Clapham Junction (CLJ)

Clapham Junction is a major transport hub and junction in South West London. It is Britain's busiest station and has more trains passing through per day than any station in Europe. 

A SWR 455 arrives at Clapham Junction

Information
Type:	National Rail (South West Main Line, Southern routes, London Overground)
Station code:	CLJ
Opened:	1863
Platforms:	17

The station was opened in 1863 as a joint venture and interchange by the London & South Western Railway, London, Brighton & South Coast Railway and West London Extension Railway [1]. The station is in fact in Battersea not Clapham, the railway companies using the latter name to attract the middle and upper classes to use the station! The station was rebuilt in 1905 due to the quadrupling of the main lines which served it.

The station is a stop on the South West Main Line, and other routes to destinations such as Reading and Brighton. The London Overground's South London Line terminus and also a stop on the West London Line.

A iconic view

Southern 377 622 at Clapham Junction

London Overground 378s

Britain's busiest station, the sign says so!

SWR 707 028 arrives at Clapham Junction

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Clapham Junction to Beckenham Junction (Middleton Press, 1994) Fig. 1

Bidston (BID)

Bidston is the junction of the Merseyrail Wirral Line (between Birkenhead North and Leasowe) and the Borderlands Line from Wrexham Central of which it is the Northern terminus.

Merseyrail 508 117 arrives with a Liverpool bound service

Information
Type:	National Rail (Merseyrail Wirral Line & Borderlands Line)
Station code:	BID
Opened:	1866
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1866 by the Hoylake Railway for their line from Birkenhead Dock to Hoylake. The station was rather isolated however, not getting a paved access road until 1970! The station was closed a couple of times in the late 1800s (1866-70 and 1872-90) due to low passenger numbers [1] (the village of Bidston was rather small) but was reopened as the railway network grew across the Wirral.

In the first half of the 1900s Bidston became a busy interchange station between the electric trains on the Wirral line (from 1938) [2] and steam trains to Wrexham and Chester. This is largely how the station was remained to the present day except the steam trains have been replaced by diesels.

The station consists of an island platform with the Merseyrail trains using both sides and the Borderlands Line, currently operated by Transport for Wales, one of them. Access to the platform is via a footbridge. The platform has a booking office and waiting room.

Platform building

Merseyrail 507 016 arrives with a Liverpool bound service

Footbridge

Approach to the station

Arriva Trains Wales 150 235 prepares to return to Wrexham Central

Station nameboard

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Birkenhead to West Kirby (Middleton Press, 2014) fig. 29
[2] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Wrexham to New Brighton (Middleton Press, 2013) fig. 97

Manchester Victoria (MCV)

Manchester Victoria is a major station in the city centre and the third busiest in Manchester. It is a combined mainline rail and Metrolink station. 

At Manchester Victoria

Information
Type:	National Rail (Northern & TPE Lines) & Manchester Metrolink
Station code:	MCV
Opened:	1844
Platforms:	6 (+ 4 Metrolink)

The station was opened in 1844 by the Manchester & Leeds Railway. The Liverpool & Manchester Railway extended it's line to the new station, replacing it's original terminus Manchester Liverpool Road. Originally the station had a single long platform but was extended and expanded a number of times until eventually reaching seventeen platforms in 1904. The current station facade dates from 1909.

In the 1980s British Rail began to concentrate services at Manchester Piccadilly. The station was reduced to six platforms and part of the station site sold off for redevelopment. Metrolink services began to use the station in 1992. By the 2000s the station was looking rather dilapidated. Between 2013 and 2015 the station was fully refurbished with a new roof. Metrolink services have also been moved to enable more capacity.

The station is served by Northern and Trans Pennine Express. 

Towards the tram platforms

A Metrolink tram passes the main concourse

A tram prepares to enter the station

Jewellery Quarter (JEQ)

Jewellery Quarter is a stop on the Birmingham Snow Hill - Worcester Line between Snow Hill and The Hawthorns.

WMR 172 005 departs Jewellery Quarter

Information
Type:	National Rail (Snow Hill Lines)
Station code:	JEQ
Opened:	1995
Platforms:	2 (+ 2 Midlands Metro)

Jewellery Quarter, serves the area of the same name just outside Birmingham city centre. The station was opened in 1995 as part of the restoration of cross-city services via Birmingham Snow Hill. No station had existed at this location previously though the former station of Hockley, which closed in 1972, was located nearby [1].

In 1999 the Midland Metro tram began operating, a stop at Jewellery Quarter is adjacent to the railway station (and with access via the platform). Access between the two railway platforms is via a footbridge.



Most services to Jewellery Quarter are operated by West Midlands Railway but some Chiltern Railways trains also stop during peak hours.

Station footbridge, a tunnel is just beyond the platforms at the Birmingham end

Chiltern 168 005 at Jewellery Quarter

Down this platform for the trams

Tram stop

In LM days 172 336 departs

[1] Hockley station <http://warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/hockley_station.htm>

Brunswick (BRW)

Brunswick is a stop on the Merseyrail Northern Line in Liverpool between Liverpool Central and St. Michaels. 

Merseyrail 508 137 departs for Liverpool Central

Information
Type:	National Rail (Merseyrail Northern Line)
Station code:	BRW
Opened:	1998
Platforms:	2

The original Brunswick station was the original Liverpool terminus of the Garston & Liverpool Railway which opened in 1864. The station was closed after only ten years due to it's poor location outside of the city centre. The new Brunswick station was opened in 1998 close to the site of the original station. It serves a business park and housing built in this former dockland area.

