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Trivia: most underwhelming end to a main route?

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Mcr Warrior

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Not exactly the end of the line but Borth takes some beating a totally run down station building that needs some attention or knocking down. While new build Bow Street down the road got millions spent on it.
Unless it's the end of a route and trains terminate there, don't think that this is quite within scope of what the OP was asking.
 
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SteveM70

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For proper “major stations”, Euston. The last few miles through grubby north London, arrive into platforms that always seemed to me to be dimly lit and draughty, then up the ramp into a 60s concourse that’s a bit meh. And it’s not a nice part of London either
 

xotGD

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Much the same goes for Ottawa - although there‘s a bus service to the station, it’s a city bus service which wanders around a few other places before it gets there, and there are at least enough arrivals from Toronto and Montreal over the course of a day to justify some facilities. Otherwise there’s a couple of miles of motorway before you reach the city itself.
Then you reach the city centre and see a very nice station building, sadly with no trains!
 

zwk500

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Uckfield, if it was an actual main route when through to Lewis.

Was short sighted to close the old station and build a platform on an ex running line when a bypass solved the crossing issue at a similar time. They are building many houses there now so who knows if it will one day no longer be a terminus.
It's Lewes and it was never a 'main' route. FWIW with the station building and single platform feel about right for a single-track branch line and the town itself - it's not a grand regency resort, after all. The car park on the far side of the road (i.e. the original station site) has been laid out to accommodate 2x 12-car platforms, should they ever be required.

The Bypass didn't solve the crossing issue - anybody who's sat at the lights without the crossing will tell you the level crossing would be a total disaster. Housing development in Uckfield won't lead to rebuilding the link to Lewes, only housing development in Ringmer, a massive windfall for decarbonisation or a major drop in rail project cost will achieve that.

My personal vote was for Portsmouth Harbour, but if Uckfield counts as a main route then I'd nominate Seaford - having departed either Brighton or London, and skirted the downs for most of the journey, you get a lovely run down the beautiful Ouse Valley. And then you get to Newhaven: incinerator, industrial port and all. The pitiful survival of the original station buildings just add to the feeling. Then the single line, Bishopstone with it's abandoned platform and Seaford with it's only platform numbered 2. Set up as a through station, for a line that never got built and now never will. It just feels forgotten and uncared for.
 

Mcr Warrior

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Isn't the platform at Seaford still numbered 'two' because the (now singled) end of the branch line was double tracked until c. 1975 and the lengthy island platform at Seaford once had two passenger sides, the former platform 'One' being on the A259 side of the railway?
 

zwk500

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Isn't the platform at Seaford still numbered 'two' because the (now singled) end of the branch line was double tracked until c. 1975 and the lengthy island platform at Seaford once had two passenger sides, the former platform 'One' being on the A259 side of the railway?
Yes - it has a legitimate reason for being numbered 2. But given it's been out of use for a while now it doesn't help shake the feeling that the Seaford Branch is largely forgotten about.
 

Mcr Warrior

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But given it's been out of use for a while now it doesn't help shake the feeling that the Seaford Branch is largely forgotten about.
Quite like little Seaford, but it's not really the end of a "main line" as such and nowadays seems to have the air of being a backwater of a coastal branch line; presumably the main railway traffic on the line (back in the day) was that up out of Newhaven docks.
 
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Milford Haven

A long way to go for a buffer stop.
I was hoping someone would mention Milford! OK it's not a huge metropolis, but for a destination at the end of a long journey from Manchester, a single platform with a bus shelter is somewhat underwhelming.
 

Steve Harris

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True, though there have presumably been a lot of track alterations to allow the steam railway to run on (mainly?) segregated tracks, and for them to have their own platform, so presumably there were also changes needed on the BR side as well.
I think it's probably because they haven't changed the track layout since Loco Hauled days, as everything used to go to Goodrington Sands carriage sidings for the loco to run round.

And I think it's a little more involved than just putting a set of points/switchs in (signals, interlocking etc).
 

CaptainBen

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I don't think anyone has yet nominated Moorgate. This is a major commuter terminus, with 12tph in the peaks, and part of the 'London Terminals' group. Yet it has two NR platforms in a dark, dirty, hole in the ground.
 

edwin_m

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I think it's probably because they haven't changed the track layout since Loco Hauled days, as everything used to go to Goodrington Sands carriage sidings for the loco to run round.

And I think it's a little more involved than just putting a set of points/switchs in (signals, interlocking etc).
Here's the SB diagram for Paignton North in semaphore days, showing there was a scissors crossover beyond the level crossing so either platform could be used for arrivals and departures. However platform 2 had to depart on a disc, which I seem to remember did happen. My memory (late 70s) is most trains turned round in platform 1 except on summer Saturday when they'd go empty to Goodrington. I don't remember locos running round in the station, and most of the normal service was DMUs or HSTs, so possibly anything loco-hauled went to Goodrington anyway.

