UK railway station trivia

Last update 26 December 2019

Additional information is always gratefully received, whether entirely new records (particularly historical records), or information to fill in gaps or correct errors, via the contact link under the Miscellaneous entry in the navigation bar above. Thank you.

Please select a feature from the list below:

This page is dedicated to those things that don't fit easily into other pages. Additional items will be added as and when the editor thinks they will be of interest to readers. Feel free to send any suggestions!

Which stations… are listed?

This document dated 1979 is a British Rail catalogue of its listed buildings (17.5Mb file, opens in new tab). It is not limited to stations; there are undoubtedly other designations since then.

Which stations… have post boxes on them?

To qualify for this list, the post box must be on the station platform or in a concourse area (i.e. they would become inaccessible to the public if the station were locked shut). Boxes mounted in or near exterior walls publicly accessible from the street do not count here. This list is believed to be current at 2019 with subsequent alterations where known.

Some stations, e.g. Rugby, have more than one post box on site.

Station	Where	Notes

Alton	platform
Axminster	platform
Banbury	concourse
Bath Spa	platform
Birmingham International	concourse
Birmingham New Street	concourse	removed?
Bodmin Parkway	platform
Brighton	concourse
Bristol Temple Meads	concourse
Cambridge	platform
Cardiff Central	concourse
Carlisle	platform
Carmarthen	platform
Cheltenham Spa	concourse	removed?
Chester	platform
Crewe	concourse
Darlington	platform
Diss	platform
Dover Priory	platform
Dumfries	platform
Durham	platform
Edenbridge Town	platform
Edinburgh Waverley	platform
Ely	platform
Fishguard Harbour	platform
Glasgow Central	concourse
Glenfinnan	platform
Glossop	platform
Gravesend	platform
Great Malvern	platform
Harrogate	platform
Harwich International	platform
Hexham	platform
Holyhead	concourse
Hull	concourse
Inverness	concourse
Kingussie	platform
Leamington Spa	platform
Leatherhead	platform
Leeds	concourse
Leicester	platform
Llandrindod Wells	platform
Llanelli	platform
London Euston	concourse
London Marylebone	concourse
London Paddington	concourse
Loughborough	platform
Lowestoft	concourse
Malton	platform
Manchester Victoria	concourse
Menston	platform
Morpeth	platform
Newton Abbot	platform
Norwich	concourse
Oxford	concourse
Penrith	platform
Pitlochry	platform
Reading	concourse
Rugby	platform
Selby	platform
Skipton	platform
Stirling	platform
Stockport	platform
Stourbridge Junction	platform
Taplow	platform
Taunton	platform
Tenby	platform
Tonbridge	platform
Truro	platform
Wellingborough	platform
Westbury	platform
Weston-super-Mare	platform
Windsor & Eton Central	concourse
Yatton	platform
York	concourse

Which stations… were built in a triangular arrangement?

Platforms are required on all three sides to qualify here. Please contact the editor if you can prove (or otherwise) the arrangement where detail is unclear.

Ambergate

Bishop Auckland

Earlestown

Forres (unclear if south-to-east platforms existed)

Queensbury

Rutherglen

Shipley

Wood Lane (London Underground Central line)

Dinting had three sets of platforms but was not built in a triangular arrangement. When built it had platforms on the main east-west line and on the east-south branch to Glossop. The layout was later rearranged with today's west-south curve (with platforms), which severed the earlier curve and platforms. A new east-south curve was built on a new alignment without platforms.

Which stations… are not accessible by road?

Generally, stations are accessible by footpath. Some exist(ed) for interchange only. Some were constructed by heritage railways post-preservation.

