# MISC | Does anyone like to visit small stations?



## goldbough (Jun 19, 2007)

When I go to a new country or city in the US, I like to visit small stations where the train stops only once or a couple times a day. I get very excited planning a trip that includes a rarely used station. It's because then I can say that I've been to that station where only locals get off and on and no tourists.

When I lived in Korea, I went to a ton of small stations before they started closing them all. I visited a few in France and Sweden too. I want to visit Arkadelphia and Malvern in Arkansas. I also went to Sanderson, TX which has the lowest ridership in the country on Amtrak. 

I read about a very rarely used station called Polesworth outside Birmingham that I want to visit. I think it's in danger of being closed, but I can't just hop on a plane.

Does anyone else like to visit small stations?


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## Northsider (Jan 16, 2006)

I can't say I'm with you on that.


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## poshbakerloo (Jan 16, 2007)

Wouldn't it be boring with not much happening?

If you like small stations hardly used come to South Reddish station in Manchester...1 train a week lol


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## takini (Aug 28, 2008)

Here's a small station in Serbia called Vrnjacka Banja




























www.railserbia.net


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## goldbough (Jun 19, 2007)

It's fine if there's no one there. If I need to stay there for an hour it gets a little boring, but I take various pictures too so that takes time.

I must one of few people that likes small stations since there's no one else at them! I knew a few people in Korea who liked small stations too, but I don't know anyone in the US although they must be out there.

I got off at a station in Korea with one train every 24 hours in only one direction. The conductor waited a minute until it was time to leave and he motioned me to get back on, but I told him I was staying. I took pictures then rode a bus to town. They tore down the building and the train doesn't stop there anymore. Maybe someone else on this board likes the same thing...


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## tuckerbox (Oct 15, 2007)

Brilliant thread! More pics please.
We had many small Stations.Some even where there was only one train a week.
Sadly they are gone now. Our Rail Network here in Western Australia has been DECIMATED.
Even to this very day, they are planing to close more Lines.
Road Transport is the favourite of the Government.
The powerfull Fuel companys make sure of this.
Some Country Lines are in so bad a condition, that the maximum speed is 20 KILOMETERS PER HOUR!


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## tuckerbox (Oct 15, 2007)

goldbough said:


> It's fine if there's no one there. If I need to stay there for an hour it gets a little boring, but I take various pictures too so that takes time.
> 
> I must one of few people that likes small stations since there's no one else at them! I knew a few people in Korea who liked small stations too, but I don't know anyone in the US although they must be out there.
> 
> I got off at a station in Korea with one train every 24 hours in only one direction. The conductor waited a minute until it was time to leave and he motioned me to get back on, but I told him I was staying. I took pictures then rode a bus to town. They tore down the building and the train doesn't stop there anymore. Maybe someone else on this board likes the same thing...


Yes Goldbough. Many happy memories of sitting for hours at Boulder Railway Station, waiting for the once Daily Shunt Train, when I was a Kid.


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## quashlo (Jun 14, 2008)

These kinds of stations are popular in Japan.
They are known as 秘境駅 (_hikyō-eki_)

Koboro Station (Hokkaidō)


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## goldbough (Jun 19, 2007)

quashlo said:


> These kinds of stations are popular in Japan.
> They are known as 秘境駅 (_hikyō-eki_)
> 
> Koboro Station (Hokkaidō)


Cool! Is there any way to get to the platform just by walking up and then catching a train? Or is it purely to serve those few houses?


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## quashlo (Jun 14, 2008)

Well, it's basically sandwiched between two long tunnels through mountains, with one side of the station facing a steep mountainside, and the other leading down to Uchiura Bay. And there aren't any houses, those are just abandoned buildings or part of the station (waiting room, restrooms, etc.).

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...971,140.538654&spn=0.016145,0.038581&t=h&z=15

Average daily ridership is two, I think, which really means just one person. I don't believe these are people who actually the use the station for a a real purpose, but actually railfans who come to visit because it's so remote. There's lots of others like this in Japan, but this is one of the most famous.


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## quashlo (Jun 14, 2008)

Some other unusual ones:

Okuōiko-jō Station (Shizuoka)









_Source: Wikipedia_

Tappi Kaitei Station (Aomori)
This isn’t officially known as _hikyō-eki_, but it deserves a mention, since it’s located inside the Seikan Tunnel, 135 m below sea level. You have to use the stairs (2,250 steps) or a special funicular to get to / from the surface.









