Trivia: Stations still known by old names

[306024]

And the classic 'North Station' for Colchester, called that locally since Victorian times (see NLS historic maps), but never officially ever named that by the Railway.

Yes, even the buses, when run by Colchester Borough Transport, had ‘North Station‘ on the destination blind.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Yes, even the buses, when run by Colchester Borough Transport, had ‘North Station‘ on the destination blind.

And the privatised ones still do today.

 

[Siemens Trains]

The survival of suffixes in places like Edinburgh is unsurprising - as within the local area just saying "the (train / railway) station" doesn't necessarily make it clear which one you mean - particularly when the secondary one isn't actually that secondary (Waverley and Haymarket for most destinations, for example).

They almost got away with adopting plain 'Edinburgh' for Waverley Station, as Haymarket wasn't really known locally as 'Edinburgh Haymarket' in my experience.
But within the past few years they introduced Edinburgh Park and Edinburgh Gateway, neither of which are useful for proper Edinburgh (unlike Haymarket). So now people will become obliged to clarify Haymarket as being Edinburgh Haymarket. A bit of a mess now, and quite frustrating as it was avoidable.
Edinburgh Gateway was built near the site of the former Gogar station. That might have been a more suitable name but nobody calls it that.

 

[greyman42]

They almost got away with adopting plain 'Edinburgh' for Waverley Station, as Haymarket wasn't really known locally as 'Edinburgh Haymarket' in my experience.
But within the past few years they introduced Edinburgh Park and Edinburgh Gateway, neither of which are useful for proper Edinburgh (unlike Haymarket). So now people will become obliged to clarify Haymarket as being Edinburgh Haymarket. A bit of a mess now, and quite frustrating as it was avoidable.
Edinburgh Gateway was built near the site of the former Gogar station. That might have been a more suitable name but nobody calls it that.

Haymarket has never been known as "Edinburgh Haymarket" either locally or nationally and i don't believe there are any plans for it to be.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

In my experience nobody says Leeds City unless talking about the history. Nowhere in the public-facing side of operations is Leeds station given the City suffix. However Network Rail and Leeds Council will refer to "Leeds City Station" in planning documents and press releases.

 

[Nottingham59]

Born and brought up in Nottingham, my mother would always refer to the station as Midland Station, and of course the market place was always Slab Square.

Derby Station is still called "Derby Midland" by, er, Network Rail.
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[faltskog36abba]

Salford Central is still called Salford by people of a certain age group locally.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I still call Lancaster castle.

 

[Spartacus]

I'm always surprised how Leeds City had had a re-emergence, which seems to have really begun after it's last rebuild and has slowly gained traction over the last 20 years, though I'm sure even before that the station frontage carried 'Leeds City Station' signage, while inside it was all 'Leeds' only, it's always been a little bit confused, lucky it's the only Leeds station!

 

[kkong]

Aberdeen "Joint" Station is still heard from some older local residents.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'm always surprised how Leeds City had had a re-emergence, which seems to have really begun after it's last rebuild and has slowly gained traction over the last 20 years, though I'm sure even before that the station frontage carried 'Leeds City Station' signage, while inside it was all 'Leeds' only, it's always been a little bit confused, lucky it's the only Leeds station!

Funnily enough, it was only at the last rebuild (c.2000) that the last lights with "Leeds City" lettering were removed!

 

[SouthStand]

In my experience nobody says Leeds City unless talking about the history. Nowhere in the public-facing side of operations is Leeds station given the City suffix. However Network Rail and Leeds Council will refer to "Leeds City Station" in planning documents and press releases.

TBF, no-one in Huddersfield says "Leeds" at all

 

[snowball]

Salford Central is still called Salford by people of a certain age group locally.

That of course is the reverse of the process in most posts in this thread - the station has, within living memory, gained a descriptor rather than lost one, because of the opening of Salford Crescent.

 

[DaventryRabbit]

Some Locals in and around Northampton still refer to Castle Station in the town, harking back to the days when the town also had St Johns and Bridge Street Stations....

 

[dcsprior]

As well as Edinburgh (Waverley), I've heard Newcastle (Central) and Carlisle (Citadel) quite a few times, including official announcements/etc.