Altnabreac

Ash Town

Berney Arms

Cefn-Onn

Clogwyn (Snowdon Mountain Railway)

Colnbrook (Manchester Metrolink; initially interchange only with emergency exit, later opened as a full stop)

Corrour

County March

Country Park (Severn Valley Railway)

Creosor Junction

Dduallt (Ffestiniog Railway)

Dovey Junction

Eastry

Halfway (Snowdon Mountain Railway)

Hope Exchange (later opened as a full stop)

Incline Top

Lochskerrow (road access provided from 1950s)

Manulla Junction (Iarnród Éireann; originally full station, later interchange only)

Middlewood

Morebath Junction

Nant Gwernol (Talyllyn Railway)

Newton Dale (North Yorkshire Moors Railway)

Otford Junction

Pilmoor (road access provided from 1879)

Raglan Footpath

Rheidol Falls (Vale of Rheidol Railway)

Rhiwfron (Vale of Rheidol Railway)

Riccarton Junction?

River Douglas

Rocky Valley (Snowdon Mountain Railway)

Smallbrook Junction

Summit (Snowdon Mountain Railway)

Yarwell Junction (Nene Valley Railway)

In addition, these stations were used for interchange only for part or all of their existance, but it is not known if any type of external access was possible.

Abbots Wood Junction (November 1850-1 October 1855)

Aberdare Junction (29 October 1855-30 April 1856)

Abingdon Junction (2 June 1856-7 September 1873)

Alderbury Junction (February 1872-?)

Ardwick [LY] (probably 1852-1853 though existence uncertain)

Boscarne Exchange Platform (15 June 1964-30 January 1967)

Bushbury (2 August 1852-30 June 1856)

Cairnie Junction (1 June 1898-14 June 1965?)

Carnforth [Fur/Mid] (6 June 1867-2 August 1880)

East Grinstead High Level (1 August 1882-15 October 1883)

Hereford Junction (dates unknown)

Holehouse Junction (2 December 1895-3 April 1950)

Hunthill Junction (dates unknown)

Kemble (12 May 1845-1 May 1882)

Killin Junction (1 April 1886-?)

North Kent Junction (1 September 1849-?)

Roudham Junction

Siddick Junction (1 Sept 1880-1 March 1890)

Which stations… have a platform 0?

Station	Note

Cardiff Central	opened by May? 2002, initially for occasional/one-off use; later upgraded for regular use
Chippenham	south side platform is referred to as 'platform 0', though it currently has no track
Doncaster	temporary platform used 27 May 2000 to at least 1 June 2000
Doncaster	permanent platform opened 4 December 2016 (first trains called 12 December)
Gravesend	opened 6 January 2014
Haymarket	opened 27 December 2006
Hooton	former platform 2, adjacent to station building, used by charter trains; since renumbering 18 May 1985 often referred to as 'platform 0'
Kings Cross	opened 25 May 2010
Leeds	under construction; expected to open 2021
Liverpool Lime Street	from 30 July 2018 former platform 1, now trackless, referred to as 'platform 0'
Preston	temporary use of old parcels platform, used in 2004
Rainham (Kent)	opened 29 March 2016
Redhill	opened 2 January 2018
Stockport	opened for occasional use c.18 September 2005; regular use March 2008

Which stations… have names reflecting commerce?

Generally the stations listed were named according to the 'business' (in its loosest sense) they serve rather than to commemorate a site. Thus, for example, stations named after public houses are shown even if a community later took the name, but not stations named after the community that was itself named after the public house.

All stations are on the national network unless stated otherwise. Terms in [square brackets] are to aid identification only and are not part of the name. The nature of the naming is given; the term 'pub' refers to any public house, hostelry, inn or hotel.

Note that not all stations are currently open and words such as "halt" are omitted. The list is somewhat subjective; the editor's decision is final, but generally the 'benefit of the doubt' is given!

The reader is invited to explore these pages to find out more about church and pub name derivations, including for non-station assets.

