Trivia: Settlements without a station where the two nearest stations are on different lines

[Agent_Squash]

Coniston - Windermere (Windermere branch) and Foxfield (Cumbrian coast)

 

[Dave W]

Brierley Hill. Between Stourbridge and Dudley (if we include Dudley Port and Sandwell and Dudley as Dudley) - [[EDIT: although I note from the criteria the next nearest station might well be Lye/Cradley rather than Dudley Port, so maybe not...]]

Also then anywhere on the old Wombourne branch, including Wombourne itself, between Stourbridge and Wolverhampton.

 

[Magdalia]

Langport in Somerset goes one better, it's 3 closest stations are on 3 different lines, Bridgwater, Crewkerne and Yeovil Pen Mill.

Bourne also has it's 3 closest stations are on 3 different lines: Stamford. Spalding and Grantham.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Gringley-on-the-Hill. Retford on the ECML and Gainsborough Central on the Brigg Line.

Retford is also on the Sheffield-Gainsborough line, so I don't think this one counts

How about Mablethorpe - nearest stations Cleethorpes and Skegness
Or Leadenham - Sleaford and Newark

 

[Mcr Warrior]

How about Mablethorpe - nearest stations Cleethorpes and Skegness

I'd wondered about Mablethorpe with it being located on the Lincolnshire coast, but fairly sure that Thorpe Culvert, Havenhouse and Wainfleet stations (on the same line out of Skegness) are all slightly nearer than Cleethorpes.

Or Leadenham - Sleaford and Newark

Surely Ancaster and Ruskington stations are nearer to Leadenham (Lincolnshire) than the two stations you've mentioned?

 

[Magdalia]

How about Mablethorpe - nearest stations Cleethorpes and Skegness

This is a good example of where stations with close neighbours do not work. Cleethorpes is within spitting distance of New Clee and Grimsby Town. Skegness has Havenhouse, Wainfleet and Thorpe Culvert close by. It is almost impossible to find anywhere in between that has its two nearest stations one in each group.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Bourne also has it's 3 closest stations are on 3 different lines: Stamford. Spalding and Grantham.

Is Peterborough marginally nearer than Grantham? Not much in it, and suppose it depends on where exactly you start off from in Bourne.

Yet another location in the UK with a 10,000+ population, that once had its own railway station, albeit not since 1959, and now the nearest alternative (Stamford?) is some 10 or so miles away.

 

[Magdalia]

There are too many in Scotland to list (although someone will now produce the list for me !)

It is actually quite tricky to find examples in Scotland. Many of Scotland's railways have lots of stations quite close together. And rural Scotland has few settlements. Even if a location can be identified that, for example, has Tulloch and Dalwhinnie as its nearest stations, it is likely to be at the bottom of a loch, halfway up a mountain, or in the middle of a peat bog, not where anyone actually lives.

Is Peterborough marginally nearer than Grantham? Not much in it, and suppose it depends on where exactly you start off from in Bourne.

Yet another location in the UK with a 10,000+ population, that once had its own railway station, albeit not since 1959, and now the nearest alternative (Stamford?) is some 10 or so miles away.

I did measure on a paper map and Bourne was marginally nearer to Grantham than Peterborough.

 

[Taunton]

There are several small towns equidistant between the two separate routes from London to Exeter, where the residents are quite used to deciding between them dependent on ultimate destination, even within London. Wincanton springs immediately to mind (Templecombe and Castle Cary), or Ilminster (Taunton and Crewkerne)

 

[gg1]

It is actually quite tricky to find examples in Scotland. Many of Scotland's railways have lots of stations quite close together. And rural Scotland has few settlements. Even if a location can be identified that, for example, has Tulloch and Dalwhinnie as its nearest stations, it is likely to be at the bottom of a loch, halfway up a mountain, or in the middle of a peat bog, not where anyone actually lives.

Definitely true for northern Scotland but in the south west there will be fair few settlements where the 2 closest stations are one each on the Ayr-Stranraer and Dumfries-Kilmarnock lines.

You'd probably struggle to find many examples in the Borders now with Galashiels and Tweedank only being a couple of miles apart.

 

[Magdalia]

Definitely true for northern Scotland but in the south west there will be fair few settlements where the 2 closest stations are one each on the Ayr-Stranraer and Dumfries-Kilmarnock lines.

