Dismal Stations Which Give A Poor First Impression Of The Town They Serve

[507021]

Southport.

 

[urbophile]

West Kirby station is not the best introduction to the very pleasant suburb/town that it serves. Perfectly serviceable island platform with potentially attractive art-deco concrete canopy over the platforms, but it's neglected. You have to sidle over past the cheap-looking 1970s (?) booking office building to get out. If they demolished this and opened up the exit to the former concourse and the old station buildings (including a pleasant café) which surround it, it would make a massive difference. From the street, apart from a Merseyrail totem pole, there is little indication that it is a living and active station, and the buildings, though attractive, have dull dark-green paintwork which makes them look dated rather than charmingly retro.

 

[route101]

As a former resident of Southampton and a fairly regular re-visiter I would say that that is an excellent summary.

Was in Southampton recently. Station entrance I feel is wrong side, but there is a busy road on one side. The entrance is small but once on the platforms its dreary. Southampton felt small for me coming from a big city. No big sights.

 

[DB]

The problem is the post war planners did far more damage to the character of the city than the Luftwaffe ever did.

There are a number of cities where that applies - Coventry is an obvious one (see photos of the pre-war city), and Exeter to a lesser extent (it was notable for its Georgian buildings, many of which were fire-damaged but repairable; they demolished the lot).

Bristol too to an extent - much of what was the core of the city, a dense network of streets, was obliterated to create Castle Park which splits the city centre up and makes it disjointed.

 

[Wolfie]

There are a number of cities where that applies - Coventry is an obvious one (see photos of the pre-war city), and Exeter to a lesser extent (it was notable for its Georgian buildings, many of which were fire-damaged but repairable; they demolished the lot).

Bristol too to an extent - much of what was the core of the city, a dense network of streets, was obliterated to create Castle Park which splits the city centre up and makes it disjointed.

Portsmouth is another such city. The station is ok.

 

[WesternBiker]

I'd love to see a picture of that (shame it's not on t'interweb !

Tim Dunn has posted a copy of the proposed post-war GWR design for Weymouth here on his twitter feed.

 

[yorksrob]

Tim Dunn has posted a copy of the proposed post-war GWR design for Weymouth here on his twitter feed.

Ah thanks for that. It does look very grandiose !

 

[Bletchleyite]

Preston, while lovely looking, needs a decent cafè, shop and station ale house. As mentioned, the footbridge is not fit for purpose and it needs a decent entrance. I wouldn’t call Preston an armpit though maybe I’m biased with being a Chorley bird.

Preston I think is just a fairly average large town that has been blessed with city status. I can certainly think of worse places of similar size - Northampton, for one. Which I think needs posting in the opposite thread!

As a former resident of Southampton and a fairly regular re-visiter I would say that that is an excellent summary.

Rather Southampton than the abject, overcrowded (highest density population in the UK outside London) dive that is Portsmouth.

 

[birchesgreen]

Birmingham Snow Hill, under the platforms is rather dingy, the concourse is tiny and it opens out inside a car park.

 

[507021]

I can certainly think of worse places of similar size - Northampton, for one. Which I think needs posting in the opposite thread!

Sounds like nothing's changed since I was last there then!

The parts of Northampton where I lived (Spinney Hill) and went to school (Abington) in were nice, but the rest of it was pretty grim.

 

[ClagLover]

Preston I think is just a fairly average large town that has been blessed with city status. I can certainly think of worse places of similar size - Northampton, for one. Which I think needs posting in the opposite thread!



Rather Southampton than the abject, overcrowded (highest density population in the UK outside London) dive that is Portsmouth.

Yes, very average indeed. Preston would benefit from being an ‘Interchange’ but they will never get rid of/shift the bus station. And I have to admit I’m rather fond of brutalism so I wouldn’t want them to.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, very average indeed. Preston would benefit from being an ‘Interchange’ but they will never get rid of/shift the bus station. And I have to admit I’m rather fond of brutalism so I wouldn’t want them to.

It's listed so can't be demolished, but I would just repurpose it (as half of it has been) and build a new one on the Fishergate Centre car park right next to the station, or possibly even the station car park. The car parking could of course remain there.

 

[ClagLover]

It's listed so can't be demolished, but I would just repurpose it (as half of it has been) and build a new one on the Fishergate Centre car park right next to the station, or possibly even the station car park. The car parking could of course remain there.

Yes I was really glad when it was listed. And Fishergate car park would be a good place for a bus station but I reckon it’s all pie in the sky.

 

[boyaloud]

Chester. Station itself is fine, but the walk to the city centre is not exactly welcoming.