Abbey [Cumbria] (church)

Abbey & West Dereham (church)

All Saints (Docklands Light Railway; church)

Ampress (factory)

Angel (London Underground; pub)

Arsenal (London Underground; sport)

Bat & Ball [Sevenoaks] (pub)

Bay Horse [Lancaster] (pub)

Bedford St John’s (church)

Berney Arms (pub)

Bicester Village (retail)

Black Lion [Aberdare] (pub)

Blue Anchor [Minehead] (pub)

Boars Head [Wigan] (pub)

Bournville [Birmingham] (factory)

Bow Church (Docklands Light Railway; church)

Braintree Freeport (retail)

Brent Cross (London Underground; retail)

Bricklayers Arms (pub)

Bristol St Philip’s (church)

British Steel Redcar (factory)

Bronwydd Arms (pub)

Brundall Gardens (gardens)

Bull & Bush (London Underground; never opened; pub)

Butlins Penychain (renamed Penychain in May 2000) (entertainment)

Camels Head [Plymouth] (pub)

Canary Wharf (London Underground/Docklands Light Railway; commerce)

Capel Bangor [Aberystwyth] (church)

Clock House [Elmers End] (pub)

Craven Arms (pub)

Cross Hands [Pilning] (pub)

Cross Inn [Ammanford] (pub)

Cross Inn [Llanfihangel-ar-Arth] (pub)

Cross Inn [Pontyclun] (pub)

Cross Keys [Glanamman] (pub)

Cross Keys [Newport] (pub)

Crymmych Arms (pub)

Daimler (factory)

Dartmouth Arms (renamed Forest Hill in July 1845) (pub)

Dover Priory (church)

Dunrobin Castle (tourist)

Elephant & Castle (pub)

Etihad Campus (Manchester Metrolink; sport)

Exeter St Davids (church)

Exeter St Thomas (church)

Fighting Cocks (pub)

Four Ashes (pub)

Four Crosses (pub)

Furness Abbey (church)

Goodyear (Northern Ireland; factory)

Great Central (renamed Marylebone in April 1917) (London Underground; connecting transport)

Great Northern Hotel (Ireland; pub)

Grey Horse [Bishop Auckland] (pub)

Holland Arms [Gaerwen] (pub)

Hollybush [Blackwood] (pub)

Holy Trinity (Nottingham Tram; church)

Horse & Jockey [Thurles] (Ireland; pub)

IBM (factory)

Jolly Sailor (renamed Norwood in c.1846) (pub)

Kirkham Abbey (church)

Lincoln St Mark’s (church)

Liverpool St James (church)

Loch Eil Outward Bound (entertainment)

London St Pancras (church)

Lympstone Commando (military)

Manchester United Football Club (sport)

Manor House (London Underground; pub)

MetroCentre (retail)

Mourne Abbey [Mallow] (Ireland; church)

New Cross (pub)

New Cross Gate (pub)

New Inn [Glyn Ceiriog] (pub)

New Inn [Rosebush] (pub)

Newlands Inn (Golden Valley Light Railway; pub)

Old Roan [Ormskirk] (pub)

Old Swan & Knotty Ash (renamed Knotty Ash & Stanley in November 1888) (pub)

Paisley St James (church)

Pilot (Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway; pub)

Portsmouth Arms (pub)

Queens Head [Dolywern] (pub)

Rams Line [Derby] (sport)

Red Lion [Garnant] (pub)

Roebuck [Preston] (pub)

Royal Oak [London] (pub)

Rye House [Enfield] (pub)

St Albans Abbey (church)

St Ann’s/St Anne’s [Blarney] (Ireland; church)

St Anns Well [Nottingham] (church)

St Anthonys [Newcastle] (church)

St Devereux [Pontrilas] (church)

St Enoch [Glasgow] (church)

St Gabriels [Swansea] (church)

St Germain’s [Watlington] (existence in doubt) (church)

St John’s [London] (church)

St Lawrence [Bodmin] (church)

St Lawrence [Ventnor] (church)

St Luke’s [Southport] (church)

St Margaret’s [Edinburgh] (church)

St Margaret’s [Hertfordshire] (church)

St Mary’s [Lydney] (church)

St Mary’s [Huntingdon] (church)

St Michael’s [Liverpool] (church)

St Michael’s [Tenterden] (church)