Find us one! It is difficult to avoid Barrhill+Stranraer, Sanquhar+Kirkconnel or Sanquhar+Dumfries without going somewhere that only Richard Hannay has been.

 

[InOban]

Well, for a start, Fort Augustus is halfway between Fort William and Inverness. The Appin area has a choice of FW and Connel Ferry. The settlements from Grantown-on-Spey to Aberlour can either access the HML at Aviemore or the Inverness to Aberdeen line at either Elgin or Keith. Kelso can get to the Borders railway at Tweedbank or the ECML at Berwick. Lochmaben is between Dumfries and Lockerbie.
If you want to be silly, everywhere west of Dumfries could get the train at Stranraer instead! And of course there's the whole of the central Borders from Peebles west which an easily reach the WCML, just not any station...

 

[paddy1]

Bolsover - nearest are Chesterfield or Langwith-Whaley Thorns

 

[Essan]

It is actually quite tricky to find examples in Scotland. Many of Scotland's railways have lots of stations quite close together. And rural Scotland has few settlements. Even if a location can be identified that, for example, has Tulloch and Dalwhinnie as its nearest stations, it is likely to be at the bottom of a loch, halfway up a mountain, or in the middle of a peat bog, not where anyone actually lives.

Not quite Tulloch and Dalwhinnie, but the village of Kinloch Rannoch (pop 250) is 15 miles from Rannoch station on the WHL and 13.5 miles (further by car) from Blair Atholl on the HML

Aberfoyle is nearly equidistant between Balloch to the west and Dunlane to the east.

And Kinross is 12.5 miles south of Perth, 12.5 miles SE of Gleneagles, 11.8 miles west of Markinch and 7.2 miles north of Cowdenbeath

(all as the crow flies)

Find us one! It is difficult to avoid Barrhill+Stranraer, Sanquhar+Kirkconnel or Sanquhar+Dumfries without going somewhere that only Richard Hannay has been.

Dalmellington - somewhere even Richard Hannay would have avoided, but inhabited by over 1400 people

(midway between Maybole on Stranraer line and New Crumnock on the Dumfries line)

On the Solway coast, Kirkcudbright has a population of 3,350 served by Dumfries - 23.5 miles or Barrhill - 34 miles. Or, Maryport in Cumbria - 24 miles

(all as the crow flies)

 

[D6130]

Prior to the reopening of the Todmorden curve, I may have cited Bacup in Lancashire, which is slightly nearer to Todmorden than to Burnley Manchester Road....but are they now counted as being on the same line? Other places which come to mind are:

Barnoldswick and Earby in Lancashire (formerly in Yorkshire) - roughly mid-way between Colne and Skipton.

Denholme in West Yorkshire - roughly mid-way between Keighley and Halifax.

Clayton West in West Yorkshire (which had a station until 1983) - roughly mid-way between Denby Dale and Darton.

Rishworth in West Yorkshire - roughly half-way between Sowerby Bridge and Slaithwaite.

Oxenhope in West Yorkshire - roughly mid-way between Keighley and Hebden Bridge.

Hayfield in Derbyshire - roughly mid-way between Glossop and either Chinley or New Mills Central.

Tideswell in Derbyshire - roughly mid-way between Edale and Buxton.

Midhurst in West Sussex - roughly mid-way between Petersfield and Pulborough.

Lochmaben in Dumfries and Galloway - roughly mid-way between Dumfries and Lockerbie.

I could go on, but it's time to give someone else a chance!

 

[Magdalia]

Well, for a start, Fort Augustus is halfway between Fort William and Inverness. The Appin area has a choice of FW and Connel Ferry. The settlements from Grantown-on-Spey to Aberlour can either access the HML at Aviemore or the Inverness to Aberdeen line at either Elgin or Keith. Kelso can get to the Borders railway at Tweedbank or the ECML at Berwick. Lochmaben is between Dumfries and Lockerbie.
If you want to be silly, everywhere west of Dumfries could get the train at Stranraer instead! And of course there's the whole of the central Borders from Peebles west which an easily reach the WCML, just not any station...

Fort Augustus: nearest are Tulloch, Roy Bridge and Spean Bridge.
Appin: nearest are Connel Ferry, Oban and Taynuilt.
Grantown on Spey: nearest are Aviemore and Carr Bridge.
Aberlour: nearest are Elgin and Keith.
Kelso and Peebles: nearest are Tweedbank and Galashiels.

