Redhill (RDH)

Redhill is an interchange station in Surrey, it is between Merstham and Earlswood (Surrey) on the Brighton Main Line, and between Reigate and Gatwick Airport on the North Downs Line. It is also part of Thameslink and the terminus of the Redhill to Tonbridge Line. 

Thameslink 700 142 arrives at Redhill

Information
Type:	National Rail (Brighton Main Line, North Downs Line and Others)
Station code:	RDH
Opened:	1844
Platforms:	4

Two stations were built in the town in the early 1840s, Redhill and Reigate Road in 1841 by the London and Brighton Railway, and Redhill in 1842 by the South Eastern Railway. Both stations were replaced by a new station (on the current site) called Redhill & Reigate in 1844. The station soon became very busy and was rebuilt in 1858 and renamed Redhill Junction. The Southern Railway changed the name of the station to just Redhill in 1929. The Brighton Main Line was electrified through Redhill in 1933. A new booking hall and entrance was built in 1930 for the expected extra traffic [1].

The station has locomotive servicing facilities built by the SER in 1855, these survived until 1965. The station had a parcels siding though this is now out of use. The station has four platforms linked by a subway. It is managed and served by Southern and also served by Thameslink and GWR.

A terminating GWR service from Reading

The former footbridge used for parcels can be seem in this down platform view

A view up the platform

700 144 arrives at Redhill

Southern 377 316 arrives 

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Guildford to Redhill (Middleton Press, 1989) Fig. 112

Baker Street (ZBS)

Baker Street is one of the original London Underground stations in north London and is a busy interchange of five underground lines. The station is between Marylebone and Regent's Park (Bakerloo Line), Edgware Road and Great Portland Street (Hammersmith & City and Circle), St John's Wood and Bond Street (Jubilee) and finally, Finchley Road and Great Portland Street (Metropolitan).

A Metropolitan Line S8 at Baker Street

Information
Type:	Transport for London (Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee & Metropolitan Lines)
Station code:	ZBS
Opened:	1863
Platforms:	10

Baker Street was opened by the Metropolitan Railway in 1863 on its original stretch of "cut and cover" from Paddington to Farringdon [1]. Trains were hauled by steam locomotives (though with condensing systems to reduce the amount of steam released into the tunnels [2]). The deep level tube arrived in 1906 when the Baker Street & Waterloo Railway opened what would soon be known as the Bakerloo Line. Baker Street was the original Northern terminus (and one of the line's largest stations) [3] before the line was extended to Marylebone the following year.

The Metropolitan Railway opened a new branch via St John's Wood eventually reaching beyond Aylesbury and opened new open air platforms. The Hammersmith & City and Circle Lines (the latter a joint Metropolitan & District Railway scheme) were added to Baker Street in the 1870s. Finally the Jubilee Line arrived in 1979 as a split from the Bakerloo Line with a new platform being built and new passageways to allow for cross platform interchange with the Bakerloo [4].



As can be seen, Baker Street is a mixture of open air, sub-surface and deep level railways and hence has a rather complicated layout. Some Metropolitan Line trains terminate at Baker Street with others being able to continue on to Aldgate sharing track with the Hammersmith & City and Circle Line trains.

Platform roundel

Open air Metropolitan Line

Bakerloo Line

Sub-surface platforms

Out in the air again

[1] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 100
[2] Paul Moss, London Underground (Haynes, 2014) p. 14
[3] Mike Horne, The Bakerloo Line (Capital Transport, 2001) p. 14
[4] Mike Horne, The Jubilee Line (Capital Transport, 2000) p. 38

Kettering (KET)

Kettering is a stop on the Midland Main Line in Northamptonshire between Wellingborough and Market Harborough or Corby.

EMR 222 101 arrives at Kettering

Information
Type:	National Rail (Midland Main Line)
Station code:	KET
Opened:	1857
Platforms:	4

The station was opened by the Midland Railway in 1857. The station was originally small with just a single platform though was expanded when the line through it was quadrupled in 1879, three more platforms were built [1]. The current station building dates from a rebuild by the Midland Railway in the late 1890s. The station also gained an engine shed and goods shed in the late nineteenth century. These have now gone of course. The goods yard was closed in 1980 [2]. The engine shed in 1965 [3].

The station was renamed Kettering for Corby in 1970 after the closure of Corby station. The name was changed to Kettering & Corby in 1975. After the reopening of Corby station in 1987, Kettering station was restored to it's original name.

The station today retains much of it's Midland Railway feel, and the Grade II listed station building is one of the best surviving examples of the company's architecture. The station has canopies over much of the platforms mixed with more modern shelters, access between the platforms is via a footbridge and lifts. The station is managed by East Midlands Railway.

Down the platform, under the MR canopies

View across to platforms 2 and 3 which are an island

Platform view

Preparing to go

EMR 360 103 on a service from Corby

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Kettering to Nottingham (Middleton Press, 2015) Fig. 3

[2] Ibid. Fig. 6

[3] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Wellingborough to Leicester (Middleton Press, 2015) Fig. 28

West Bromwich Central Metro

West Bromwich Central is a stop on the West Midlands Metro Line 1 between Trinity Way and Lodge Road. 

