Trivia: Neglected railway stations in busy areas?

[I13]

Far from "one busy train a day", the Severn Beach line is well used, especially in the peaks but in my experience it's been well loaded all day, despite as has been mentioned the awkward frequency - numbers have gone up significantly in the past decade since the frequency improved and I'm sure would grow further if they moved to half-hourly, or more if some of the line is doubled. Less crowded after the Turbos replaced two car Sprinters but still busy. Might be a degree of undercounting of passenger numbers due to the lack of ticket machines and the guard/ticket inspector not always making it through.

Buses might be better/quicker for the centre on the whole given the location of Temple Meads but for connections at TM it's about twice as quick as the bus from places like Redland/Clifton, and that's before the unreliability of Bristol's traffic is taken into account. There's of course more and more happening around Temple Meads, and worth noting a lot of people get off at Stapleton Road/Lawrence Hill too, it's not all to/from TM. Quite a bit of school traffic too.

 

[A0wen]

I agree it's not huge, but as a suburban railway line with decent loadings, surely the usage would be likely to significantly increase if it was converted to a Metro, especially with university traffic?

Surely students would just continue to use the buses that actually serve the Uni campuses where the stations aren't as close? Add in the bus will still be cheaper.

 

[willgreen]

Surely students would just continue to use the buses that actually serve the Uni campuses where the stations aren't as close? Add in the bus will still be cheaper.

I mean in Newcastle at least the Metro is a hugely popular option for students (although I don't have an expert understanding of the Bristol public transport offering)

 

[camflyer]

I mean in Newcastle at least the Metro is a hugely popular option for students (although I don't have an expert understanding of the Bristol public transport offering)

It would be a stretch to call what public transport Bristol has as an "offering". It's possibly the worst of any major city in the UK. They were talking about the Bristol Supertram when I was there 20 years ago.

 

[Sprinter107]

But one busy train a day hardly justifies turning it into a "Bristol Metro".

Let's look at the usage figures on the line:

Severn Beach: 250k
St Andrew's Road: 4k
Avonmouth: 100k
Shirehampton: 47k
Sea Mills: 50k
Clifton Down: 600k
Redland: 90k
Montpelier: 90k
Stapleton Rd: 170k
Lawrence Hill: 150k

So a grand total of about 1.6m / year or about 30,000 a week across the whole line - not that busy in the scheme of things.

Thats if those figures are correct, which I very much doubt, if they are based on ticket sales.The stations are very close together, especially on the Clifton Down to Lawrence Hill section, even with an ATE on board, it proves difficult to issue tickets to many passengers making short hop journeys. So there will be many journeys that won't be counted. While its a line ive never signed, I know many drivers and guards who do, and all say the trains are busy throughout the day. Passenger numbers had been rising on that line before Covid, possibly due to the frequency increases, and the simplified fare system of just having 2 zones for local journeys.
Its good to see a train service where the infrequent trains which once ran largely empty, are now more frequent and busy.

 

[class303]

Brixton national rail has seen better days.

 

[Kingston Dan]

Slateford in Edinburgh?

 

[aliceh]

Pokesdown occasionally gets a new mural to cover up graffiti but is otherwise a pretty depressing place to spend any length of time.

 

[Purple Orange]

Ardwick is pretty forlorn by all accounts

Ardwick feels like it should have closed decades ago, but I have hope for the station in the long-term. The surrounding areas are seeing levels of construction not seen since the Victorian days and before long, the area surrounding Ardwick station will change dramatically. People want to live closer to the centre of a city, therefore it makes sense that Ardwick station has a future.

On the other hand, Ardwick itself may get a new tram station if tram-train technology is allowed in Manchester. I’d guess that such a line would leave the heavy rail line before Ardwick and therefore the tram stop would be at street level, leaving the rail station to sit in the wilderness for ever more. That scenario is probably the better outcome for local residents.

 

[Scotrail84]

Slateford in Edinburgh?

Thats not neglected and sees 1 TPH in each direction Monday - Saturday from about 6am right through to 11pm and 5 or 6 services on a Sunday at 2 hour intervals.

 

[Dr_Paul]

I do think there is a case for renaming Brondesbury or adding a strapline ie Brondesbury for Kilburn town centre

I agree. Brondesbury for Kilburn would be a more suitable name: Brondesbury is one of those 'where?' districts in London, whereas Kilburn is well known. It's also a busy station; I've seen many people board and alight there during off-peak times as well as during the rush hour.

South Hampstead, on the other hand, is a bit desolate, especially off-peak. I guess that most people living around there use Swiss Cottage underground station, just up the road. South Hampstead does provide a quick and pretty frequent service to Euston, so it is a useful station. For the railway enthusiast, it offers the spectacle of Marylebone services suddenly bursting out of a tunnel and across a bridge just beyond the end of the platform.

 

[geoffk]

I'm buying a house in Exeter so can I nominate St. Thomas station to add to this list. Only an hourly service off-peak in a busy urban area, west of the river but still part of the city centre, with shops and offices nearly. I guess the reason for the poor service is lack of paths. Access to the platforms is by steps only and facilities are almost non-existent.

 

[Elecman]

Polesworth

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

The local stations in Plymouth. All in built-up areas on a direct line to the city centre, all receive roughly 2 hourly service. Surely this must be one of the biggest untapped demands in the country? An hourly service to Liskeard and perhaps an hourly service up the Gunnislake branch (not necessarily all the way) would be transformational.

 

[geoffk]

The local stations in Plymouth. All in built-up areas on a direct line to the city centre, all receive roughly 2 hourly service. Surely this must be one of the biggest untapped demands in the country? An hourly service to Liskeard and perhaps an hourly service up the Gunnislake branch (not necessarily all the way) would be transformational.

