Beckton Park (ZBJ)

Beckton Park is a stop on the Beckton Branch of the Docklands Light Railway in east London between Royal Albert and Cyprus. 

A DLR train prepares to depart

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

The station was opened in 1994 next to the north quay of the Royal Albert Dock. The station was built very close to the site of the former station Central which closed in 1940 and was so named for being half way along the dock estate! [1] The station is built in the middle of, and below, a road roundabout. 

Beckton Park is the least used station on the Docklands Light Railway. Access between the platforms is via a footbridge. As with nearly all DLR stations, Beckton Park is unstaffed.

The line dips just before the station

Footbridge over the line

Station entrance

[1] J.E. Connor, Branch lines around North Woolwich (Middleton Press, 2001) Fig. 109

Library Metro

Library is a stop on the West Midlands Metro between Town Hall and Brindleyplace. As the name suggests the stop serves the Library of Birmingham but also Symphony Hall and the Birmingham International Convention Centre.

Tram 47 arrives at Library

Information
Type:	West Midlands Metro
Opened:	2019
Platforms:	2

The stop was opened in 2019 after the line was extended from Grand Central (Birmingham New Street).

Until the line was extended along Broad Street to Edgbaston Village in 2022 this stop served as the line's terminus.

Library tram stop, the ICC is in the right background

Tram 47 waits at the stop

Newark Castle (NCT)

Newark Castle is a stop on the Nottingham-Lincoln Line in Nottinghamshire between Rolleston and Collingham. 

EMR 156 411 arrives at Newark Castle

Information
Type:	National Rail (Nottingham-Lincoln Line)
Station code:	NCT
Opened:	1846
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Midland Railway in 1846, the station is so named due to it's proximity to the castle! The station building was built in the Italianate style and is still in railway use though has lost it's canopy [1]. The station retains a staffed ticket office, the building also hosting a cafe.

Access between the platforms is via the level crossing and road at the Nottingham end of the platforms. The station is managed and served by East Midlands Railway with usually two trains per hour in each direction, some services terminating / originating at Newark Castle.

Newark Castle signal box

Level crossing

Station building

View down the platform

Preparing to depart

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Nottingham to Lincoln (Middleton Press, 2013) Fig. 50

Widney Manor (WMR)

Widney Manor is a stop in the West Midlands between Dorridge and Solihull.

Chiltern 168 218 stands (wrong road) at Widney Manor

Information
Type:	National Rail (Chiltern Main Line &  Snow Hill Lines)
Station code:	WMR
Opened:	1899
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1899 on it's line from London Paddington to Birkenhead. The line through Widney Manor had four tracks but two of these have now been lifted. The station had a small goods yard and cattle pens [1] but all these have now gone. Indeed all of the original station buildings have now gone.

The station has a modern booking office, shelters and footbridge as well as two carparks (one either side of the station). The station is managed by West Midlands Railway, who operate services up to three time an hour. The station is also served a few times a day by Chiltern Railways.

Station sign

WMR 172 341 arrives at Widney Manor

View down the platform towards Solihull

Main station building

WMR 172 341 departs for Dorridge

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Banbury to Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2004) Fig. 70

Chepstow / Cas-gwent (CPW)

Chepstow (Cas-gwent) is a stop on the Gloucester - Newport Line in Monmouthshire between Lydney and Caldicot.

Transport for Wales 170 272 arrives at Chepstow

Information
Type:	National Rail (Gloucester - Newport Line)
Station code:	CPW
Opened:	1850
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1850 by the Brunel's South Wales Railway, eventually linking South Wales to the Great Western Railway at Gloucester (Chepstow was the original eastern terminus of the line [1]). The railway (and Chepstow) became part of the GWR in 1863. The station retains it's original SWR station building though the footbridge is a standard GWR iron pattern one. The stone building on the other platform has been replaced by a modern shelter.

The station's goods yard was closed in 1969 [2] and the station became unstaffed. The station is managed by Transport for Wales and served by them and Cross Country.