A few places around Lockerbie do work, because there are no nearby stations on the same line. I think Moffat is also Lockerbie then Dumfries.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Prior to the reopening of the Todmorden curve, I may have cited Bacup in Lancashire, which is slightly nearer to Todmorden than to Burnley Manchester Road....but are they now counted as being on the same line? Other places which come to mind are:

Surely Walsden is the nearest station to Bacup, then Todmorden?

Hayfield in Derbyshire - roughly mid-way between Glossop and either Chinley or New Mills Central.

Nearest station to Hayfield after New Mills Central is probably Furness Vale or New Mills Newtown. Whilst theres a direct road over to Glossop, it's not the nearest or even second nearest.

Tideswell in Derbyshire - roughly mid-way between Edale and Buxton.

I would say that the two nearest stations to Tideswell are probably Dove Holes (last stop before Buxton) and Hope (next stop after Edale towards Sheffield).

Oxenhope in West Yorkshire - roughly mid-way between Keighley and Hebden Bridge.

Mytholmroyd (next station along the Calder Valley line towards Leeds from Hebden Bridge) might just be closer to Oxenhope than Keighley, but there's not much in it.

 

[Magdalia]

Prior to the reopening of the Todmorden curve, I may have cited Bacup in Lancashire, which is slightly nearer to Todmorden than to Burnley Manchester Road....but are they now counted as being on the same line? Other places which come to mind are:

Barnoldswick and Earby in Lancashire (formerly in Yorkshire) - roughly mid-way between Colne and Skipton.

Denholme in West Yorkshire - roughly mid-way between Keighley and Halifax.

Clayton West in West Yorkshire (which had a station until 1983) - roughly mid-way between Denby Dale and Darton.

Rishworth in West Yorkshire - roughly half-way between Sowerby Bridge and Slaithwaite.

Oxenhope in West Yorkshire - roughly mid-way between Keighley and Hebden Bridge.

Hayfield in Derbyshire - roughly mid-way between Glossop and either Chinley or New Mills Central.

Tideswell in Derbyshire - roughly mid-way between Edale and Buxton.

Midhurst in West Sussex - roughly mid-way between Petersfield and Pulborough.

Lochmaben in Dumfries and Galloway - roughly mid-way between Dumfries and Lockerbie.

I could go on, but it's time to give someone else a chance!

Hayfield in Derbyshire -roughly mid-way between Glossop and Chinley.

I'm with @Mcr Warrior on Hayfield and Tideswell, but with @D6130 on Oxenhope.

Denholme nearest are Bingley and Crossflatts.

Midhurst nearest are Haslemere and Liphook.

 

[northwichcat]

Langport in Somerset goes one better, it's 3 closest stations are on 3 different lines, Bridgwater, Crewkerne and Yeovil Pen Mill.

There's some similar examples with villages in the Halton borough given Runcorn station is on the Liverpool-Crewe line, Runcorn East is on the Chester-Manchester and Widnes is on the Liverpool-Manchester.

 

[Deafdoggie]

If you want to be silly,

I do want to be silly!
According to http://www.mapcrow.info Lerwick is 222 miles from Bergen, but 211 miles from Aberdeen. Not equal distance, but the two closest.

 

[Magdalia]

Not quite Tulloch and Dalwhinnie, but the village of Kinloch Rannoch (pop 250) is 15 miles from Rannoch station on the WHL and 13.5 miles (further by car) from Blair Atholl on the HML

Aberfoyle is nearly equidistant between Balloch to the west and Dunlane to the east.

And Kinross is 12.5 miles south of Perth, 12.5 miles SE of Gleneagles, 11.8 miles west of Markinch and 7.2 miles north of Cowdenbeath

(all as the crow flies)



Dalmellington - somewhere even Richard Hannay would have avoided, but inhabited by over 1400 people

(midway between Maybole on Stranraer line and New Crumnock on the Dumfries line)

On the Solway coast, Kirkcudbright has a population of 3,350 served by Dumfries - 23.5 miles or Barrhill - 34 miles. Or, Maryport in Cumbria - 24 miles

(all as the crow flies)

The nearest station to Aberfoyle, as the crow flies, I think is Arrochar and Tarbet. This might put it in the three line category?

Kinross: nearest will be Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly?

Kirkcudbright: I hadn't thought of looking across the Solway Firth, but all of the stations between Workington and Maryport look similar distance from the other side.