Agree. If and when Bere Alston - Tavistock reopens, I assume trains will run through to Plymouth, giving an hourly service over most of the line, unless Gunnislake - Bere Alston becomes a shuttle service.

 

[davetheguard]

The local stations in Plymouth. All in built-up areas on a direct line to the city centre, all receive roughly 2 hourly service. Surely this must be one of the biggest untapped demands in the country? An hourly service to Liskeard and perhaps an hourly service up the Gunnislake branch (not necessarily all the way) would be transformational.

Well, I'd like to see these run down inner city stations given a lift too, but I'm not sure it would be "transformational" as you put. The trouble is the location of Plymouth station: not very near the shops, even further from the bars & restaurants around the harbourside tourist hot spot of the Barbican.

 

[tbtc]

Slateford in Edinburgh?

Agreed - a terrible frequency compared to the parallel bus route.

Darnall in Sheffield is another example of an hourly service to an inner city station but a "frequent intervals" bus service means that the train will always struggle.

Darnall has fairly high population density, but the station is tucked away down a side street, a relatively unattractive underpass required to access the island platform (I've never had any bother there but I'm a 6ft+ bloke; I can appreciate some others may be reluctant to leave the main road with its frequent bus service and risk the station) No simple solution here though, there's precious little capacity at Sheffield Midland for any additional services, so it may be better to give up on Darnall as far as heavy rail goes.

 

[Kite159]

Agreed - a terrible frequency compared to the parallel bus route.

Darnall in Sheffield is another example of an hourly service to an inner city station but a "frequent intervals" bus service means that the train will always struggle.

Darnall has fairly high population density, but the station is tucked away down a side street, a relatively unattractive underpass required to access the island platform (I've never had any bother there but I'm a 6ft+ bloke; I can appreciate some others may be reluctant to leave the main road with its frequent bus service and risk the station) No simple solution here though, there's precious little capacity at Sheffield Midland for any additional services, so it may be better to give up on Darnall as far as heavy rail goes.

Plus has the disadvantage of being the last stop before Sheffield so chances of getting a seat on a Sheffield bound train could be low

 

[Poolie]

Brondesbury comes to mind, as I do wonder how many people actually realise that it is in Kilburn town centre.
Maybe it should be renamed to reflect this.

I went to Kilburn Grammar school (boys) in 1965 and directly opposite in Salusbury Road was Brondesbury and Kilburn High School for Girls. I travelled from South Kenton to Queens Park every day and walked to school but on the way home went from Brondesbury Park (2 minutes from the school) to Willesden Junction and changed from High Level to Low Level and then back to South Kenton, Amazing to think back to 1965 and there was still steam hanging about on freight and empty carriage stock from Euston

 

[greyman42]

Edge Hill always seems pretty bleak but i have no idea of its usage.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I agree it's not huge, but as a suburban railway line with decent loadings, surely the usage would be likely to significantly increase if it was converted to a Metro, especially with university traffic?

Massively, though probably not beyond Avonmouth. Bristol is quite an anti-car city and the line has good coverage, but it's infrequent and Temple Meads is outside the centre. You could get a very good Bristol tramway going using that line and the Railway Path within the city (no need to go to Bath with it).

 

[DB]

It's better these days, but for many years Wakefield Kirkgate was a fairly extreme example!

 

[duncanp]

Adderley Park, the first stop on the line from Birmingham New Street towards the airport and Coventry, is rather bleak and folorn.

There isn't much in the area near the station (see Google Street view) and the hourly service in both directions can hardly be an encouragement to use the train, especially as the 8A/8C inner circle bus route provides more frequent connections into Birmingham.

 

[Megafuss]

Derby Road

 

[kevconnor]

Netherfield is the poor relation compared to the nearby Carlton station.
I use to use it when travelling to the local area from Manchester as one of the few early services from Nottingham was well timed to catch with little wait. But there is a very infrequent service and low passenger usage in what is a well populated area.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Yes, the only destinations Manors is useful for are Cramlington* and possibly the Tyne Valley line or Morpeth. I do think Manors could be busier if rebranded and spruced up - it is very close to the Quayside with all its attractions. But at the moment, it's very forlorn indeed.

*Actually, Cramlington could probably fit this thread too - the station never seems to have more than a handful of passengers. The bus service is very regular and reasonably fast, and also goes to Haymarket which is closer to where most people are actually heading in Newcastle.

Also useful for travelling to/from Newcastle Central with a bike, as the Metro doesn't generally take them.

 

[greyman42]

Also useful for travelling to/from Newcastle Central with a bike, as the Metro doesn't generally take them.

Would you not just ride the bike?

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Would you not just ride the bike?

I didn't when I used it. Easier to use the train and ride the short distance from Manors than negotiate unfamiliar streets from Newcastle city centre.
CL

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Netherfield is the poor relation compared to the nearby Carlton station.
I use to use it when travelling to the local area from Manchester as one of the few early services from Nottingham was well timed to catch with little wait. But there is a very infrequent service and low passenger usage in what is a well populated area.

You can add Radcliffe on Trent to Netherfield; it's a sizeable commuter town within 5 miles of Nottingham but the service is barely two hourly and there's a 5 hour gap between trains in the afternoon/ early evening!

 

[318259]

Dalmarnock station is just outside Glasgow city centre, near a major football stadium, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games happened nearby. It has a frequent service, but it's a horrible station. The station is in a trench, with half the platforms in the open air, and the other half in a dingy badly-lit tunnel.

If we're going international, there's also Chambers Street on the New York Subway. It's right in the heart of the city - next to the City Hall, and a 5 minute walk away from the World Trade Centre and Wall Street. In its heyday, it had 3 island platforms and two side platforms. Only two island platforms are still in use, and one of the side platforms is boarded up. The rest sits abandoned.