Paignton North Signal box Diagram | The old diagram resides … | Flickr

Below is Paignton South showing the connection to the steam railway and Goodrington sidings.

paignton.jpg (561×237) (trainweb.org)
 

hermit

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It's Lewes and it was never a 'main' route. FWIW with the station building and single platform feel about right for a single-track branch line and the town itself - it's not a grand regency resort, after all. The car park on the far side of the road (i.e. the original station site) has been laid out to accommodate 2x 12-car platforms, should they ever be required.

The Bypass didn't solve the crossing issue - anybody who's sat at the lights without the crossing will tell you the level crossing would be a total disaster. Housing development in Uckfield won't lead to rebuilding the link to Lewes, only housing development in Ringmer, a massive windfall for decarbonisation or a major drop in rail project cost will achieve that.

My personal vote was for Portsmouth Harbour, but if Uckfield counts as a main route then I'd nominate Seaford - having departed either Brighton or London, and skirted the downs for most of the journey, you get a lovely run down the beautiful Ouse Valley. And then you get to Newhaven: incinerator, industrial port and all. The pitiful survival of the original station buildings just add to the feeling. Then the single line, Bishopstone with it's abandoned platform and Seaford with it's only platform numbered 2. Set up as a through station, for a line that never got built and now never will. It just feels forgotten and uncared for.

I agree that Seaford is a very suitable candidate for this thread, and the sad neglected Art Deco station at Bishopstone is noteworthy.
But I’m very surprised at the suggestion that Seaford was ever considered as a through station - where would the extension have gone? Anyone who’s walked the downs over Seaford Head and the Seven Sisters (in my view the most spectacular walk in southern England) would know that a railway continuing eastwards would have been completely impracticable.
 

Glenn1969

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The Seaford station wiki page says it was built as a through station for an extension to Eastbourne that was never built
 

zwk500

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I agree that Seaford is a very suitable candidate for this thread, and the sad neglected Art Deco station at Bishopstone is noteworthy.
But I’m very surprised at the suggestion that Seaford was ever considered as a through station - where would the extension have gone? Anyone who’s walked the downs over Seaford Head and the Seven Sisters (in my view the most spectacular walk in southern England) would know that a railway continuing eastwards would have been completely impracticable.
I've never seen anything that suggests the LBSCR seriously looked at extending to Eastbourne, and it's possible just an urban myth misinterpreting a side-platform with runround loop arrangement. But then again, madder things were built in those days... No illustration of the Victorian station shows a platform on the 'Up' side line, so I don't think it ever was a genuine proposal.

I would imagine a tunnel through Seaford head then head north through Alfriston to get to Polegate, or possibly a viaduct across the Cuckmere valley. I can't imagine anybody would have proposed a railway to make the climb from the valley floor to East Dean.
 

urbophile

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Not a main-line, but a busy commuter terminus nonetheless, I think West Kirby station fails to measure up to expectations. You arrive at a dusty concrete platform and then have to shuffle round an undistinguished brick ticket office before arriving in what could be an attractive concourse area. There aren't even any toilets despite Merseyrail's apparent policy of providing them on every station. Yet the original station buildings are very attractive and entirely in keeping with the Edwardian suburban feel of the town; they just feel disconnected somehow.
 

trainophile

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Not a main-line, but a busy commuter terminus nonetheless, I think West Kirby station fails to measure up to expectations. You arrive at a dusty concrete platform and then have to shuffle round an undistinguished brick ticket office before arriving in what could be an attractive concourse area. There aren't even any toilets despite Merseyrail's apparent policy of providing them on every station. Yet the original station buildings are very attractive and entirely in keeping with the Edwardian suburban feel of the town; they just feel disconnected somehow.

Always bugged me that there's a big sign saying "Please note there are no toilets on this station" but no mention of where you can find some - being Morrisons just across the road, or on the sea front by the beach. As Merseyrail trains don't have toilets it's a poor show if you've come from Liverpool.
 

Mcr Warrior

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I've never seen anything that suggests the LBSCR seriously looked at extending to Eastbourne, and it's possible just an urban myth misinterpreting a side-platform with runround loop arrangement. But then again, madder things were built in those days... No illustration of the Victorian station shows a platform on the 'Up' side line, so I don't think it ever was a genuine proposal.