Both Bradford stations are pretty grotty, but so is the city centre generally. It's generally a fairly creepy place later in the evening on a weekday - I can think of no other city of the size which is do deserted after about 11pm.

Stoke on Trent, (Hanley) is deserted after 6pm!

 

[DJ_K666]

The best example I can think of is not a railway station but a bus station* - Merrywalks in Stroud. The town is lovely, but the buses stop down quite a steep hill from it, what feels like round the back of a rather ugly shopping centre, and there's no covered waiting facilities at all despite the fact the buses are invariably late. In contrast the railway station at Stroud is lovely and fits well with the rest of the town. There are a large number of far worse bus stations in this country, but most of them seem to serve places which aren't that nice anyway in my opinion.

Other than that:

The underground section of Manchester Victoria is awful. It's dingy, run-down and the air feels clogged from all the fumes from diesel trains that should have been scrapped long ago. The bay platforms and the Metrolink section are actually quite nice, on the other hand.

I know moaning about Euston is a bit of a cliche, but I do feel that it doesn't to the city of London (small C) justice. It feels hard and cold, there's insufficient seating, and they commit the cardinal sin of not displaying platforms until just before departure.

Cheadle Hulme is a fairly upmarket suburb of Manchester, and while unremarkable there's nothing too objectionable about it. It's a nice enough place. Until a few years ago though the only real facilities at the station were a couple of falling apart wooden shelters, some slightly broken dot matrix screens and an ugly concrete ticket office located down a steep set of stairs and next to a busy road.

Blackpool North, enough said.

* I'm not sure it's technically counted as a bus station, but there was a 'proper' bus station around there a long time ago which is why I'm describing it as such.

I'm going to go to Blackpool North as a 'Mystery Passenger' one day. I'll let the stationmaster know what I'm going to do as well. He'll get a voice recording of the platform staff so he can hear just how obnoxious they are. I'm going to be the most polite I've ever been to anyone ever. I'll post here how I get on and how long it takes to get lynched.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Liverpool Central is pretty rubbish, though admittedly arrivals are mainly local and it's no worse than a random subsurface Tube station.

Manchester Victoria is utterly horrid, like a not-quite-as-underground New St. And the alternative, Picc P13/14, is not exactly better!

Man Vic's covered platforms could do with a proper waiting room built into the side/middle of each platform, the station is partly so bad because of the number of diesel workings making the atmosphere rather unpleasant. P1/2 ate fine though, that ticket map and facade by the ticket office is impressive and you don't have to walk a convoluted walk from the barriers. The footbridge could do with rebuilding to straighten it out a bit.

The biggest issues with Platform 13/14 are the terminal overcrowding and distance from main station, part of those issues can be solved by rerouting some trains from the Castlefield corridor, but that's for another thread.

 

[Aictos]

Sheerness must be a prime candidate, went there a few years ago and judging by the state of the station, it's a place that nobody would miss.

Only went there to tick off the Sheerness branch so didn't hang around.

 

[Nova1]

Birmingham New Street. Although you might say it matches the city, the refurbishment of a few years ago proved that you can’t polish a t*rd.

One of the worst things about Birmingham New Street is changing from Birmingham Moor Street. You can either walk through the bullring shopping centre, or you have to walk through this very dark, badly lit, dingy tunnel when I promise you'll be harassed for money at least three times. The council said they would sort out this area when the New Street redevelopment was complete, they still haven't.

On a smaller note, Henley-In-Arden comes to mind to me. The town is a nice town, but the station is right at the back of a housing estate, with an abandoned station building on Platform 1, an Abandoned platform 3, and an awkwardly sized platform 2 because there used to be a station building on it. Up until a few years ago there was no step-free access, and even now the lifts are often out of service.

On a brighter note, the situation appears to be improving at Henley-In-Arden, there are some nice flowerbeds that the local community have put together, and the parish council have bought the station building (don't know what they are doing with it yet). Although, it is a little bit of a shame that the look of the station is having to be put onto volunteers and not the TOC/Network Rail.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One of the worst things about Birmingham New Street is changing from Birmingham Moor Street. You can either walk through the bullring shopping centre, or you have to walk through this very dark, badly lit, dingy tunnel when I promise you'll be harassed for money at least three times. The council said they would sort out this area when the New Street redevelopment was complete, they still haven't.

Yes, it's horrible. That tunnel needs enclosing, air conditioning and permanent 24/7 security guard presence. Or ideally find a way to remove the traffic from it and make the whole thing for pedestrians only.

If you don't mind walking uphill, the slightly longer walk via the centre is less unpleasant, or through the Bullring shopping centre if it's open.

 

[Mordac]

Sounds like nothing's changed since I was last there then!

