Stations that fell from grace- stations still in use today that once were significantly more impressive.

[Welshman]

Who remembers when there was Exchange next door and the fabulous long platform. Exchange had gone before I visited except for a footbridge but the long platform remained. Gone now?

Unfortunately I am of age to remember it well!
Particularly a long painful dash with heavy suitcases from a North Wales terminator in Exchange along to Victoria, dodging the barrows, down the slope, through the subway and up the steps to Victoria's platform 13 for a train to Halifax.
We just made it, but sat panting and were almost at Rochdale before the heartbeat settled down!

Speaking of stations which are now just a shadow of their former glory, what about Halifax? Joint-owned by L&Y and GN with 6 platforms, 2 signalboxes - East and West and an extensive goods yard - now just the island nearest Mackintosh's [sorry, Nestle] remaining, although I gather there are plans to reopen part of platform 3.

 

[Swanley 59]

Who remembers when there was Exchange next door and the fabulous long platform. Exchange had gone before I visited except for a footbridge but the long platform remained. Gone now?

I vividly remember my father storming ahead as he marched down the long platform, the family trailing in his wake, when we made our annual trip from Newcastle to Bolton. I was very young at the time, so I may have this the wrong way round, but I believe the Newcastle service arrived at Exchange and the Bolton service departed from Victoria.

 

[Welshman]

I vividly remember my father storming ahead as he marched down the long platform, the family trailing in his wake, when we made our annual trip from Newcastle to Bolton. I was very young at the time, so I may have this the wrong way round, but I believe the Newcastle service arrived at Exchange and the Bolton service departed from Victoria.

Well remembered - that's the right way round!

 

[Grumpy]

Inspired by the photograph of Bradford Exchange posted in the grubbiest stations thread, I wonder which of our active stations has seen the biggest decline?

Not sure I agree with the nominations of Ilkley. Yes it lost its through platforms but what remains is pretty good-elegant platform canopies, staffed booking office, busy cafe/restaurants on site plus a Post Office and M&S. It is well located in the town centre next to the bus station and the exit is onto a prosperous tree-lined street.
Hardly what most people would associate with “decline”

 

[Gloster]

I don’t think it has appeared yet, but Severn Tunnel Junction, although it is not so much the station itself but the whole area surrounding it. (I must admit I haven’t been that way for quite a while.)

 

[ChewChewTrain]

Henley only retains one of its once three platforms. Presumably it’s not the only example at the end of a branch line which has diminished in importance.

Never been to Bourne End station but I presume that is a particularly stark example of such.

 

[Ken H]

I don’t think it has appeared yet, but Severn Tunnel Junction, although it is not so much the station itself but the whole area surrounding it. (I must admit I haven’t been that way for quite a while.)

A station, however tidy, will always feel desolate if surrounded by derelict rail facilities.
Last time I went to Scunthorpe it was like that.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

I don’t think it has appeared yet, but Severn Tunnel Junction, although it is not so much the station itself but the whole area surrounding it. (I must admit I haven’t been that way for quite a while.)

It's a sad place these days but should improve if/when the plans to link it to the M4/M48 come to fruition. It does have the potential to serve a large, reasonably heavily populated catchment area once the Grand Union services to London start up.

 

[Lost property]

OK...well if you think Man. Vic is a dump now, you clearly never had the misfortune when it truly was a dump

Bury St Edmunds..." somewhat depleted " compared to the 70's

Holyhead...as bleak, desolate and windswept as it always has been...so no change there.

Chester...at least Northgate was enclosed ...which is more than can be said for the current, somewhat run down looking, station.

 

[greyman42]

Has anyone mentioned Workington?....or Dumfries?

I have not used Dumfries for years but used to use it as a child as we went to the area for holidays. Back then it was a nice station with a small well kept garden so i assume it has gone down hill?

 

[Western Sunset]

Don't think our good friend Pilning has got a mention yet. Once had two adjacent stations (high and low-level) plus sidings for the Severn Tunnel car shuttle. Now one platform and hardly any trains...

 

[Mat17]

OK...well if you think Man. Vic is a dump now, you clearly never had the misfortune when it truly was a dump

I think Man Vic is quite pleasant these days.

It was less slightly welcoming when I first went there in the early 90s. The 504s had just been evicted and the trams hadn't been running long. The Bury service terminated at Victoria at the time - through street running hadn't commenced. My first impressions were of a dark, grimy place.

Went there last year, first time since they've increased the Metrolink platforms and thought, wow this place is quite nice now. Even the through platforms aren't awful, dark and wind tunnel true, but better than New Street.

 

[Ken H]

Don't think our good friend Pilning has got a mention yet. Once had two adjacent stations (high and low-level) plus sidings for the Severn Tunnel car shuttle. Now one platform and hardly any trains...

and there is Polesworth

 

[yorksrob]

Man Vic at least has the saving grace of some fine station buildings.

 

[krus_aragon]

Has anyone mentioned Pontypridd? I was shocked to see what an impressive layout it once was when I first trundled up the valley in about 1996.

Pontypridd is the very station I'd nominate for this thread. The rebuild in 1907 onward gave it one huge island platform, with numerous bays and through platforms set into its edges, and freight lines running past one side. The closure of branches left it with just one platform face in use by the 1970s. The platform reopened in the 90s was built on the old freight lines higher up the hill, leaving the station quite disjointed. The modern footbridge over the northern bays doesn't help much either. Though one southern bay's reopened recently, much of the glorious red brick buildings on the island are disused.

If I had a mega lottery win to spend on a station rebuild, I'd redo the track layout at Pontypridd to abandon the 90s platform, and make full use of the island again.

 

[D6130]

I have not used Dumfries for years but used to use it as a child as we went to the area for holidays. Back then it was a nice station with a small well kept garden so i assume it has gone down hill?

