Coldest UK railway station

[61653 HTAFC]

Freezinghall
Alfroston (& Mansfield Parkway)
Shiverton Parkway

A small dab of white paint and Eridge could become "Fridge"...

 

[Deepgreen]

Coldest I have ever been getting off a train (tube actually) was about 15 years ago. I used the small Eastern Exit at Canary Wharf, but blasted by a full on Beast from the East, coming straight up Thames Estuary complete with dampness from river.

Was only about -8c, but those massive buildings cause a funnelling of wind and it was a 50+mph windchill (so effectively about -25c). Wasn’t expecting a drop of 30c (or 45c with windchill) whilst going up an escalator

Will never happen again, as Wood Wharf has been built, blocking direct wind

It certainly wasn't -8C (actual temperature) as the temperature through most of that spell was 'only' around -2C or -3C, but it was unusual in maintaining that temperature day and night because the strong wind didn't allow any overnight further cooling. I used to work at Canary Wharf and there were some fierce wind effects around the towers there.

 

[DelW]

Disappointed at the lack of puns in this thread... so here's a few:
Coldshill Parkway
Ice and Elton
Ice-lip
Brrrrrnley Manchester Road!

Maybe it's too obvious, but I haven't seen Sutton Coldfield suggested yet

 

[lyndhurst25]

Nethertown and Braystones stations are very exposed to the Irish Sea. At least the open sides of the bus-shelter-style waiting-shelters face inland.

 

[ian959]

Two that always spring to mind: Crianlarich whilst waiting for the Sleeper in the middle of January... and Sheffield (forgot which platform) whilst waiting for a London train, snowing and blowing a gale (and me just off the plane from Australia!). At the wrong time of day/year, just about any station will result in your manhood being permanently damaged.

 

[Mogz]

Birkenhead Park aka Pneumonia Junction.

 

[Deepgreen]

I felt quite chilly once at Dorking in a snow shower - does that count?(!)

 

[hstmatt]

Warrington Bank Quay

 

[alangla]

Its warmer but dingier /smellier

Positively balmy. You’re in an enclosed space that runs from Anderston to the old Glasgow Green station with few openings. Anyway, nothing is as smelly as that sewage smell eastbound trains seem to collect between Charing X and Queen Street on a warm day.

 

[fgwrich]

I'm surprised to see Reading doesn't have a mention yet - The station positively has it's own microclimate, usually fairly warm on the transfer deck (unless the wind's blowing through it), while the platforms are a wind tunnel themselves. Not helped by the elevated nature of the new suburban platforms on the north side of the station.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Another vote for Ice Station Zebra (GLQ Low Level)

 

[Gathursty]

After a mad week, I drove to Ribblehead station 40 mins after the last train left yesterday for some reflection and isolation. Astounded to enter a heated waiting room in what was otherwise a cold and dark evening. I noticed The Station Inn had skeleton staff walking around presumably dumbstruck at what has happened to their livelihoods.

Shocked to also have a supermarket wagon catch up from nowhere and be almost running me off the road by the time I'd left Long Preston going north. I appreciate they are under pressure but racing through a chilly A65 in the middle of the night around blind bends and dips is not helpful to anyone in this country.

 

[111-111-1]

The Southern steam men always mentioned Basingstoke as being cold.

 

[STANDISH]

Droylsden(Closed1968). Train spotting in all weathers in the late 1950,s until the early 1960's. Cold feet and chilblains. Does anybody get chilblains these days ?

 

[Pinus contorta]

Droylsden(Closed1968). Train spotting in all weathers in the late 1950,s until the early 1960's. Cold feet and chilblains. Does anybody get chilblains these days ?

I've barely been out at all for over a week, due to Covid - 19 recommendation, but I've still got chilblains on my left foot.

 

[Phil G]

I'm surprised to see Reading doesn't have a mention yet - The station positively has it's own microclimate, usually fairly warm on the transfer deck (unless the wind's blowing through it), while the platforms are a wind tunnel themselves. Not helped by the elevated nature of the new suburban platforms on the north side of the station.

I was going to say Reading, it's positively freezing there, every time I've been, don't remember it being like that before the rebuild.