St Paul’s [Birmingham] (church)

St Paul’s [London] (London Underground; church)

St Rollox (church)

Salvation Army [St Albans] (church)

Shadwell & St Georges in the East (church)

Singer (factory)

Six Bells [Abertillery] (pub)

Six Bells [Garndiffaith] (pub)

Spread Eagle [Stafford] (pub)

Stadium Of Light (sport)

Stag & Castle [Leicester] (pub)

Swansea St Thomas (church)

Swiss Cottage (London Underground; pub)

Temple (London Underground; church)

Temple Hirst (church)

Templemore (Ireland; church)

The Hawthorns (sport)

Three Cocks [Brecon] (pub)

Tram Inn (pub)

Travellers Rest [Abercynon] (pub)

Trouble House [Tetbury] (pub)

Uralite (factory)

Watford Stadium (sport)

Wedgwood (factory)

Wellington [Dundalk] (Ireland; pub)

Whistle Inn (Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway; pub)

White Bear [Chorley] (pub)

White Hart [Machen] (pub)

White Hart Lane (sport)

Wolverhampton St Georges (Midland Metro; church)

Wymondham Abbey (church)

Coventry Arena was originally to be named Ricoh Arena but did not open under this name

Which stations… have the highest elevation?

England

Dent (1150ft above sea level)

Scotland

Corrour (variously reported as 1339ft, 1347ft and 1350ft above sea level)

Wanlockhead (1498ft above sea level) (now closed; once highest 'main line' station in Britain)

Wales

Summit (3493ft above sea level) (Snowdon Mountain Railway)

Waenavon (1392ft above sea level) (if you know the highest operational station, please let the editor know!)

Isle of Man

Snaefell Summit (2036ft above sea level)

Which stations… have 'Harrington Humps'?

This Wikipedia page gives a simple description of what a Harrington Hump is. Entries in this table are based on the editor's interpretation of often cryptic source information.

Station	Platform	Date

Aberdovey	Single	3 December 2009 (formal opening)
Adderley Park	Both	21 February 2014
Amberley	Down	5 December 2014
Ancaster	Up	15 November 2013
Arram	Both	1 November 2013
Battersby	Single	2 December 2013
Bingham	Up	13 September 2013
Blaydon	Up	13 September 2013
Bootle	Down	5 August 2013
Brampton	Single	14 February 2014
Brandon	Both	14 February 2014
Braystones	Single	21 July 2013
Broome	Single	by spring 2015
Bryn	Up	1 August 2013
Builth Road	Single	by spring 2015
Burnley Barracks	Single	27 September 2013
Copplestone	Single	14 March 2014
Corkickle	Single	21 July 2013
Crediton	Up	7 March 2014
Dalton	Southbound	October 2012
Danzey	Both	23 May 2014
Drigg	Up	29 July 2013
Dyffryn Ardudwy	Single
Earlswood	Up	10 January 2014
Eccles	Up	6 August 2013
Entwhistle	Single	28 July 2013
Exeter St Thomas	Down	28 March 2014
Exton	Single	7 March 2014
Farnworth	Up	21 July 2013 Station since rebuilt (2015) so probably no longer present
Ferryside	Single	August 2015
Flimby	Up	8 July 2013
Flixton	Down	4 August 2013
Great Bentley	Both	28 March 2014
Great Coates	Down	4 October 2013
Great Coates	Up	25 October 2013
Grindleford	Up	20 September 2013
Hadfield	Single	6 August 2013
Harrington	Both	8 December 2008 (first 'hump' only)
Heighington	Both	18 October 2013
Henley in Arden	Down	26 September 2014
Horton-in-Ribblesdale	Up	8 July 2013
Hunmanby	Down	15 November 2013
Hutton Cranswick	Down	10 January 2014
Hutton Cranswick	Up	27 September 2013
Kearsley	Up	15 July 2013
Kents Bank		by November 2014
Knucklas	Single	during spring 2015
Lapworth	Down	7 February 2014
Lapworth	Up	6 October 2013
Lawrence Hill	Down	7 March 2014
Llanbister Road	Single	31 January 2015
Llangennech	Both	28 February 2015
Llangunllo	Single	31 January 2015
Llwyngwril	Single
Lowdham	Both	13 October 2013
Market Rasen	Both	13 October 2013
Nafferton	Down	24 October 2014
Nafferton	Up	1 November 2013
New Lane	Up	31 October 2014
Newton St Cyres	Single	14 March 2014
North Road	Single	4 October 2013
Northwich	Both	1 April 2011
Oulton Broad South	Single	14 February 2014
Parton	Both	15 July 2013
Pegswood	Up	21 March 2014
Pembroke	Single	August 2015
Pembroke Dock	Single	August 2015
Penrhyndeudraeth	Single	24 January 2015
Pleasington	Down	28 July 2013
Pontarddulais	Single	19 January 2015
Portsmouth Arms	Single	28 March 2014
Rauceby	Down	25 October 2013
Redbridge	Up	22 March 2014
St Albans Abbey	Single	17 July 2009 (installation) 11 August 2009 (formal opening)
St Bees	Northbound	October 2012
Sankey	Up	20 September 2013
Seascale	Both	October 2012
Seaton Carew	Both	30 May 2014
Spooner Row	Down	21 March 2014
Stapleton Road	Down	7 March 2014
Starbeck	Down	15 November 2013
Swineshead	Down	15 November 2013
Talsarnau	Single	24 January 2015
The Lakes	Both	10 January 2014
Thornton Abbey	Both	6 June 2014
Valley	Both?	14 May 2010 (formal opening)
Whaley Bridge	Buxton	by February 2013
Whitehaven	Through	by October 2011
Wigton	Down	8 July 2013
Wood End	Up	23 May 2014
Yorton	Down	15 April 2016