I would imagine a tunnel through Seaford head then head north through Alfriston to get to Polegate, or possibly a viaduct across the Cuckmere valley. I can't imagine anybody would have proposed a railway to make the climb from the valley floor to East Dean.
Have to agree with @zwk500 .

Anyone who's ever taken the bus on the coastal A259 road between Seaford and Eastbourne will know what a rollercoaster of a route it is.

Also, outside/opposite Seaford railway station is/was the "Terminus Hotel" (in recent years renamed as "The Shore") which was opened at about the same time as the station.

Clue's possibly in the name! ;)
 

Dr Hoo

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Using 222s by default because there’s no reasonable alternative doesn’t really make Corby an intercity destination. As you note it’s only until May anyway...
To speak out for Corby, I wonder how many of its detractors have been there recently (pre-Covid).

The population has increased from around 53,000 to 72,000 in 19 years. Yes; a thousand people moving in every year to the massive housing developments. Believe it or not the re-opening of the line was to, err, y'know 'regenerate' the place.

So far, so good. Major investment in sporting and leisure facilities, together with schools. At least the station has a good length of canopy and handy bus and taxi interchange. It's been a pity that the staffing hours have often been limited but that is easily fixed.

Far better than many other nominations on this thread.

(And, yes, I have had and continue to have close connections with the place.)
 

Jamesrob637

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A second vote for Plymouth. After Laira depot and the river, the last few miles are a bit grim. Not the worst areas, but Plymouth is very working class with few streets, let alone areas, to match the best London, the Midlands and Northern cities can offer.

Plymouth qualifies despite not being a terminus as a) many trains terminate there and b) many passengers alight there even if on trains which continue into (pretty) Cornwall.
 

High Dyke

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I put forward Clacton-on-Sea. Been there twice now, and certainly not in a hurry to visit the town again. That said, the station wasn't too bad.
 

Panceltic

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Not exactly the end of the line but Borth takes some beating a totally run down station building that needs some attention or knocking down. While new build Bow Street down the road got millions spent on it.

Borth’s not too bad! It even has a nice little museum.

Pwllheli on the other end of the line though ... I nominate it for this thread.
 

Trackman

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For proper “major stations”, Euston. The last few miles through grubby north London, arrive into platforms that always seemed to me to be dimly lit and draughty, then up the ramp into a 60s concourse that’s a bit meh. And it’s not a nice part of London either
Totally agree.
Always happy to depart there rather than arriving.
 

cle

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So basically, most small towns termini and especially seaside towns are bleak, and dumps?
 

Mcr Warrior

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So basically, most small towns termini and especially seaside towns are bleak, and dumps?
Looks like it. Some honourable exceptions, e.g. Glasgow Central and Wemyss Bay in Scotland, but essentially yes.
 

bramling

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Morecambe's current terminus is quite an underwhelming bare platform for what's quite a large seaside town (compared to the old Promenade station).

Dover Priory always seems a bit workaday, for what is now the eastern focus of the Kentish railway network. Western Docks would have been the imposing terminus prior to the chunnel opening.

All of the Kent stations have a slightly odd feel, because of the historical reasons which have made them all through stations.

Whilst Ramsgate, Margate (and to some extent Dover Priory) have impressive booking halls, the platforms all lack a trainshed. Then there’s Hastings with its utterly horribly 2000s building, how they got away with doing that I will never know.

I was hoping someone would mention Milford! OK it's not a huge metropolis, but for a destination at the end of a long journey from Manchester, a single platform with a bus shelter is somewhat underwhelming.

Very good shout with Milford. A very sorry-looking station.
 

yorksrob

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All of the Kent stations have a slightly odd feel, because of the historical reasons which have made them all through stations.

Whilst Ramsgate, Margate (and to some extent Dover Priory) have impressive booking halls, the platforms all lack a trainshed. Then there’s Hastings with its utterly horribly 2000s building, how they got away with doing that I will never know.

In some ways, Ramsgate, Margate and Hastings in its day, remind me of the big American terminals, with a very grandiose booking hall and more down to earth platform area. The platform canopies at Margate are a work of art. Growing up in Ashford, it struck me that its were similar, but sadly had had their valances removed in the 1960's (and later swept away altogether in 1992).

It was a lovely building, the old Southern Railway booking hall at Hastings. Scene of many happy childhood days out.
 

AGH

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Euston for me by some distance. Grim approach into a concrete black hole. The ramps I don't mind but unless you are in a centre platform you exit into a narrow passage that feeds into another dark packed concrete box. Outside its similarly narrow and bland 60s architecture. The underground entrance is awful and Square is a walk away & down steps. Hideous for a major terminal. Return and the mad dash to the platform is also a horrible experience. Flatten the lot.
 
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