 

[frodshamfella]

Crewe , Ebbsfleet, both freezing. Manchester Airport can be cold.

 

[londonmidland]

East Midlands Parkway - a permanent wind tunnel station.

 

[fgwrich]

I was going to say Reading, it's positively freezing there, every time I've been, don't remember it being like that before the rebuild.

It's odd, I think the design of it has made it act like a permanent wind tunnel. Yet the transfer deck seems to bring it's own microclimate.

 

[faltskog36abba]

Littleborough- waiting in sub zero temperatures in February when my train was cancelled.
Greenfield - December when I was waiting for a severely delayed train, I have never been so happy to see an 142 turn up.

 

[yorksrob]

Dent, Ribblehead platforms though both have heated waiting rooms.

Ah yes, Ribblehead on a perishing winters night, waiting for the lights of the train to curve out of the blackness in the distance.

ooh I wish I was there !

 

[oxfordray1]

For me it is Edale and one time in particular. I'd walked in the pouring rain and a howling gale from Chinley to Edale. Arriving at Edale, I was soaked and even the two excellent pubs couldn't warm me up. Then waiting for a train home, outside, as the shelter was packed. All whilst still pelting it down. Great day, but absolutely freezing.

 

[London Trains]

Well if were still going with the puns:

Brrrrrrrighton
Cold Street
Coldworth
Windsor and Eton Shiverside
Windchester

 

[Skipness]

It's true. Darlington officially has it's own weather, permanently arctic.

I can remember waiting at Darlington for a southbound mail train pulled by an A3 with something like 12 Mail vans and 3 passenger coaches, but the waiting room at the north end of the platform had an open fire fed by loco sized lump coal. (On a positive note, the station staff at Grosmont on the NYMR always have a supply of loco coal for the waiting room there)

 

[faltskog36abba]

Warrington Bank Quay

I was there 7 years ago and it was freezing, There was a heated waiting room though-Is that no longer there?.

 

[Esker-pades]

I was there 7 years ago and it was freezing, There was a heated waiting room though-Is that no longer there?.

It was in February this year.

 

[Jozhua]

)

Piccadilly end of platforms 13 - 14

Antarctic explorers have gone missing there in July.

Piccadilly is pretty cold, although the main concourse is mostly bearable. The waiting area has gotten somewhat better in recent months, but I still don't rate it!

Sheffield 2/3/4/5, and there is nowhere to get warm unless you go in the buffet.

All of Sheffield station is freezing cold. The waiting areas, the entrance, corridors, toilets, all of it freezing.

Derby has some bearable areas in the depth of winter, not Sheffield. No. I HATE changing at Sheffield in the winter, it's positively awful.

For me, solutions when possible in winter is to use Chesterfield instead of Sheffield (gross station, but better heated waiting areas) and Stockport instead of Manchester Piccadilly 13/14, as it has pretty good heated waiting rooms with comfy seats and charging points. Plus, when your train gets snarled up at Castlefield (Petition to resolve that is available...) you're at least in the warmth of the train instead of being blown about on the platforms.

 

[satters]

Probably Rannoch, Corrour or Dalwhinnie.

oh crumbs Dalwhinnie, managed to cause the sleeper to stop back in the 90's, it had to set back and attempt the bank again

Coldest i've experienced is Smethwick Galton Bridge Low Level at 05:30 on winter mornings

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Actually - Borth - on a freezing March Saturday evening , "well dined" and awaiting the last one back to Aber which of course was caped at Machynlleth for some obscure reason. We tried the help point which gave you information across the estuary for Aberdovey. Not an emergency so did not press that button. So having nearly been blown away and frozen we retired to the local pub which was just about getting going and stayed for an hour or two , and got a lift back to Aber with a well pissed local. Via the back roads. Almost a Withnail and I experience , to the extent that guidance was given on "left hand bend coming up" - but to be fair he drove at 20 mph , "proceed on caution" etc -20 year+ago ....We all survived.

 

[Kendalian]

Spent plenty of time at Oxenholme as a youngster to know how cold it is. Adding "The Lake District" didn't make it any warmer, or drier