The station has a staffed ticket office and some bus shelter type facilities for passengers. Access between the platforms is by a footbridge.

Approaching from the North

Station footbridge

Stop here for Brunswick Business Park

Ticket office

Merseyrail 507 009 heading South for Hunts Cross

Haddenham

Haddenham was a stop on what is now the Chiltern Main Line in Buckinghamshire between Ilmer Halt and Wotton or Dorton Halt. Eight hundred metres away from the site of the former station is the modern station Haddenham & Tame Parkway.

Site of the former station, the new station is just beyond the bridge in the distance

Information
Type:	National Rail (Chiltern Main Line)
Opened:	1906
Closed:	1963
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1906 as a joint venture between the Great Central and Great Western Railways. The station had a small goods yard and cattle pens [1] as well as brick station buildings including waitings rooms. 

The station was closed in 1963 though the line managed to avoid closure. A new station for Haddenham was finally built in 1987.

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Princes Risborough to Banbury (Middleton Press, 2002) Fig. 26

Whatstandwell (WTS)

Whatstandwell is a stop on the Derwent Valley Line in Derbyshire between Ambergate and Cromford. 

EMR 153 355 (in EMT days) departs for Matlock

Information
Type:	National Rail (Derwent Valley Line)
Station code:	WTS
Opened:	1894
Platforms:	1

The original station, called Watstandwell Bridge, was opened by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway in 1849 on the other side of Whatstandwell tunnel to the current station which was opened from 1894. The station name changed to Whatstandwell in 1896 [1].

Whatstandwell now has only a single active platform after the singling of the Derwent Valley Line. The other platform is still in extant though is by now pretty overgrown, however it does have a heritage station nameboard sign in the London Midland Scottish Railway "hawkseye" style. The former station buildings have been replaced by basic bus shelters and displays. The footbridge gives access to the towpath of the Cromford Canal and over a further bridge into the village. A steep walk from the village is Crick Tramway Museum.

Whatstandwell is managed and served by East Midlands Railway services from Matlock to Newark Castle and Nottingham via Derby.

Footbridge

EMR 156 411 departs

Station view from the footbridge

Heritage nameboard

The original station was the other side of this tunnel

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Ambergate to Buxton (Middleton Press, 2019) Map. III

Acocks Green (ACG)

Acocks Green is a stop on the lines out of Birmingham Snow Hill in South Birmingham between Tyseley and Olton. 

WMR 172 337 at Acocks Green

Information
Type:	National Rail (Snow Hill Lines)
Station code:	ACG
Opened:	1852
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1852. In 1878 the name of the station was changed to Acocks Green & South Yardley though switched back to the original name in 1968 [1]. The station had two island platforms when the line was four tracked and on the mainline between London Paddington and Birkenhead, though only one island platform is in use today.

The station's main building is at road level with steps down to the platform (a lift is also available). The former brick platform facilities and canopies have now gone and replaced by the usual bus shelter and information screens. The station is managed by West Midlands Railway. Most services which stop at Acocks Green are operated by WMR with a few Chiltern Railway services too.

Main station building

A WMR service prepares to depart

Station shelter and lifts

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Banbury to Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2004) Fig. 83

Evesham (EVE)

Evesham is a stop on the Cotswold Line in Worcestershire between Pershore and Honeybourne.

GWR 802 001 at Evesham

Information
Type:	National Rail (Cotswold Line)
Station code:	EVE
Opened:	1852
Platforms:	2

Evesham was opened in 1852, the Southern terminus of the first part of the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway to be completed (Stourbridge Junction being the other end). The following year the line was opened down to Oxford.

Evesham became part of the West Midland Railway and later the Great Western Railway in 1863. The following year Evesham was joined by another Evesham station right next to it (Evesham South from 1951) [1], this one opened by the Midland Railway. This station closed in 1963.

Evesham is served by a frequent (though irregular) service on the Cotswold Line between London Paddington and Great Malvern or Hereford. All services are by GWR who also manage the station. The station has brick station buildings on other platforms and wooden canopies.

Main station building

Station footbridge

View up the platform

A GWR train is in

Waiting rooms

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Moreton-in-Marsh to Worcester (Middleton Press, 2004) Fig. 53

Beckton (ZBV)

Beckton is the terminus of the Beckton branch of the Docklands Light Railway in East London. 

DLR 130 has just arrived at Beckton

Information
Type:	Transport for London (Docklands Light Railway)
Station code:	ZBV
Opened:	1994
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1994 when the Beckton branch from Poplar was opened. The station is a short distance to the East from the original Beckton station which closed in 1940 [1]. Next to Beckton station is a retail park and bus station. Beckton DLR depot is situated between Beckton and Gallions Reach stations.

Beckton is an unstaffed station like most DLR stations. Unlike many DLR stations is it more or less at street level with just a few steps (or a ramp) down to the road outside the station. Trains from Beckton mainly head to Tower Gateway or Bank.

Buffer stop DLR style

View down the platform

Station entrance, the bus station is straight ahead

[1] J.E. Connor, Branch Lines around North Woolwich (Middleton Press, 2001) Fig. 97