarter' or whatever in Wakefield. Little Germany in Bradford).

 

[jon0844]

If DfT had any sense, they would merge the two into one and just have one ticket office managed by the TOC managing the station which in this case would be FCC.

They've now attempted to make both ticket offices at St Pancras look the same, making it clear that they're both able to sell UK Rail Tickets - but they're still separate offices and clearly branded by different TOCs!

I suppose it's a step in the right direction though.

Don't ask me, I just follow the guidelines which have been set.

Of course. I always thought it was silly though. At one point (when the IRA was active) it was about creating bomb-proof bins. These were incredibly expensive, so it seems quite odd to me that we've gone from that to clear bags and a tiny bit of metal!

The only plus point is for the Initial staff who can see when the bin is in need of emptying from a distance!

Personally, given the huge amount of ways you could hide a bomb if you so desired, I think we should just have normal bins. I also never understood why the bins were all removed in July 2005 when the suicide bombers didn't leave their bombs unattended at any time. A typical overreaction because of a need to be seen to do something.

 

[General Zod]

Some of the North London Line stations in the Silverlink days were pretty grim. Hackney Wick, Homerton and Kentish Town West to name but a few. The stations on the GOBLIN don't cover themselves in glory either. Leyton Midland and Leytonstone High Road are depressing sights.

Z

 

[swt_passenger]

The through tracks will be shifted to the east and the new bays built in their current place, therefore conflicts immediately south of Blackfriars will be much reduced (conflicts for TL split remain).

Exactly, so the bays won't be much use as direct replacements for the London Bridge bay platforms - which was the earlier poster's proposal; unless of course some SN services are diverted to arrive via Elephant and Castle. But there would still be capacity issues in the new bays unless you binned their planned services- which is probably why it isn't mentioned as a possible solution in the relevant RUS...

 

[yorksrob]

Exactly, so the bays won't be much use as direct replacements for the London Bridge bay platforms - which was the earlier poster's proposal; unless of course some SN services are diverted to arrive via Elephant and Castle. But there would still be capacity issues in the new bays unless you binned their planned services- which is probably why it isn't mentioned as a possible solution in the relevant RUS...

Well yes, but I was envisaging that those trains originally intended to use the bays could continue using the through platforms as they are now, until work at London Bridge was completed. Plus, if you ran most diverted services over the Lewisham - Nunhead route they would also have more opportunity to cross the Thameslink line. If they're really having problems, installing a crossover west of Canterbury Road junction would allow some to reverse via Brixton and avoid a conflict with Thameslink. This would of course slow things down but things are going to get pretty turgid with half of London Bridge missing anyway

 

[43167]

I have to say Wakefield Kirkgate. It really needs some serious work doing to it. Anyone who gets off the Grand Central service from KX there will probably end up going East Coast into Westgate next time. That burnt out pub opposit needs knocking down, not the best welcoming sight.

Westgate in the poll. Its ok actually, medium size station with decent facilities.

Birmingham New St, nightmare for the less frequent traveller which is probably why XC advise to change at Wolverhampton, Cheltenham, Derby etc if possible.
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Wakefield Kirkgate I'd agree is unfit for purpose. The first thing that's wrong with it is many trains turn up saying 'Leeds' and travel different ways to Leeds and there's no PA system or station display screens to inform passengers which way the train is going. I'm really surprised that a station in a city in a PTE area is in that condition.

There are anouncements, the trouble with them is, with it been pre-recorded, they come on with 'the train now approaching', which is good, except its nearly 5mins before its due to arrive and most of the time trains are timetabled very close to each other, so 5mins later, its 'the train now approaching' before the 1st train has been & gone.

 

[Bellwater]

Foregate ain't too bad, nice cafe and superb Travel Centre (probably the best rail on in GB). Shrub hill is bad tho, its closure ius threatened with Worcester Parkway, where the XC and Worcs-Oxford cross

Used to like having my PNB at Foregate Street, there's also the Foregate Patisserie downstairs which does lovely Bacon Baguettes

Travel Centre is superb and there's a Tesco Express there now.