Canning Town (CNT/ZCB)

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Canning Town is a major interchange of the Jubilee Line (between North Greenwich and West Ham) and two Docklands Light Railway lines (between East India and Star Lane and Royal Victoria and West Silvertown) and local buses in East London.

A Docklands Light Railway train arrives

Information
Type:	Transport for London (Jubilee Line & Docklands Light Railway)
Station code:	CNT/ZCB
Opened:	1847
Platforms:	6

The station was first opened in 1847 as Barking Road by the Eastern Counties & Thames Junction Railway.

The station was renamed Canning Town in 1873 and moved in 1888, with another move to the current site (the site of the former Thames Iron Works [1]) in 1995 as part of the new Docklands Light Railway (DLR) line to Beckton. The biggest change came with the arrival of the Jubilee Line in 1999, the Jubilee Line Extension emerges into the daylight just before the station. In 2005 more platforms for the DLR's line to London City Airport were added.

Canning Town is a triple decker building with the booking hall below ground and the Jubilee Line platforms above it, the Beckton DLR platforms are on the top level [2][3]. The latest DLR platforms are on ground level next to the Jubilee Line - though passengers need to go down to the booking hall before they can come back up for interchange.

Jubilee Line 96024 prepares to depart

The Jubilee Line platform

The lower level DLR platforms

View down the Jubilee Line platform

Jubilee Line 96015 arrives

[1] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 108
[2] Paul Moss, London Underground (Haynes, 2014) p. 166
[3] Mike Horne, The Jubilee Line (Capital Transport, 2000) p. 73

Coventry (COV)

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Coventry is a major stop on the West Coast Main Line between Rugby and Canley and also the terminus for services to Nuneaton and Leamington Spa.

XC 221 120 arrives at Coventry

Information
Type:	National Rail (West Coast Main Line)
Station code:	COV
Opened:	1838
Platforms:	4

The station was originally opened in 1838 by the London & Birmingham Railway though was quickly replaced by a larger station in 1840. This station later had an extensive engine shed and goods yard though these were run down and closed in the late 1950s and 1960s [1]. Some stabling for stock still remains to the West of the station.

The station was replaced in 1962 during a complete rebuild which added two more platforms and a new two-storey high passenger concourse [2][3], a bridge connecting the platforms. Coventry consists of an island platform and two side platforms.

Work began in 2019 on a major rebuild, which will include a new bay platform, a larger carpark and a second footbridge. The work is part of a regeneration of the centre of Coventry. The station could also be linked to the city's new very light rail system planned for the 2020s.

Work continues on the new station, the new carpark is on the right

View down the platform

Inside the concourse

Old and slightly less old station signage

LNWR 350 401 arrives next to the building site!

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Rugby to Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2008) Fig. 69
[2] David Lawrence, British Rail Designed 1948-97 (Ian Allan, 2016) p. 76
[3] Mitchell & Smith Fig. 74

Covent Garden (ZCV)

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Covent Garden is a Piccadilly Line station in central London between Leicester Square (just 250 metres or 0.16 miles away) and Holborn in the always busy West End.

Information
Type:	Transport for London (Piccadilly Line)
Station code:	ZCV
Opened:	1906
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway in 1907 (a few months after the rest of the line opened) [1] with a standard ground level Leslie Green designed station building.

Unlike most stations in the central section of the London Underground Covent Garden does not have escalators. The platforms are reached via lifts or stairs (for the fit/foolhardy - there are 193 steps![2]) Because of this the station is often overcrowded and on Saturday afternoons becomes exit only.

Interestingly the short journey from Leicester Square to Covent Garden with a Zone 1 fare (at time of writing £4.90) works out at over £30 per mile, one of the most expensive railway journeys in the country!

A Piccadilly Line 73ts train waits to depart

Former signal cabin from Covent Garden, the proximity of Leicester Square is evident (yellow boxes left centre)

Surface building

Platform view

The station name is displayed on the tile wall of the platform

[1] Desmond F. Croome, The Piccadilly Line (Capital Transport, 1998) p. 11
[2] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 113

Codsall (CSL)

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Codsall is a stop on the Birmingham New Street-Shrewsbury line in Staffordshire between Bilbrook and Albrighton.

WMR 170 502 arrives at the station

Information
Type:	National Rail (Birmingham-Shrewsbury Line)
Station code:	CSL
Opened:	1849
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Shrewsbury & Birmingham Railway in 1849 later becoming part of the Great Western Railway in 1854. The station being on the GWR line from London Paddington to Birkenhead. The station building dates from from the 1850s with a GWR footbridge added in 1883. This was unfortunately destroyed by a contractor's crane in accident in 2005 [1], the bridge was later restored though is slightly higher than the original bridge.

The station had a goods yard but this was closed in 1964 [2]. A signalbox to the East of the station was closed in 2006. The original station building is now a pub. Station facilities are the usual shelters and screens. The station is served by West Midlands Railway with two trains an hour in each direction with a limited number of stops by Transport for Wales.

