Trivia: Bleakest Terminal Stations

[Scotrail84]

Having spent 45 shiveringly cold minutes tonight at Glenrothes with Thornton, it is now my number 1 bleakest.

If you walked up the ramp and turned right into Thornton village (less than 5 minutes walk), theres a decent chippy and a co-op for supplies.

 

[DM352]

Paisley Canal. Made using a similar basic blueprint as Uckfield with the platform on a former running line.

If only the Serpell? era closure of the original had safeguarded the original site as think it got sold off.

 

[scragend]

The National Motorways Museum...think you've found a new niche product there....catering would be pricey and nothing special...
I have been to the National Waterways museum at Ellesmere Port however!

I was wondering why I'd never heard of the National Motorways Museum!

I'd go to it.

 

[SWTurbo]

I see Yarmouth has been mentioned, but surprised Lowestoft hasn’t been! Only went once with work and couldn’t wait to leave! Cold, wet, grim, and less than friendly

 

[Bletchleyite]

The National Motorways Museum...think you've found a new niche product there....catering would be pricey and nothing special...

Is it bad that I was hoping that actually existed and was considering the possibility of a visit? I reckon it would be quite interesting. Shame there isn't one.

 

[yorksrob]

We have a hat museum and a pencil museum, so why not a motorways museum. I don't think it would be too much of a (blue) boar to look around !

 

[Tetchytyke]

Is it bad that I was hoping that actually existed and was considering the possibility of a visit? I reckon it would be quite interesting. Shame there isn't one.

A miniature replica of Spaghetti Junction you can ride around on pedal go-karts and a recreation of The Granary cafe from c.1986.

Shut up and take my money

 

[nlogax]

A miniature replica of Spaghetti Junction you can ride around on pedal go-karts and a recreation of The Granary cafe from c.1986.

Shut up and take my money

Same. That sounds straight up my street / slip road.

 

[birchesgreen]

Seems like we have identified a definite need for a national motorways museum anyway. I'd certainly go.

To be honest it does sound like an excellent idea.

 

[Llandudno]

Crewe is one of the worst I've personally experienced just due to the sense of faded grandeur , unkempt dirty walls with plants sprouting out of them on platform 11 , platform 12 with nothing but basic bus shelters and overgrown disused bay and through platforms connected to it with what seems to be mk1's or 2's rotting in the sidings there. The canopys over plats 3,4,7 and 8 also seem to be missing a lot of glass panels and leak heavily during rain , the areas around the station aren't the best either not exactly the place you want to be hanging around about. Crewe overall needs some major t&c and redevelopment

In all fairness it’s not much better if you step outside the main entrance to Crewe Station…

although if you use the car park exit there is a Subway, Greggs and Starbucks within 3 minutes walk and a McDonalds 7-8 minutes walk away.

 

[BeijingDave]

How does Crewe qualify for this thread? It's not really a terminus unless maybe you are travelling from Uttoxeter or Wem with your final destination being... Crewe.

Crewe is fine if you have to wait an hour there. Lots of action, a cafe on both main platform islands, a fair-sized bookshop. Coffee places on the platforms. No threatening, anti-social behaviour because there are so many staff.

An hour on Crewe doesn't even compare to an hour on Blackpool South.

 

[yorksrob]

A miniature replica of Spaghetti Junction you can ride around on pedal go-karts and a recreation of The Granary cafe from c.1986.

Shut up and take my money

They could mock up a central reservation from the early M1 as a picnic area.

 

[rower40]

Another shout for the now-closed Drumgelloch (1989) station. It was created by extending Airdrie platform 2 into a non-track-circuited one-train-working section. This worked adequately until the last train of the night had a long(ish) dwell time; the traincrew used to refuse to wait in Drumgelloch station, so would take the train back empty to Airdrie, then back out to Drumgelloch to form the last departure. This used to confuse the Train Describer in a big way.

It says something about how offputting a station is, when it isn't safe for the train to stay there after hours.

 

[Western Sunset]

We have ... a pencil museum ...

2B or not 2B...

 

[Iskra]

How does Crewe qualify for this thread? It's not really a terminus unless maybe you are travelling from Uttoxeter or Wem with your final destination being... Crewe.

Crewe is fine if you have to wait an hour there. Lots of action, a cafe on both main platform islands, a fair-sized bookshop. Coffee places on the platforms. No threatening, anti-social behaviour because there are so many staff.

An hour on Crewe doesn't even compare to an hour on Blackpool South.

