'Awkward' towns without railway stations

[A S Leib]

Which examples of towns are there which don't have their own railway station, but are close enough to one already that the cost of building one probably outweighs the benefits?

For example, Melrose is a 30-40 minute walk from Tweedbank, so probably won't get a station back unless the route at least as far as Hawick is reinstated (and current Waverley–Tweedbank journey times are timed to be 60 minutes a lot of the time; does that make timing any easier?), and Hythe (Kent) is a ~40 minute walk from Sandling.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Skelmersdale. Unlikely to get one now, particularly because Maghull North is about a ten-minute drive from most estates, and because of the distributed nature of the town and distance from the bus station the originally proposed Glenburn School site for a station was likely to be reached almost exclusively by car and taxi.

 

[yorksrob]

Hailsham, probably too near to Polegate, Leigh Lancs, unlikely now it has a busway.

 

[gg1]

Canvey Island - 2-3 miles from Benfleet (to the town itself, distance to the island is less than 100 metres)

An example where no rail company has ever considered it worthwhile as there has never been a rail link to the island.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Which examples of towns are there which don't have their own railway station, but are close enough to one already that the cost of building one probably outweighs the benefits?

Just to clarify, are you including GB locations that have had railway stations in the past, but now no longer do?

 

[Dai Corner]

Clevedon in North Somerset has expanded significantly since its branch line from Yatton on the Bristol-Exeter line closed. Many of the residents commute to Bristol.

Unfortunately the M5 is in the way now and crossing that would be extremely expensive.

The next town up the coast, Portishead, has been luckier as its branch survived to serve the Royal Portbury Dock and after decades of effort it will regain a passenger service.

 

[fandroid]

I always thought that terminating GWR Thames Valley services at Bedwyn was really weird when Gt. Bedwyn itself is so tiny and nearby Marlborough (with its large school) would have been a far more logical terminus. Now, it's a fairly short car journey from Marlborough to Bedwyn or Hungerford, so the cost of reinstating branch line and station outweighs any benefit.

 

[RailWonderer]

Well Gosport, Wisbech, Ashby, Swadlincote, Midsomer Norton are all the usual ones, some of which had stations before Beeching cuts or WWI. Now Halesowen has to do with Old Hill, Midsomer with taxis to Bath or Frome, Ashby to Burton. Wisbech but more likely Midsomer is the furthest from a station to my knowledge.

 

[Western Sunset]

Shaftesbury never had a railway, but topography (being at the top of a hill) doubtless influenced this.

 

[Falcon1200]

Tenterden still has a railway, albeit without its two former main line connections; That at Robertsbridge will, one day, be restored, but not as a viable public transport option.

 

[paul1609]

Tenterden still has a railway, albeit without its two former main line connections; That at Robertsbridge will, one day, be restored, but not as a viable public transport option.

The link at Robesrtbridge is one day soon
Tenterden itself never had very much in the way of passenger traffic to the main line. 58 miles from Charing Cross was in steam days considered too far for daily commuting. The railways staple was always agricultural produce, hence the tradition of mixed trains and why the last part of the railway to close was the short section between Hodsons Mill and Robertsbridge.
This raison d'etre even managed to survive until preservation the first proposal was for a volunteer worked railway to provide wagonload freight on to the mainline with an occasional passenger service rather than the tourist railway we are today.

 

[A S Leib]

Just to clarify, are you including GB locations that have had railway stations in the past, but now no longer do?

Yes (I gave Melrose as an example; I'm not sure if Hythe in Kent ever had a mainline station).

 

[Buzby]

Without a doubt, Stranraer (Town) would receive 100% of the passenger traffic if it reopened. The requirement for Stranraer (Harbour) died when Stena moved its Irish Ferry operations to Cairnryan. Passengers are expected to schlep up the entire length of the pier in all weathers simply to ‘catch a train’. No wonder the buses to Girvan and Ayr really take the strain - and are quicker too.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes (I gave Melrose as an example; I'm not sure if Hythe in Kent ever had a mainline station).

It did until around 1951 I think, but it wasn't particularly convenient for the town.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I think you can add Harefield to that list, as well as Biggin Hill.

Clapham Park, whilst an area of inner South London, really should have had a railway. It's in a bit of a railway desert, but with dense housing. The Brighton Mainline should, in theory, have ploughed with through it, but wisely or unwisely, turned left at Balham and takes a lovely detour through Battersea.

 

[Magdalia]

Which examples of towns are there which don't have their own railway station, but are close enough to one already that the cost of building one probably outweighs the benefits?

East Anglia has lots of towns with no railway station. Here are a few that have an open station nearby:

Hoddesdon/Broxbourne (prior to electrification the station was called Broxbourne and Hoddesdon)
Saffron Walden/Audley End
Shefford/Arlesey
Ampthill/Flitwick

There are plenty more examples a bit further away from the railway.

 

[izvor]

I always thought that terminating GWR Thames Valley services at Bedwyn was really weird when Gt. Bedwyn itself is so tiny and nearby Marlborough (with its large school) would have been a far more logical terminus. Now, it's a fairly short car journey from Marlborough to Bedwyn or Hungerford, so the cost of reinstating branch line and station outweighs any benefit.

Agreed, but it's been pointed out to me that Devizes has a much larger population and would make a better terminus.

Canvey Island - 2-3 miles from Benfleet (to the town itself, distance to the island is less than 100 metres)

An example where no rail company has ever considered it worthwhile as there has never been a rail link to the island.

...although there was a horse monorail on the island for a short while! Canvey is an excellent example, the passenger figures for Benfleet are higher than any further down the c2c line — although of course stations in the Southend conurbation are closely spaced.

Clevedon in North Somerset has expanded significantly since its branch line from Yatton on the Bristol-Exeter line closed. Many of the residents commute to Bristol.