It's still a nice station with a small well-kept garden....but it has lost its bay platforms and through road.

 

[Ken H]

Pontypridd is the very station I'd nominate for this thread. The rebuild in 1907 onward gave it one huge island platform, with numerous bays and through platforms set into its edges, and freight lines running past one side. The closure of branches left it with just one platform face in use by the 1970s. The platform reopened in the 90s was built on the old freight lines higher up the hill, leaving the station quite disjointed. The modern footbridge over the northern bays doesn't help much either. Though one southern bay's reopened recently, much of the glorious red brick buildings on the island are disused.

If I had a mega lottery win to spend on a station rebuild, I'd redo the track layout at Pontypridd to abandon the 90s platform, and make full use of the island again.

love the stone flags

 

[james73]

Largs.

Used to have 4 platforms, 6 tracks, an overall roof and a number of sidings. Platform 1 was lifted and closed in the 70s and electrification in the 80s reduced the station to 2 tracks. The overall roof was still in place until 1995 when 318 254 decided it wanted to get a look at Largs Main Street. Now it's just a small building hosting the ticket office.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Rutherglen, once had platforms on the mainline, and both through platforms and terminating bays for trains on the Central Low Level lines, now just a through island on the re-instated Low Level Lines, although I think the disused and now inaccessible island platform on the slow lines is still in situ.

Also Coatbridge Central, I remember buying a ticket there back when although it only had a handful of trains each day it had a staffed ticket office, now you have to exit the station if you want to get from one desolate platform to the other.

Elgin, nothing really wrong with what is still there but there used to be one through and was it 4 bays for the former GNSR routes.

 

[JamieL]

Very interesting to see some of the suggestions in this thread. I think the range of replies reflects the fact that "modernisation" means many UK railways stations have lost something that once made them feel better than what they are now. Making smaller stations unstaffed with only automated announcements and ticket machines whilst grand station buildings are boarded up/sold off and replaced by plastic bus shelters with uncomfortable seats.

 

[dk1]

OK...well if you think Man. Vic is a dump now, you clearly never had the misfortune when it truly was a dump

Bury St Edmunds..." somewhat depleted " compared to the 70's
.

Bury has had a bit of money spent on it of late & even has automatic ticket gates now.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Dingwall and Georgemas.

Neither ever really a hive of activity, but both used to have three through platforms and a bay.
Georgemas with a track layout for ease of splitting and joining trains and Dingwall with fairly extensive freight sidings too.
And I have used all of the platforms faces at both with the exception of the outside face of the up side island at Georgemas.

 

[duncanp]

Largs.

Used to have 4 platforms, 6 tracks, an overall roof and a number of sidings. Platform 1 was lifted and closed in the 70s and electrification in the 80s reduced the station to 2 tracks. The overall roof was still in place until 1995 when 318 254 decided it wanted to get a look at Largs Main Street. Now it's just a small building hosting the ticket office.

Isn't the station at Ayr compromised by that hotel that will surely fall down at some point in the future, if it isn't demolished first after mysteriously catching fire?

 

[urbophile]

The arch looked very nice (based on photos), but did it actually serve much of a purpose other than looking imposing?

Did it have to serve a purpose to be worth preserving?

 

[70014IronDuke]

Pontypridd is the very station I'd nominate for this thread. The rebuild in 1907 onward gave it one huge island platform, with numerous bays and through platforms set into its edges, and freight lines running past one side. The closure of branches left it with just one platform face in use by the 1970s. The platform reopened in the 90s was built on the old freight lines higher up the hill, leaving the station quite disjointed. The modern footbridge over the northern bays doesn't help much either. Though one southern bay's reopened recently, much of the glorious red brick buildings on the island are disused.

If I had a mega lottery win to spend on a station rebuild, I'd redo the track layout at Pontypridd to abandon the 90s platform, and make full use of the island again.

Gosh, they've made an effort to get that looking so nice, even the unused platform heading north. Congrats to the authority/whoever that did that.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Did it have to serve a purpose to be worth preserving?

Not at all, but if it had had one it'd be more of a loss. Similarly Huddersfield station doesn't "need" to be as grand and imposing as it is, but I'm still glad it survived the attempts to get rid of it in the 1950s/60s.

The present-day Euston is more of an eyesore than the lack of the arch in my opinion.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Hindley was better when it was a four-platform station, but at least the local group have greatly increased the ambience on the two remaining stations.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Oh boy, I wonder how grand it would've looked today. It's desecration reminds me off Penn station over the pond in NYC

I bet today's Euston carries far more traffic than the old one ever could.
The HS2 version might have been the terminus for the entire north and Scotland, but that looks unlikely now.
The old Euston had a few special features, but otherwise was not a pleasant or impressive terminus.

 

[Ken H]

I bet today's Euston carries far more traffic than the old one ever could.
The HS2 version might have been the terminus for the entire north and Scotland, but that looks unlikely now.
The old Euston had a few special features, but otherwise was not a pleasant or impressive terminus.

The 2 glories of Euston were the Doric arch and the great hall
There was no earthly reason not to have kept the arch - perhaps moved towards Euston Road a bit. Losing that was on a par with the proposal to demolish St Pancras.
The Great Hall was really in the way. It didn't really have a purpose in a modern railway and it awkwardly split the site. I think the right decision was made, on balance.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

Gosh, they've made an effort to get that looking so nice, even the unused platform heading north. Congrats to the authority/whoever that did that.

That would be TfW. They also have a policy of letting redndant buildings / spaces to community groups at peppercorn rents. Presumably the buildings as Pontypridd will be made available as some stage.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/no...ed-buildings-victorian-train-station-19896811