Trivia: Stations where passengers headed for a completely different destination end up on a regular basis

[hermit]

When I asked for a ticket to Sandown at Waterloo, the clerk’s first reaction was to offer me a ticket to Esher, for Sandown Park racecourse.

 

[unlevel42]

During WWII, Oban was a restricted area and access was forbidden without good reason and a special pass was required. As no tickets were available from any station, there was a tale told that a ticket clerk at Euston was asked by a civilian for a single to Oban. This purchaser queried the enormous price difference between what he had paid coming down(10/-) and the ticket sold(2d) and then realised that he had received a ticket to Holborn. True?

Buying a ticket for Middlewood(for Poynton-a nice walk) at Sheffield station and you be sent to the tramstop.

Buying online for a journey from Sheffield I entered Shenfield as the ticket pickup point.

 

[urbophile]

I was under the impression that "Waterloo" was an anglicisation of the Flemish "Westerlo".

But there is a station (and town) called Waterloo in Belgium. As also in Merseyside!

 

[Mollman]

There was even a man who had a ticket for Salisbury, who must have been misheard at Wolverhampton, that ended up at Shrewsbury after being sent there from Wolves.

When doing Rail Replacement control, I had to deal with someone who had gone to Blackpool instead of Blackburn. He was convinced that the staff at Preston had deliberately put him on the wrong bus.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

But there is a station (and town) called Waterloo in Belgium. As also in Merseyside!

For avoidance of doubt, I wasn't attempting to "correct" anyone- just expressing my prior misconception. I'd thought that English speakers calling it "Waterloo" was a bit like calling the Italian city of Livorno "Leghorn"- which I'm pretty sure nobody has used since the end of WW2.

 

[zwk500]

For avoidance of doubt, I wasn't attempting to "correct" anyone- just expressing my prior misconception. I'd thought that English speakers calling it "Waterloo" was a bit like calling the Italian city of Livorno "Leghorn"- which I'm pretty sure nobody has used since the end of WW2.

But it's no different to Milano/Milan, Torino/Turin, Köln/Cologne or München/Munich.

 

[SargeNpton]

Following the death of the Princess of Wales, there were reports of people turning up by train at Althorpe in Lincolnshire to lay flowers, instead of going to Northampton for Althorp House.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

But it's no different to Milano/Milan, Torino/Turin, Köln/Cologne or München/Munich.

I was more meaning in terms of how commonly the anglicised version is used. You hear Munich all the time but the only time anyone says "Leghorn" they're talking about an animated rooster.

 

[Dr_Paul]

During WWII, Oban was a restricted area and access was forbidden without good reason and a special pass was required. As no tickets were available from any station, there was a tale told that a ticket clerk at Euston was asked by a civilian for a single to Oban. This purchaser queried the enormous price difference between what he had paid coming down(10/-) and the ticket sold(2d) and then realised that he had received a ticket to Holborn. True?

I wouldn't be surprised, as Londoners pronounce the London area in much the same way as they do the Scottish town: 'Ob'n'.

 

[zwk500]

I wouldn't be surprised, as Londoners pronounce the London area in much the same way as they do the Scottish town: 'Ob'n'.

Although Holborn is an Underground station. Did the mainline LMS ticket office sell tickets on behalf of LT (or whoever they were) at the time?

 

[Dr_Paul]

Although Holborn is an Underground station. Did the mainline LMS ticket office sell tickets on behalf of LT (or whoever they were) at the time?

That's a good point. Perhaps it's one of those apocryphal tales we've been discussing on the 'Wrong Railway Facts' thread elsewhere.

 

[urbophile]

That's a good point. Perhaps it's one of those apocryphal tales we've been discussing on the 'Wrong Railway Facts' thread elsewhere.

There used to be Holborn Viaduct. But getting there from Euston without using the Underground might have been difficult.

 

[zwk500]

There used to be Holborn Viaduct. But getting there from Euston without using the Underground might have been difficult.

Were there still passenger services through from King's Cross at that time?

 

[Efini92]

Have seen someone board a TPE train at Huddersfield, next stop Manchester Victoria, but actually wanting the Manchester Piccadilly train following immediately behind.

Not sure if this is quite what the OP is looking for, though.

I’ve known train crew travelling passenger to Oxford road board the lime st train at Manchester Victoria for the same reason.

 

[scragend]

I was under the impression that "Waterloo" was an anglicisation of the Flemish "Westerlo".

Is it? Westerlo is a small municipality close to Antwerp. A completely different place from "the" Waterloo in Wallonia.

I would have thought it more likely that the station in London was named after the site of the famous 1815 battle rather than some obscure place on the outskirts of Antwerp.

EDIT: Didn't see subsequent posts at the time of posting

 

[zwk500]

Is it? Westerlo is a small municipality close to Antwerp. A completely different place from "the" Waterloo in Wallonia.

I would have thought it more likely that the station in London was named after the site of the famous 1815 battle rather than some obscure place on the outskirts of Antwerp.

EDIT: Didn't see subsequent posts at the time of posting

Interestingly Wikipedia doesn't give Westerlo as a redirect option for searching 'Waterloo'. The town in Wallonia after which the battle is named is properly Waterlô, but the SNCB station spells it 'Waterloo', so the question is fairly moot.

The main London Waterloo station is named after the adjacent Waterloo Bridge, which is itself directly named for the Battle. Waterloo East is named for it's relation to London Waterloo, and London Waterloo International was, of course, part of the London Waterloo Complex.