I read recently that the short Clevedon branch was almost at break-even operationally before it was axed. Another short-sighted closure decision.

 

[A S Leib]

Hoddesdon/Broxbourne (prior to electrification the station was called Broxbourne and Hoddesdon)

And both Apsley and Hemel Hempstead stations are around a 25 minute walk from Hemel town centre, with Hemel variously having been called Boxmoor, Hemel & Boxmoor, and Boxmoor & Hemel (I think).

I think Rye House is a similar distance to Hoddesdon town centre as Broxbourne, but without the Stratford–Bishop's Stortford and Cambridge services.

 

[Bald Rick]

Wells and Southwell.

I remain surprised that no one on these pages ever proposes building new lines to them.

 

[A S Leib]

Wells and Southwell.

I remain surprised that no one on these pages ever proposes building new lines to them.

I was thinking of stations close enough to existing ones where just using those isn't completely impractical; Wells is ten miles from Castle Cary so there probably aren't any passengers walking from Wells to Castle Cary to commute to Exeter or London (although by car I agree it falls into that awkward spot).

 

[Horizon22]

Abingdon is awkwardly close to the railway, but also has Radley and Culham nearby and pretty decent fast bus links to Oxford & Didcot

 

[HSTEd]

Without a doubt, Stranraer (Town) would receive 100% of the passenger traffic if it reopened. The requirement for Stranraer (Harbour) died when Stena moved its Irish Ferry operations to Cairnryan. Passengers are expected to schlep up the entire length of the pier in all weathers simply to ‘catch a train’. No wonder the buses to Girvan and Ayr really take the strain - and are quicker too.

Is there any reason it hasn't been seriously considered?

The site appears to be clear and there would seem to be ample space for a station and facilities.

 

[newguy]

Strathaven would fit. Previously had a station and with larkhall close by could reopen

 

[Buzby]

Is there any reason it hasn't been seriously considered?

Probably money - the town station was a terminus (a bit like Inverness) so it was easy to bypass with 2 junctions the first to service the Cairnryan Military Railway - which linked with the Port before being abandoned and the second to the nearby harbour which home to BR’s Sealink (later Stena Line). There was a third junction to the original port of Portpatrick but this was abandoned in preference to the more sheltered Stranraer at the bottom of Loch Ryan. It’s reason to exist being questioned by the complete run down of the facilities with next to no freight and a single overgrown platform that requires anyone arriving there to walk the full length of the pier to reach the town or bus/taxi stop for a connection to the relocated ferry 4 miles away.

I doubt the Scottish Govt would consider the change as (1) Foot passengers are a minority, both P&O and Stena Superfast are fully RoRo capable (2) Even if a case could be made to support a slimmed-down ‘Town’ station the line south of Ayr (when operational) takes a slow and circuitous route over the hills and is single track until it joins the final segment of the ‘Port Road’. Linking Carlisle, Dumfries and Newton Stewart with Stranraer, the closure of this meant (3) even fewer railway users heading to Stranraer. With the bus from Ayr through Girvan to the town easily beating the the train - if not in convenience it certainly does in time, and is well patronised.

 

[Falcon1200]

Probably money - the town station was a terminus

Agree, it would of course cost to build, effectively, a new station at Stranraer Town, and alter the track layout to serve it, even if it were just to be a single track one platform affair.

 

[SargeNpton]

Agree, it would of course cost to build, effectively, a new station at Stranraer Town, and alter the track layout to serve it, even if it were just to be a single track one platform affair.

Offset by the long-term savings of not maintaining that length of track onto the harbour, and the existing station.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Ossett in West Yorkshire is an awkward one. Had a few stations in the past but wouldn't be easy to get a railway close to the town centre now. Nearest stations are Batley and Dewsbury, followed by Wakefield Westgate. Nearest railway is the line through Healey Mills, at a significantly lower elevation than Ossett town centre and with no station provided.

 

[778]

Burntwood in Staffordshire. I think it could be the largest town in the country that has never had a railway station.

 

[D6130]

Strathaven would fit. Previously had a station and with larkhall close by could reopen

Unfortunately reopening Larkhall-Strathaven would require reinstatement of the large Stonehouse viaduct - of which only the stone piers and abutments remain - plus a thorough refurbishment (probably a rebuild) of the other viaduct just South of Larkhall. Depending on where the new station in Strathaven were to be sited, a new viaduct to replace the demolished one across the Powmillion Burn near the castle might also be needed. The whole scheme would cost billions....which is why the 1990s reopening never progressed beyond Larkhall.

the town station was a terminus (a bit like Inverness) so it was easy to bypass with 2 junctions the first to service the Cairnryan Military Railway - which linked with the Port before being abandoned and the second to the nearby harbour which home to BR’s Sealink (later Stena Line). There was a third junction to the original port of Portpatrick

IIRC, Stranraer Town was originally a through station on the line to Portpatrick. The Cairnryan Military Railway diverged from the main line at Castle Kennedy, several miles to the East of Stranraer at the end of the short double track section from Dunragit.

 

[BeijingDave]

Tarporley in Cheshire (population around 3000 and a small market town, recently named by The Times as one of Britain's best places to live). Just that little bit too far from the Chester-Crewe line to make a station worthwhile, even though many smaller settlements nearby have stations (Delamere, Mouldsworth, Hope, Hooton, Capenhurst and so on...).

Warwick University*, a small town in itself, could probably easily support a station at Gibbet Hill if situated just slightly closer to the railway, given about half of its 'live off campus' students live in Kenilworth and Leamington Spa and those are the places it would be connected to. The bus to Leamington takes about 30 minutes. Onward connections from Coventry to the North West and Leamington to London for a huge number of students.

*Birmingham University, of course, has one.