Main station building

Under the footbridge

Another view of the footbridge

Old and new

Colas 43 272 leads a test train through Chepstow

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Gloucester to Cardiff (Middleton Press, 2005) Fig. 54

[2] Ibid. 57

Lugton

Lugton was a stop on the Glasgow South Western Line in Ayrshire between Barmill or Dunlop and Caldwell.

Lugton station [1]

Information
Type:	National Rail (Glasgow South Western Line)
Opened:	1871
Closed:	1966
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1871 by the Glasgow, Barrhead & Kilmarnock Joint Railway. The line branched off at Lugton to serve a branch to Beith Town. Lugton was closed in 1966 though the line remains open, the branch to Beith has now been severed. 

Although Lugton no longer has a station, it was the scene of a major railway accident training exercise in 2000 to test emergency services response to two passenger trains crashing at Lugton!

[1] J. Francis, "The Glasgow, Barrhead & Kilmarnock Joint Railway", The Railway Magazine p. 31

City Thameslink (CTK)

City Thameslink is a stop in central London between Farringdon and London Blackfriars. 

Thameslink 700 146 prepares to depart

Information
Type:	National Rail (Thameslink)
Station code:	CTK
Opened:	1990
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1990 to replace Holborn Viaduct station. The station was part of the project to re-open a north-south London link with the re-opening of the Snow Hill tunnel. The station was opened as St Paul's Thameslink but changed to the current name the following year (to avoid confusion with St Paul's tube station).

The station was refurbished and upgraded in 2010 as part of the Thameslink programme. The station has a very regular service in both directions. The station is closed on Sundays.

Station entrance

View down the platform

Booking hall

View along the platform

700 005 arrives

Stechford (SCF)

Stechford is a station on the West Coast Main Line just outside of Birmingham city centre between Adderley Park and Lea Hall, it is also at the junction where Stechford-Aston spur joins the main line.

LM 350 371 departs

Information
Type:	National Rail (West Coast Main Line)
Station code:	SCF
Opened:	1844
Platforms:	3

The station was opened by the London & North Western Railway in 1844. At one stage Stechford was the largest intermediate station between Birmingham and Coventry with two island platforms. The station also had an extensive goods yard.

The goods yard has now gone as have the two island platforms. The current station building dates from the 1960s and has steps down to the platforms or lifts and a new footbridge after recent accessibility improvements. Only platforms 1 and 2 have scheduled services stop at them, all operated by West Midlands Railway (who manage the station) or London Northwestern Railway.

Stechford is usually served by two trains an hour in each direction (with more services in peak hours), away from Birmingham New Street one train goes on to London Euston and the other Birmingham International. The Stechford-Aston spur is currently only used by freight and passenger trains passing through the area such as the Caledonian Sleeper though in the past there was a limited service between Walsall and Birmingham International that used the line.

Stechford was the scene of a fatal rail crash in 1967 when a Class 304 EMU and a Class 24 locomotive collided killing 9 people. 

New footbridge and lifts

A Birmingham bound Class 350 at the station

The old footbridge, platform 3 is on the far left

Virgin 221 111 passes through

Platform shelter

Earlswood (Surrey) (ELD)

Earlswood is a stop on the Brighton Main Line in Surrey between Redhill and Salfords. It should not be confused with the other Earlswood station in the West Midlands! 

Thameslink 700 103 arrives at Earlswood

Information
Type:	National Rail (Brighton Main Line)
Station code:	ELD
Opened:	1868
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1868 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. When the main line was quadrupled the station was rebuilt in 1906, however the platforms on the fast lines closed in the 1980s.

The station is served mostly by Thameslink with two trains per hour from Bedford via London Bridge and two to Three Bridges. There is also a limited peak hour service by Southern, who manage the station. Access between the platforms is via a subway.

Station building

Platform side view of the main building

Ready to go

Platform shelters, behind are the fast lines