Which stations… have been used but never had trains?

These are principally rail-related ferry/shipping service points.

Alloa North

Dartmouth

Gravesend

Hull Corporation Pier

Liverpool Landing Stage

Rosherville

Sheerness

Woolwich Roffs Ferry

Which stations… have the largest concourse?

London Bridge (150,000m² from 2018 when rebuilding completed)

Which stations… were built but never opened?

Over the years, many stations have been proposed but never come to fruition. This list attempts to show those where at least some physical construction started before they were abandoned. All are "main line" schemes unless stated otherwise.

Barrhead (New) (Glenfield-Patterton)

Brierdene (Monkseaton)

Brockley Hill (Elstree South-Edgware, London Underground)

Collywell Bay (Monkseaton)

Coynant (Nantyffyllon)

Crowlands (Chadwell Heath-Romford)

Cwmgorse (Abernant colliery line)

Doncaster (York Road)

Dykebar (Barrhead (New)-Paisley East)

Ferguslie (Stanely-Paisley St James, possibly used for excursion traffic)

Glenfield (Barrhead (New)-Stanely)

Gwaun Cae Gurwen (Abernant colliery line)

Highgate (High Level) (London Underground)

Lullingstone (Swanley-Eynsford)

North End (Golders Green-Hampstead, also known as Bull & Bush; London Underground)

Queens Road (Clapton)

Paisley East (Dykebar-Paisley Gilmour Street)

Richboro Port

Snaith & Pollington (Sykehouse-Carlton Towers)

Stanely (Glenfield-Ferguslie)

Swithland (Rothley-Quorn)

Sykehouse (Thorpe in Balne-Snaith & Pollington)

Thorpe in Balne (Sykehouse-Adwick)

Treforest (after Rhydyfelin on Coryton branch)

Warmsworth

Ynysygeinon Junction (Pontardawe-Ystalyfera)

Which stations… are served only by companies other than the station facility operator (SFO)?

Full list on this page.

Which stations… have the longest platforms?

These stations have platforms 450m-long or longer. Lengths are official operational lengths where known; physical lengths can be longer especially where platforms are connected end-to-end.