The parts of Northampton where I lived (Spinney Hill) and went to school (Abington) in were nice, but the rest of it was pretty grim.

I live in Abington a few years ago, even that part was starting to get pretty grim by the time I left. Front neighbours had a brick thrown through their window once!

 

[swt_passenger]

Was in Southampton recently. Station entrance I feel is wrong side, but there is a busy road on one side. The entrance is small but once on the platforms its dreary. Southampton felt small for me coming from a big city. No big sights.

Southampton has two equally accessible entrances, one on each side, so how can they be on the wrong side?

 

[ClagLover]

Man Vic's covered platforms could do with a proper waiting room built into the side/middle of each platform, the station is partly so bad because of the number of diesel workings making the atmosphere rather unpleasant. P1/2 ate fine though, that ticket map and facade by the ticket office is impressive and you don't have to walk a convoluted walk from the barriers. The footbridge could do with rebuilding to straighten it out a bit.

The biggest issues with Platform 13/14 are the terminal overcrowding and distance from main station, part of those issues can be solved by rerouting some trains from the Castlefield corridor, but that's for another thread.

Have you ever been in Man Vic when the “BinLiner” comes through…absolutely stinking.

 

[bramling]

Sunderland. Okay, maybe not the most salubrious place in England, but it is a significant city which has a poor, two platform, underground hellhole of a station.

I’ve said this before, but I don’t quite get what’s so bad about Sunderland. It’s well sited, the platforms are straight down from the booking hall, and the platforms are sheltered and weather proof. I’d take it over something like Bradford Forster Square any day. I’d agree it’s not attractive, but it does the business.

In this case, surely the station does justice to the town

The whole of Luton needs rebuilding from scratch really. No matter what they try to do with it, the place is still dire.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’ve said this before, but I don’t quite get what’s so bad about Sunderland. It’s well sited, the platforms are straight down from the booking hall, and the platforms are sheltered and weather proof. I’d take it over something like Bradford Forster Square any day. I’d agree it’s not attractive, but it does the business.

Same as New St and Manc Vic - stinking, filthy DMUs in a poorly ventilated space.

It's very similar to Liverpool Central otherwise, which isn't pretty but is functional in a similar way.

 

[bramling]

Same as New St and Manc Vic - stinking, filthy DMUs in a poorly ventilated space.

It's very similar to Liverpool Central otherwise, which isn't pretty but is functional in a similar way.

It’s only a sparse DMU service though. Not like the two examples where there are loads of them ticking over in the platforms.

 

[507021]

I live in Abington a few years ago, even that part was starting to get pretty grim by the time I left. Front neighbours had a brick thrown through their window once!

That's not good at all. I have fond memories of my time in Northampton, so it's a shame to hear it's changed for the worse.

I may have go to back at some point and see if the town centre's as bad as my auntie says it is.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's not good at all. I have fond memories of my time in Northampton, so it's a shame to hear it's changed for the worse.

I may have go to back at some point and see if the town centre's as bad as my auntie says it is.

It's certainly not nice - run-down buildings, broken windows etc. Reminds me of a run-down Balkan town or something. Definitely the armpit of the area around MK - some would argue Bedford is hardly better but that has the nice bit by the river and is generally in a better state of repair.

 

[bramling]

It's certainly not nice - run-down buildings, broken windows etc. Reminds me of a run-down Balkan town or something. Definitely the armpit of the area around MK - some would argue Bedford is hardly better but that has the nice bit by the river and is generally in a better state of repair.

Must admit I was surprised how bad Northampton is. It’s one of those places you don’t really visit unless having specific business there. We weren’t impressed. Bedford is better for sure, even if the bit around the station is very rough.

The oft-quoted idea that Home Counties towns are leafy and pleasant can be quite a misnomer. Even St Albans (yes I know it’s technically a city) personally I find quite bland, bordering on rough in parts - with the exception of the bit around the abbey.

All of these have quite dismal stations too.

 

[jamesst]

Same as New St and Manc Vic - stinking, filthy DMUs in a poorly ventilated space.

It's very similar to Liverpool Central otherwise, which isn't pretty but is functional in a similar way.

Plus of course Liverpool Central thankfully having no DMUs!! It's bad enough when the mpv goes through!

 

[D6130]

Same as New St and Manc Vic - stinking, filthy DMUs in a poorly ventilated space.

When Manchester Victoria was rebuilt in the early 1990s, there was supposed be an electrical fume extraction and ventilation system installed, but it doesn't seem to work very well nowadays....if at all. There is anecdotal evidence of a significant number of platform staff - and a few train crew based at the station - being afflicted with respiratory ailments, including lung cancer.