I quite enjoyed my visit to Blackpool South. Yes there were a few youths around, but I didn't feel threatened. Perhaps after the walk from Blackpool North I was just happy to be leaving knowing I have no reason to ever return!

 

[yorksrob]

2B or not 2B...

That's a good point !

 

[Bletchleyite]

How does Crewe qualify for this thread? It's not really a terminus unless maybe you are travelling from Uttoxeter or Wem with your final destination being... Crewe.

There are a number of services that terminate at Crewe. The WMT London service and the Crewe-Chester shuttle (or on Sundays, through services from Bangor/Holyhead) are two more, and there's also I think the occasional Avanti that does. I don't think the thread was constrained to end-on termini, rather just places where trains terminate.

 

[Pinus contorta]

There are a number of services that terminate at Crewe. The WMT London service and the Crewe-Chester shuttle (or on Sundays, through services from Bangor/Holyhead) are two more, and there's also I think the occasional Avanti that does. I don't think the thread was constrained to end-on termini, rather just places where trains terminate.

Millom is back in then if we are following this criteria

 

[Bletchleyite]

Millom is back in then if we are following this criteria

I didn't think it was out!

Is there still that random double short working St Anne's on the Sea to Greenbank service in the morning peak? Though I don't think either of those is particularly bleak.

 

[Pinus contorta]

I didn't think it was out!

Is there still that random double short working St Anne's on the Sea to Greenbank service in the morning peak? Though I don't think either of those is particularly bleak.

Maybe I was getting mixed up with Sellafield. It's only got one afternoon terminating train for the shift workers. The one waiting room shelter is particularly depressing.

 

[birchesgreen]

How does Crewe qualify for this thread? It's not really a terminus unless maybe you are travelling from Uttoxeter or Wem with your final destination being... Crewe.

Plus services from Chester, the south, Manchester Airport and maybe a few more. Actually quite a lot of services start/stop at Crewe.

 

[Lytham Local]

Is there still that random double short working St Anne's on the Sea to Greenbank service in the morning peak? Though I don't think either of those is particularly bleak.

Ah, the good old Fragonset class 31 working. Only ran for a few months in 2004. Heck of a journey though!

Blackpool South is a bit bleak, but the staff are friendlier than Blackpool North.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Blackpool South is a bit bleak, but the staff are friendlier than Blackpool North.

In so much as that there aren't any? Or is there a hidden booking office Portakabin I've not noticed before?

 

[frodshamfella]

Crewe is one of the worst I've personally experienced just due to the sense of faded grandeur , unkempt dirty walls with plants sprouting out of them on platform 11 , platform 12 with nothing but basic bus shelters and overgrown disused bay and through platforms connected to it with what seems to be mk1's or 2's rotting in the sidings there. The canopys over plats 3,4,7 and 8 also seem to be missing a lot of glass panels and leak heavily during rain , the areas around the station aren't the best either not exactly the place you want to be hanging around about. Crewe overall needs some major t&c and redevelopment

Yes Crewe is a station i never want to spend long at.

I haven't been for years, but Sheerness wasn't so great in the past, maybe it's ok now?

 

[Tracked]

While it's alright in Summer from memory, haven't been for 20+ years, I wouldn't fancy arriving into St Ives Car Park Station on an evening like yesterdays'

 

[Tetchytyke]

It says something about how offputting a station is, when it isn't safe for the train to stay there after hours.

Kirkby enters the chat...

 

[matchmaker]

Leven. Absolute hovel.

Describes most of that area of Fife...Methil, Buckhaven. Shudder.

 

[Falcon1200]

Crewe overall needs some major t&c and redevelopment

Indeed! Last time I was at Crewe, a couple of weeks ago, they had closed off the south end footbridge. The whole place needs totally redoing.

Paisley Canal.

I don't think Canal Street (as the locals call it) is any more bleak than most unstaffed stations, and at least it has a half-hourly electric train service, and is on a main road.
(It is a great pity however that the route onwards to Elderslie was at least safeguarded).

 

[Sun Chariot]

Delicious irony in the New Posts section, as it might suggest Pirtishead is being geared up to be on this thread...

Screen shot of New Posts showing, in a consecutive order:
"Portishead Reopening - speculative / suggestions".
"Portishead Approved - construction updates, no speculation".
"Bleakest Terminal Stations".

 

[Iskra]

Penarth didn’t seem overly pleasant or welcoming when I visited last year