 

[trebor79]

I've heard Norwich referred to as Thorpe.

 

[Rescars]

Does anyone still refer to Coulsdon Town as Smitham? It was renamed in 2011.

 

[BigCj34]

Cark may still technically be known as Cark and Cartmel, while Northern announce it as Cark-in-Cartmel on the train. But otherwise most references are to Cark.

 

[Siemens Trains]

Haymarket has never been known as "Edinburgh Haymarket" either locally or nationally and i don't believe there are any plans for it to be.

Perhaps not, but the abomination is often heard during manual and automatic announcements on trains.

Edinburgh Haymarket is listed as a stop during this YouTube clip of an automated announcement at 0:10 and 0:26.

 

[trebor79]

Perhaps not, but the abomination is often heard during manual and automatic announcements on trains.

Edinburgh Haymarket is listed as a stop during this YouTube clip of an automated announcement at 0:10 and 0:26.

What's wrong with that? I've managed thought it should be this way. I mean, where is "Haymarket"? It's not a place name!
Edinburgh Haymarket is sensible. Or should we start referring to other stations as "Lime Street", "New Street" and "Liverpool Street" etc?
"Haymarket" is an anachronism.

 

[Western Sunset]

Filton Abbey Wood is often just referred to as Abbey Wood.

 

[WesternBiker]

I was arranging to meet up with a family member earlier. She is only in her late 30s, but referred to Cardiff Central as 'General station'. Cardiff General was renamed Cardiff Central in 1973 (49 years ago).

I think in Cardiff it is an inter-generational thing. My mother (who has just passed away, aged 94) always called it "the General", but when visiting Barry I have noticed people in their 30s and 40s calling it that. I think old habits die very hard and clearly some have passed them onto their offspring. People also call Barry station "Barry Town", but I'm not aware of it having officially been called that. (The local soccer team is Barry Town, which may help to explain it.)

 

[QJ]

Whilst wandering around Stockport a few years ago an elderly lady asked for directions to Edgeley railway station. On hearing my accent she changed her request for directions to Stockport railway station.

She needn’t have bothered correcting herself though as I knew where she meant.

 

[Steddenm]

Whilst wandering around Stockport a few years ago an elderly lady asked for directions to Edgeley railway station. On hearing my accent she changed her request for directions to Stockport railway station.

She needn’t have bothered correcting herself though as I knew where she meant.

There is still a sign on the bridge in Edgeley that points to the station and is named Edgeley.

 

[Western 52]

Older people in Swansea still refer to High Street station.

 

[Parallel]

Filton Abbey Wood is often just referred to as Abbey Wood.

Or just “Filton”.

 

[LLivery]

Nottingham City Buses announce 'Nottingham Railway Station' but the timetables at bus stops do say 'Midland Station'.

 

[paul1609]

Tunbridge Wells station is still known locally as Tunbridge Wells Central.
Do consider that the Spa Valley Railway runs from Tunbridge Wells West station.

I would be interested to know if any locals in Ashford (Kent) call their station Ashford International..?

I think in Ashford it is common to refer to the station as International I suspect its because the station was so extensively rebuilt. Its also common to refer to the Domestic and Eurostar sides even though currently it's not served by Eurostar.

 

[91103eastcoast]

I think in Ashford it is common to refer to the station as International I suspect its because the station was so extensively rebuilt. Its also common to refer to the Domestic and Eurostar sides even though currently it's not served by Eurostar.

I had a ticket from Hastings to Canterbury the other day which had printed on it was “only valid via Ashford (Kent)”
Seems like somewhere in the ticketing system the International name hasn’t filtered through

 

[Tester]

I had a ticket from Hastings to Canterbury the other day which had printed on it was “only valid via Ashford (Kent)”
Seems like somewhere in the ticketing system the International name hasn’t filtered through

Off topic, but that's an interesting routing point.

It would be difficult (albeit of course not impossible) to make the journey avoiding Ashford (via Bat & Ball, anyone?), but if the intention is to disallow via Robertsbridge/Headcorn the wording hasn't achieved it! What else could it be?