_Source: Wikipedia_


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## goldbough (Jun 19, 2007)

Trolmen station in Sweden:










Hambaek station in Korea (함백역):
This building was torn down late 2006 and I was there just a few months before.










Hambaek platform:
The train stopped only once every 24 hours around 8:30am in one direction only. I rode a bus from this little town to the city.


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## RawLee (Jul 9, 2007)

goldbough said:


> When I go to a new country or city in the US, I like to visit small stations where the train stops only once or a couple times a day.


Those are only rain shelters,like bus stops.



> I get very excited planning a trip that includes a rarely used station. It's because then I can say that I've been to that station where only locals get off and on and no tourists.


One train a day means the line isnt feasible. So sorry,no such lines here.

Lowest is I think about 4-6 trains a day per direction.


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## takini (Aug 28, 2008)

Here's another small station from Serbia called Orom










and the TGV 










www.railserbia.net


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## ruready1000 (Nov 18, 2008)

goldbough said:


> Hambaek station in Korea (함백역):
> 
> This building was torn down late 2006 and I was there just a few months before.
> 
> ...


Hambaek station was gone late 2006, but the residents and rail-fans were against it, so they raised money to rebuild it. With this efforts it was rebuilt last year.





































images from b-pyung


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## goldbough (Jun 19, 2007)

ruready1000 said:


> Hambaek station was gone late 2006, but the residents and rail-fans were against it, so they raised money to rebuild it. With this efforts it was rebuilt last year.


That's interesting about Hambaek; I had no idea. The building looks the same too. Does the train still bypass it on the mountainside nearby?


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## Manchester Planner (Aug 19, 2005)

Never been to it, but Berney Arms station in Norfolk, England is one of the most remote and smallest "stations" on the British national network:










Also worth a mention is the Alderney Railway - the railway line which exists on the island of Alderney (British, off the coast of France):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alderney_Railway

They rather bizarrely run ex-London Underground stock, though the line isn't electrified so it's actually hauled by diesel shunters! 










I might travel to Alderney just to see!!


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## He Named Thor (Feb 15, 2008)

I visited the station in Columbus, Wisconsin a few months ago. It's small, has no parking, and is fairly busy (Columbus is the closest station to our state capital), despite having only two trains daily. 











http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_(Amtrak_station)


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## ruready1000 (Nov 18, 2008)

goldbough said:


> That's interesting about Hambaek; I had no idea. The building looks the same too. Does the train still bypass it on the mountainside nearby?


I'd searched about it. Hambaek line is still in use even though passenger trains don't stop at Hambaek Station.


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## Youngplanner (Apr 2, 2009)

tuckerbox said:


> Brilliant thread! More pics please.
> We had many small Stations.Some even where there was only one train a week.
> Sadly they are gone now. Our Rail Network here in Western Australia has been DECIMATED.
> Even to this very day, they are planing to close more Lines.
> ...


I agree WA's rail system is pathetic. Some lines are only used about 3 or 4 months per year for the grain traffic. And for a system that chased most of its traffic off in the late 80's and early 90's it isn't surprising some lines are in such a bad state. 
This is a typical 'station' on a country service (only 2 lines out of Perth carry passengers to rural centres - Kalgoorlie and Bunbury, all other lines in WA are bulk freight traffic for the agricultural/mining industries) 
Serpentine Station on the South-West mainline








http://wastations.i8.com/SWline/014 Serpentine 6jan2004.jpg

Typical wheatbelt scene @ Kulin - no longer used for passenger traffic. lol cutting edge technology right there hey. 








http://wastations.i8.com/sthwheatblet/Kulin/IMG_4721.JPG


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## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

The R6 Cynwyd line to Cynwyd is a barely used suburban branch line in Philadelphia. Ridership is barely 500 a day and the route uses a single car EMU.

link to photo

Another example is the old stop on the Miami Metromover at Bicentennial Gardens. The Omni line opened in 1994 and that station closed in 1996.


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## goldbough (Jun 19, 2007)

zaphod said:


> The R6 Cynwyd line to Cynwyd is a barely used suburban branch line in Philadelphia. Ridership is barely 500 a day and the route uses a single car EMU.
> 
> link to photo


When I took a trip to Philadelphia to ride SEPTA, I took the Cynwyd line at 12:20pm from Suburban Station. Besides me, I think there were 4 or fewer people in the one car. Going back from Cynwyd, I was the only rider and got off at Wynnefield Avenue. The women who got on were surprised to see someone getting off there!

To anyone wanting to ride SEPTA, the Cynwyd line is weekday only.


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