Cheriton (791m long)

Bournemouth (platform 3/4 combined; 522m long)

Gloucester (platform 1/2 combined; 494m long)

Edinburgh Waverley (platform 10/11 combined; 492m long)

Perth (platform 4; 473m long)

Aberdeen (platform 6; 460m long)

Darlington (platform 4; 458m long)

Crewe (platform 6; 450m long)

For Bournemouth, Gloucester and Edinburgh Waverley, the combined length allows a single long train to use both platforms simultaneously. Other stations where at least one platform is a bay could be a longer combined length (e.g. Colchester often quoted at ≈593m long).

Which stations… have the shortest platforms?

These stations have platforms 30m-long or shorter. Lengths are official operational lengths where known; those prefixed with ≈ are measured from mapping systems.

Battersea Pier Staff Halt (3m long)

Fratton Staff Half (≈7m long)

Beauly (15m long)

Conon Bridge (15m long)

Dilton Marsh (both platforms, 15m long)

Gilfach Fargoed (both platforms, 17m long)

Berney Arms (18m long)

Sugar Loaf (21m long)

Hoo Junction Staff Halt (down platform ≈22m long; up platform is ≈34m long)

Llandecwyn (22m long)

Tygwyn (22m long)

Llandanwg (23m long)

Stourbridge Town (27m long)

Durnsford Road Staff Halt (27.43m long)

Loch Eil Outward Bound (28m long)

Avoncliff (both platforms, 30m long)

Causeland (30m long)

Coombe (30m long)

Sandplace (30m long)

St Keyne (30m long)

Which stations… have bilingual name signs?

Full list on this page.

Which stations… have international facilities?

Full list on this page.

Which stations… had CLASP buildings?

CLASP ('Consortium Local Authority Special Programme') was a system of prefabricated concrete panels designed as a quick and easy method of making utility buildings (e.g. schools and hospitals). Thirty Southern region and three Western region stations had CLASP buildings replacing their traditional ones. Most have since been replaced though some remain (e.g. Wool).

Station	Installed	Replaced	Notes

Ashtead	1968	2013
Aylesham	1968		Still present 2019
Belmont	1968	2004
Belvedere	1968	2000
Berrylands	1969		Still present 2017
Bristol Parkway	1972	2001
Brockley	1972		Still present 2015
Catford	1970		Still present 2018
Charlton	1968		Still present 2018
Crawley	1967		Still present 2018
Crayford	1968	2008	Some ancillary buildings still present 2016
East Grinstead	1972	2013
Fleet	1966	2014
Forest Hill	1973		Still present 2017
Gloucester	1977		Still present 2018
Hampton Wick	1969	2005	Some ancillary buildings still present 2008
Hassocks	1973	2013
Kidbrooke	1972	2015
Longfield	1972		Still present 2016
Lower Sydenham	1972	1991	Burnt down 1989
Meopham	1973		Still present 2018
New Eltham	1968	1988
Oxford	1971	1990
Poole	1970	late-1980s
Rainham (Kent)	1972	1989
Slade Green	1968		Still present 2018
Strood	1973	2017
Sunbury	1965		Still present 2014
Sunningdale	1972		Still present 2018
Virginia Water	1973		Still present 2019
West Byfleet	1973		Still present 2019
Wokingham	1973	2013
Wool	1972		Still present 2018

Which stations… had Motorail facilities?

Aberdeen

Birmingham International

Bristol Temple Meads

Brockenhurst

Cardiff Central

Carlisle

Dover

Edinburgh Waverley

Exeter St Davids

Fishguard Harbour

Fort William

Inverness

London Euston

London Kensington Olympia

London Paddington

Newcastle

Newton Abbot

Newton le Willows

Penzance

Perth

Pilning
(precursor to modern system)

Plymouth

Reading

St Austell

Severn Tunnel Junction
(precursor to modern system)

Sheffield

Stirling

Sutton Coldfield

Swansea

Totnes

Worcester Shrub Hill

York