View down the platform showing the footbridge

Original station building

View down the platform showing WMR signage

Road bridge and station sign, the entrance is to the left

Under the bridge

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury (Middleton Press, 2009) Fig. 65
[2] Ibid. Fig. 63

Cradley Heath (CRA)

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Cradley Heath is a stop on the Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester line in the West Midlands between Old Hill and Lye. 

A WMR service prepares to depart for Stourbridge Junction

Information
Type:	National Rail (Snow Hill Lines)
Station code:	CRA
Opened:	1863
Platforms:	2

The station was opened as Cradley in 1863 by the Stourbridge Railway, this was later taken over by the Great Western Railway. The station platforms were originally staggered either side of the level crossing but following a rebuild of the station in 1984 both platforms were put on the same side of the crossing [1].


Being in a heavily industrialised area the station was flanked by a large number of sidings. These have now all gone (though much industry remains). The station has gained a bus station next to the main building instead. Access between the platforms is via a footbridge (or the road).
The station is managed by West Midlands Railway. There are up to six trains an hour in each direction. Mostly by WMR though some peak time trains are by Chiltern Railways.

Main station building

Station sign, the bus station is behind

Footbridge

View down the platforms

WMR 172 333 arrives with a Birmingham bound service

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Worcester to Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2007) Fig. 75

Coventry Arena (CAA)

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Information
Type:	National Rail (Coventry-Nuneaton Line)
Station code:	CAA
Opened:	2016
Platforms:	2

Coventry Arena, on the line between Coventry and Nuneaton, is one of the newest railway stations on the network opening in January 2016 next to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

Although the station was officially opened to serve the stadium there have been problems with overcrowding. The station is now closed for an hour before and after any events and there is usually insufficient rolling stock on the line to meet demand. Indeed there are posters on the platform that tell spectators to drive to events at the stadium instead! Hopefully these are just temporary problems.

The station is a standard unmanned station with bus shelters and a ticket machine. Access between the two platforms is via an underpass.

LM 153 366 arrives with a Nuneaton bound service

Station sign

Ricoh Arena is next to the station

Entrance to the station

Coventry platform

Crowthorne (CRN)

Crowthorne is a stop on the North Downs Line in Berkshire between Wokingham and Sandhurst.

GWR 165 117 departs bound for Reading

Information
Type:	National Rail (North Downs Line)
Station code:	CRN
Opened:	1859
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1859 by the South Eastern Railway following pressure (and a financial contribution) by the nearby Wellington College. The station was called Wellington College for Crowthorne, the name became just Crowthorne in 1928 [1]. The main station building was repurposed for commercial use when the station became unstaffed in 1967. The station was given new platform shelters in the 1980s including a brick built shelter with a pleasing BR symbol made out of bricks! Access between the platforms is via the road bridge which crosses the tracks.

Crowthorne's goods yard closed in 1964, a signalbox for the yard closing in 1967. Crowthorne is managed by Great Western Railway with an hourly service in each direction between Reading and Redhill or Gatwick Airport, there are some extra services in peak hours.

Crowthorne shelter

Main station building, now disused

View down the platform

Station entrance

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Reading to Guildford (Middleton Press, 1988) Fig. 43

Cressington (CSG)

Cressington is a stop on the Merseyrail Northern Line in Liverpool between Aigburth and Liverpool South Parkway.

Merseyrail 777 012 arrives at Cressington

Information
Type:	National Rail (Merseyrail Northern Line)
Station code:	CSG
Opened:	1864 (Closed 1972)
Re-opened:	1978
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Garston & Liverpool Railway in 1864 as Cressington & Grassendale, later becoming part of the Cheshire Lines Committee. The station was closed in 1972 but re-opened in 1978 as part of the Merseyrail network. The station is Grade II listed with a footbridge between the platforms. The platforms extend beyond a road bridge which crosses the tracks for six-car services, special dispensation had to be granted to allow for narrow platforms under the bridge.

The station has a twenty minute service most days on Merseyrail's Northern Line between Hunts Cross and Southport.

View down the platform

Footbridge to the main station building (and exit)

507 019 departs, the platform continues under the bridge

Main building

508 108 arrives

Clandon (CLA)

Clandon is a stop on the New Guildford Line in Surrey between London Road (Guildford) and Horsley.

South Western Railway 455 702 departs the station for London Waterloo

Information
Type:	National Rail (New Guildford Line)
Station code:	CLA
Opened:	1885
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the London & South Western Railway in 1885 on it's route between Effingham Junction and Guildford. The station originally had a head shunt which was extended and then reduced in size a few years later. The original wooden footbridge was replaced by the current concrete one in 1947 [1]. The station's goods yard was closed in 1963.

The station retains it's original LSWR buildings with canopies. The station is managed by South Western Railway with three trains an hour in each direction.

Under the platform canopy

The footbridge

Station view from the footbridge

Station building

SWR 455 903 arrives with a Guildford bound service

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Branch lines around Effingham Junction (Middleton Press, 1990) Fig. 93