 

[PlatformEdgeVT]

I could imagine cases of people wanting to go to Hertford (East or North) and ending up at Hartford, and vice versa. In other cases, people could want to go to Acton Main Line, and end up at Acton Bridge, and again vice versa. Though these are very unlikely...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Is it? Westerlo is a small municipality close to Antwerp. A completely different place from "the" Waterloo in Wallonia.

I would have thought it more likely that the station in London was named after the site of the famous 1815 battle rather than some obscure place on the outskirts of Antwerp.

EDIT: Didn't see subsequent posts at the time of posting

Once again, this site has caused me to correct my wrongly assumed knowledge. I should probably research things before posting and making a fool of missen!

 

[zwk500]

I could imagine cases of people wanting to go to Hertford (East or North) and ending up at Hartford, and vice versa. In other cases, people could want to go to Acton Main Line, and end up at Acton Bridge, and again vice versa. Though these are very unlikely...

Wasn't there a Comedian who ended up at Hereford instead of Hertford once?

 

[MadMac]

I could imagine cases of people wanting to go to Hertford (East or North) and ending up at Hartford, and vice versa. In other cases, people could want to go to Acton Main Line, and end up at Acton Bridge, and again vice versa. Though these are very unlikely...

Not railway-related, but I’ve told the tale previously of a club in Bo’ness (on the shore of the River Forth) who, about an hour before that evening’s band were due on stage, received a call from said band asking for directions. After a few minutes‘ discussion it emerged that the band were 180 miles away in Bowness-on-Windermere…..

 

[Mordac]

Wasn't there a Comedian who ended up at Hereford instead of Hertford once?

Imagine that probably happened more than once, as a lot of people pronounce the two identically. Even I really have to enunciate carefully if I want to make sure there will be no confusion. Living in Birmingham, most people will assume I mean Hereford, but I'm guessing in London it would be the opposite.

 

[PlatformEdgeVT]

Imagine that probably happened more than once, as a lot of people pronounce the two identically. Even I really have to enunciate carefully if I want to make sure there will be no confusion. Living in Birmingham, most people will assume I mean Hereford, but I'm guessing in London it would be the opposite.

You could also take a train from Birmingham to Hartford...

 

[mmh]

I could imagine cases of people wanting to go to Hertford (East or North) and ending up at Hartford, and vice versa

I can't. I'm afraid that feels like (yet another) example of imagining people might be confused enough to end up somewhere nowhere near, but in practice has never happened. Many many places have the same name, and people cope, so I don't know why there's this idea they can't cope with homophones on the railway.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I can't. I'm afraid that feels like (yet another) example of imagining people might be confused enough to end up somewhere nowhere near, but in practice has never happened. Many many places have the same name, and people cope, so I don't know why there's this idea they can't cope with homophones on the railway.

Ah, so the stories about dozens of people ending up at Wick in Scotland and asking for the south of the town (when they meant to go to Southwick station near Brighton) must be apocryphal then.

 

[urbophile]

Were there still passenger services through from King's Cross at that time?

Maybe. But why would you go to Euston booking office in that case?

 

[Volvictof]

The Town of Whitley Bay got its name when the body of a deceased man bound for Whitby ended up in the then named “Whitley”
a competition was launched to rename the town and Whitley Bay was the winner.

 

[185143]

A Merseyrail guard told me years ago he had a member of staff put someone on his train at Waterloo who spoke little English. They'd got off the train there and asked for the Northern Line. Got sent back to the platform, to then return to the booking office and ask for the Underground...

I wonder how many people have arrived at Moorfields Station in Central Liverpool looking for an eye hospital of the same name.

 

[T-Karmel]

I wonder if anyone ever confused Bradford-on-Avon with Bradford.

From the time I worked at Heathrow, I regularly had tourists saying Liverpool Street and meaning Liverpool Lime Street, or saying Liverpool and meaning Liverpool Street.

A non railway example were people asking for Terminal South or North (they're at Gatwick) or a check-in desk for an airline that doesn't fly to Heathrow. They happened to be flying out of Luton, Stansted or Gatwick.

And another frequent occurrence were people waiting for someone arriving in Terminal 3, because that's what it said on itinerary they were sent. I had to point out to them on the very itinerary they had in their hand, that person they waited for departed from Terminal 3 in their origin airport and are arriving in Terminal 2 at Heathrow. Also, I think in some cases itinerary only mentioned Terminal of departure but not the one of arrival.

 

[Rescars]

I wonder if anyone ever confused Bradford-on-Avon with Bradford.

From the time I worked at Heathrow, I regularly had tourists saying Liverpool Street and meaning Liverpool Lime Street, or saying Liverpool and meaning Liverpool Street.

A non railway example were people asking for Terminal South or North (they're at Gatwick) or a check-in desk for an airline that doesn't fly to Heathrow. They happened to be flying out of Luton, Stansted or Gatwick.

And another frequent occurrence were people waiting for someone arriving in Terminal 3, because that's what it said on itinerary they were sent. I had to point out to them on the very itinerary they had in their hand, that person they waited for departed from Terminal 3 in their origin airport and are arriving in Terminal 2 at Heathrow. Also, I think in some cases itinerary only mentioned Terminal of departure but not the one of arrival.

I have encountered taxi drivers in Dublin who refuse to start a trip to the airport without having seen your ticket, so as to be certain they are taking you to the right airport. I wonder if this happens with railway stations too.

 

[mmh]

I have encountered taxi drivers in Dublin who refuse to start a trip to the airport without having seen your ticket, so as to be certain they are taking you to the right airport. I wonder if this happens with railway stations too.

Really? How many airports does Dublin have?