Favourite and Least Favourite Rail Stations

[KayP]

Just wondering people's favourite railway stations and least favourite.
I had a bit of a ride on the CrossCity line today, and I couldn't help notice that the state of some of the stations I past were, in my opinion, awful, in particular I couldn't help but notice that Sutton Coldfield doesn't have an electronic destination board on platform 1, and Wylde Green & Chester Road shelters are so ugly IMO.

[uniquicity]

Hate - any station without an automated ticket machine

[Ossie]

.... in particular I couldn't help but notice that Sutton Coldfield doesn't have an electronic destination board on platform 1, and Wylde Green & Chester Road shelters are so ugly IMO.

I'm pretty sure Sutton Coldfield has four destination boards, KayP, one on each platform, one at the side entrance to the southbound platform (Station Street) and one in the main booking hall by the ticket office.  There's an auto ticket machine but the permit to travel machine, which was quite handy, has been removed.  Regarding auto ticket machines, since I had £5 swallowed and no ticket dispensed at Guildford many years ago  >:(,  I've refused to use them since!

But increasingly I'm finding LM ticket offices closed during the hours they should be open, so ......

I haven't got any particular favourite stations or otherwise, but I'm not keen on Kings Norton with those long walkways to the entrance and chavs hanging around in the evening, or Gravelly Hill, where you need pitons and an oxygen mask just to climb up to road level ..  ;D ;D

As for favourites, I think the most "friendly" station locally, if you're a rail enthusiast, is Nuneaton .....

[Stu]

Spring Road station, in Acocks Green, is a bit of an odd one! Literally just two walkways from the road bridge down to the platforms, with what can only be described as a 'shed' for the ticket office!

[MW]

Spring Road station, in Acocks Green, is a bit of an odd one! Literally just two walkways from the road bridge down to the platforms, with what can only be described as a 'shed' for the ticket office!

Spring Road shouldn't even be a station! It's just the bit of the rail track that doesn't have a bridge over it, and they've got a plastic wendy house as the office!

[Tony]

You leave Spring Road Station alone, for someone who regularly has to visit AG garage it is a godsend!

[MW]

You leave Spring Road Station alone, for someone who regularly has to visit AG garage it is a godsend!

Seeing as it's pretty much on my road, well a different road name, but a straight line away from my house, I won't leave it alone :)

Surely you get free travel on the bus so shouldn't you be using the bus?!

[Tony]

Because I also get free travel on local trains and it takes about 1/3 of the time to get from the City to AG on the train than it does on either the 31 or 37

[Lukeee]

Always quite liked Witton station, much better than Perry Barr which is a right dive.

[windy miller]

ossie your ref to ticket machines-I asked for a quote at one x city line station for a trip to doncaster-an unbelievable £84 !! as a senior railcard holder I can get to burton for £7.25+ A Derbyshire wayfarer £5.30+A return sheff-doncaster tkt for £3.50 Total=£16.05. tkt machines are expensive!

[Tony]

Or, much easier, as officially you cannot buy the Derbyshire ticket in Birmingham, just buy a cheap day return to Lincoln from the vending machine. £16.25 with a railcard and you don't have to worry about your train calling at Burton.
Birmingham-Lincoln tickets are valid via Doncaster and break of journey is permitted

[Nathan4775]

Birmingham New Street is the Best train station  ;D ;D ;D

[Rob H]

Birmingham New Street is the Best train station  ;D ;D ;D

I agree with you Nathan Birmingham New Street is the Best ;)

[KayP]

It's not really that popular, 2TPH Monday - Saturday, 1TPH (11-5) on Sundays, but I quite like the look of Langley Green, ticket office building looks smart and I like the colour of the platform bridge.

[Stu]

It's not really that popular, 2TPH Monday - Saturday, 1TPH (11-5) on Sundays, but I quite like the look of Langley Green, ticket office building looks smart and I like the colour of the platform bridge.

I grew up near Langley Green, I can remember the old station, when the ticket office building was up on the road, and there was a bridge leading from it to the other side! Its a nice little station now, with pedestrian access from Crosswells Road also. Shame its so rarely used.