Tram 42 departs, bound for Wolverhampton

Information
Type:	West Midlands Metro
Opened:	1999
Platforms:	2

The stop was opened in 1999 on the site of the former West Bromwich railway station which closed in 1972. 

The metro stop serves the main West Bromwich shopping area and is next to West Bromwich bus station. It is one of the busiest intermediate stations on the Midlands Metro.

Preparing to go

Tram 31 prepares to depart

Eastcote (ZEE)

Eastcote is a stop on the Uxbridge branches of the London Underground Metropolitan and Piccadilly Lines in north west London between Ruislip Manor and Rayners Lane. 

A Metropolitan Line S8 prepares to depart

Information
Type:	Transport for London (London Underground Metropolitan & Piccadilly Lines)
Station code:	ZEE
Opened:	1906
Platforms:	2

Eastcote was opened in 1906 by the Metropolitan Railway as Eastcote Halt on the line between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Uxbridge which opened two years earlier [1]. The District Railway reached Eastcote in 1910 though in 1933 District Line trains were replaced by the Piccadilly Line. The current station building dates from a Charles Holden design which was built in the late 1930s. The station's goods yard closed in 1964.

As the station is served by two London Underground lines it has a very frequent service in both directions.

A Piccadilly Line train arrives

The station building straddles the two platforms

View down the platform, note the lamps

[1] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 117

Ascot (ACT)

Ascot is a stop on the London Waterloo to Reading Line in Berkshire between Sunningdale and Martins Heron. It is also the terminus of the Ascot-Guildford Line.

SWR 450 547 arrives at Ascot

Information
Type:	National Rail (London Waterloo-Reading Line & Ascot-Guildford Line)
Station code:	ACT
Opened:	1856
Platforms:	3

The station was opened by the Staines, Wokingham & Woking Junction Railway in 1856, for a about a month it was the terminus of the line before construction continued onwards towards Wokingham. The station was renamed Ascot & Sunninghill in 1857 and kept this name until 1921 when it reverted back to just Ascot.

A line to Ash Vale from Ascot was opened in 1870. The station was taken over by the London & South Western Railway and later the Southern Railway who electrified the line to Ascot in 1939. The work involved track layout realignment and station rebuilding [1].

Ascot now has three platforms which are all bi-directional, platform 1 used to have platform faces either side of the single track but one side has been fenced off now. The track layout at Ascot was once much more intricate with four signalboxes but these were closed in the 1960s. The station is managed by South Western Railway.

A SWR train waits at Ascot

View down the platform under the canopy

Platform canopy

Platform 1

View down the platforms

[1] David Brown, Southern Electric Volume 2 (Capital Transport, 2010) p. 36

Marden (MRN)

Marden is a stop on the South Eastern Main Line in Kent between Paddock Wood and Staplehurst. 

Southeastern 375 702 departs the station

Information
Type:	National Rail (South Eastern Main Line)
Station code:	MRN
Opened:	1842
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the South Eastern Railway in 1842 when they extended their line from Tonbridge to Headcorn. Freight was an important traffic for the line, especially the transport of fruit. The area around Marden being a prime apple growing region. Marden is famous for fruit production and holding an annual fruit festival since 1933. The line through Marden was electrified in 1961. The station was rebuilt at this time.

The station is managed by Southeastern Railway. It is staffed part time and has a ticket office. Access between the platforms is via a footbridge.

Main station building

Down the platform showing the footbridge

Preparing to depart

Platform side of the station building

Old Kilpatrick

Old Kilpatrick was a stop on the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway in West Dunbartonshire between Dalmuir Riverside and Bowling.

Old Kilpatrick [1]

Information
Type:	Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway
Opened:	1896
Closed:	1964
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway in 1896. The station had matching station buildings on the two platforms. Access to the platforms was via ramps from road level.

The station was closed in 1964 along with much of the former Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway due to rationalisation of rail services following electrification of the North Clyde Line in the 1960s. The town's other station Kilpatrick on that line remains open.

[1] R.E. Charlesworth, "Twenty four hours at Carlisle", Railway Magazine (November 1907) p. 382

Finchley Road and Frognal (FNY)

Finchley Road & Frognal is a stop on the London Overground's North London Line in north London between West Hampstead and Hampstead Heath.

London Overground 378 224 arrives at the station

Information
Type:	Transport for London (London Overground North London Line)
Station code:	FNY
Opened:	1860
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Hampstead Junction Railway in 1860 as Finchley Road St John's Wood. It kept this name for twenty years [1]. The station was given a goods yard in 1870 and this was in use until 1967. The station became part of Transport for London in 2007.

The station is in a cutting with steps down from the road level entrance to the two platforms. The station is close to Finchley Road underground station. Typically six trains an hour stop at the station in each direction. The line between the station and Hampstead Heath is in a tunnel, the mouth of which is underneath the station entrance.

DRS 88 002 leads a freight through the station

View down the platform

Preparing to go

378 204 departs

The entrance to Hampstead Heath tunnel

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, North London Line (Middleton Press, 1997) Fig. 90