 

[InOban]

Fort Augustus: nearest are Tulloch, Roy Bridge and Spean Bridge.
Appin: nearest are Connel Ferry, Oban and Taynuilt.
Grantown on Spey: nearest are Aviemore and Carr Bridge.
Aberlour: nearest are Elgin and Keith.
Kelso and Peebles: nearest are Tweedbank and Galashiels.

A few places around Lockerbie do work, because there are no nearby stations on the same line. I think Moffat is also Lockerbie then Dumfries.

You're being very strict about your interpretation of the OP's rules! Anyway Invermoriston is exactly halfway between Spean Bridge and Inverness so that certainly counts. And if you go a few miles north from Appin to Duror, that counts.

Essentially if you're in the lower Spey, if you wanted to go to Inverness or Aberdeen by train, you'd head north to either Keith or Elgin. If it's central Scotland or further, then it's Aviemore (because it has many more trains than Carrbridge ) You have a choice of stations on different lines. Same at Kelso.

 

[Magdalia]

I do want to be silly!
According to http://www.mapcrow.info Lerwick is 222 miles from Bergen, but 211 miles from Aberdeen. Not equal distance, but the two closest.

That's not silly, but lots of Scottish stations are nearer to Lerwick than Aberdeen. The key question is whether Thurso and Wick are nearer than Bergen.

 

[gg1]

Find us one!

Essan beat me to it with 2 examples, further north you can also add Drongan, population over 4,000, two closest stations are Ayr and Auchinleck.

It is difficult to avoid Barrhill+Stranraer, Sanquhar+Kirkconnel or Sanquhar+Dumfries without going somewhere that only Richard Hannay has been.

The pairings of Barrhill+Stranraer and Dumfries+Sanquhar are each around 20 miles apart with a number of other pairs of adjacent stations on both lines being 10+ miles, stands to reason there will be a fair number of settlements (admitedly a lot of them on the small side) in between the 2 lines which meet the criteria.

 

[zwk500]

That's not silly, but lots of Scottish stations are nearer to Lerwick than Aberdeen. The key question is whether Thurso and Wick are nearer than Bergen.

According to Google, Both Thurso and Wick are 220km from Lewick, whereas Bergen is 358km away

 

[Magdalia]

You're being very strict about your interpretation of the OP's rules!

Absolutely! The OP has clearly asked for places where the two nearest stations are on different lines, not places where people have two alternative stations for where to catch the train.

Anyway Invermoriston is exactly halfway between Spean Bridge and Inverness so that certainly counts. And if you go a few miles north from Appin to Duror, that counts.

Nearest to Invermoriston, as the crow flies, is actually Beauly. If Inverness is nearer than Tulloch then Invermoriston does not count. At Duror I think Taynuilt is still nearer than Fort William.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Aberfoyle is nearly equidistant between Balloch to the west and Dunlane to the east.

The nearest station to Aberfoyle, as the crow flies, I think is Arrochar and Tarbet. This might put it in the three line category?

Agree that Arrochar and Tarbet is probably nearest to Aberfoyle. Next nearest station, however, is probably Ardlui.

Kirkcudbright: I hadn't thought of looking across the Solway Firth, but all of the stations between Workington and Maryport look similar distance from the other side.

Probably Flimby the nearest station from Kirkcudbright as the crow flies, then Maryport/Workington followed by Dumfries.

 

[Kingston Dan]

Fort Augustus: nearest are Tulloch, Roy Bridge and Spean Bridge.
Appin: nearest are Connel Ferry, Oban and Taynuilt.
Grantown on Spey: nearest are Aviemore and Carr Bridge.
Aberlour: nearest are Elgin and Keith.
Kelso and Peebles: nearest are Tweedbank and Galashiels.

A few places around Lockerbie do work, because there are no nearby stations on the same line. I think Moffat is also Lockerbie then Dumfries.

How about Braemar? Nearest stations probably Kingussie/Newtonmore/Aviemore, Blair Atholl and Aberdeen.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

How about Braemar? Nearest stations probably Kingussie/Newtonmore/Aviemore, Blair Atholl and Aberdeen.

Carr Bridge and Pitlochry possibly nearer than Aberdeen.

Therefore the five/six nearest stations to Braemar, as the crow flies, are all on the same line (Highland Main line).

 

[Magdalia]

Braemar is an interesting one. I think that the nearest are Aviemore and Blair Atholl, on the same line but not consecutive. Nearby Ballater could be similar with Stonehaven and Kintore.