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91-532: Wivelsfield railway station is a railway station on the Brighton Main Line in West Sussex , England . Located in northern Burgess Hill , it primarily serves the town's neighbourhoods of World's End and Sheddingdean. The station is 40 miles 52 chains (65.4 km) down the line from London Bridge via Redhill . It is situated between Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill stations on

182-404: A bar or pub . Other station facilities may include: toilets , left-luggage , lost-and-found , departures and arrivals schedules , luggage carts, waiting rooms , taxi ranks , bus bays and even car parks . Larger or staffed stations tend to have a greater range of facilities including also a station security office. These are usually open for travellers when there is sufficient traffic over

273-525: A 2+2 seating arrangement, with fold-up seats and designed for high levels of standing passengers. Ride quality and noise levels were expected to equal or be better than those of current vehicles and climate control (air-conditioning) was to be fitted. The vehicles were to be fitted for driver-only operation , and to include GSM-R communications radio, as well as AWS , TPWS , and ERTMS level 2 safety systems. The ability to be used in ' Automatic train operation ' (ATO) mode, where an on-board computer controls

364-666: A 243 m (797 ft) train. In July 2008, the Department for Transport shortlisted consortia including Alstom , Bombardier , Hitachi , and Siemens as train builders. The invitations to tender were issued to the four bidders in November 2008. Hitachi exited the bidding process in April 2009. In July 2009, Siemens unveiled the Desiro City , a development of design and technology used in its Desiro UK range and

455-470: A boat train from Newhaven Harbour at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), and six passengers were killed and twenty seriously injured. The accident resulted in improvements made to the signalling at Keymer Junction. There are three entrances to the station. Two of these are located where the railway line passes over Leylands Road (both on the south side of the road, one on each side of the railway), less than 40 metres from each other. Both entrances give access to

546-406: A bypass line, used by freight trains that do not need to stop at the terminus. Some termini have a newer set of through platforms underneath (or above, or alongside) the terminal platforms on the main level. They are used by a cross-city extension of the main line, often for commuter trains , while the terminal platforms may serve long-distance services. Examples of underground through lines include

637-455: A date for this has not yet been confirmed. Because the trains were to be built outside the UK, the decision to award the contract to Siemens proved controversial: there was widespread criticism of the UK government's bidding process and perceived lack of support for British manufacturing, which in turn led to a review of governmental procurement mechanisms. Additionally, the decision to procure

728-404: A few intermediate stations that take the form of a stub-end station, for example at some zigzags . If there is a station building , it is usually located to the side of the tracks. In the case of intermediate stations used for both passenger and freight traffic, there is a distinction between those where the station building and goods facilities are on the same side of the tracks and those in which

819-472: A few small railway stations are designated as "halts" ( Irish : stadanna , sing. stad ). In some Commonwealth countries the term "halt" is used. In Australia, with its sparse rural populations, such stopping places were common on lines that were still open for passenger traffic. In the state of Victoria , for example, a location on a railway line where a small diesel railcar or railmotor could stop on request, allowing passengers to board or alight,

910-831: A further 40 from other companies at the Grouping of 1923. Peak building periods were before the First World War (145 built) and 1928–1939 (198 built). Ten more were opened by British Rail on ex-GWR lines. The GWR also built 34 "platforms". Many such stops remain on the national railway networks in the United Kingdom, such as Penmaenmawr in North Wales , Yorton in Shropshire , and The Lakes in Warwickshire , where passengers are requested to inform

1001-571: A line was dual-purpose there would often be a freight depot apart from the passenger station. This type of dual-purpose station can sometimes still be found today, though in many cases goods facilities are restricted to major stations. Many stations date from the 19th century and reflect the grandiose architecture of the time, lending prestige to the city as well as to railway operations. Countries where railways arrived later may still have such architecture, as later stations often imitated 19th-century styles. Various forms of architecture have been used in

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1092-407: A long enough period of time to warrant the cost. In large cities this may mean facilities available around the clock. A basic station might only have platforms, though it may still be distinguished from a halt , a stopping or halting place that may not even have platforms. Many stations, either larger or smaller, offer interchange with local transportation; this can vary from a simple bus stop across

1183-504: A member of on-board train staff if they wish to alight, or, if catching a train from the station, to make themselves clearly visible to the driver and use a hand signal as the train approaches. Most have had "Halt" removed from their names. Two publicly advertised and publicly accessible National Rail stations retain it: Coombe Junction Halt and St Keyne Wishing Well Halt . A number of other halts are still open and operational on privately owned, heritage, and preserved railways throughout

1274-675: A new through-station, including the cases of Berlin Hauptbahnhof , Vienna Hauptbahnhof and numerous examples throughout the first century of railroading. Stuttgart 21 is a controversial project involving the replacement of a terminus station by a through-station. An American example of a terminal with this feature is Union Station in Washington, DC , where there are bay platforms on the main concourse level to serve terminating trains and standard island platforms one level below to serve trains continuing southward. The lower tracks run in

1365-777: A slightly wider design; the smaller number of bogies was to have resulted in a train approximately 40 tonnes lighter than a conventional design. However, the design would have resulted in a higher axle load. The bid was rejected in October 2009. Bombardier Transportation offered the Aventra , a design incorporating a development of the FLEXX Eco inside frame bogie with bogie-mounted traction motors. Both Bombardier's and Siemens' rolling-stock designs were conventional EMUs incorporating inside frame bogies and modern passenger and rolling stock information systems. The contract for

1456-571: A special NHS appreciation livery to show support for the NHS and the 200,000 essential commuters travelling on Govia Thameslink Railway's network each week during the nationwide lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic . Unit 700124 is named Driver Phill Marchant Keeping us moving for more than 12 years In 2008, the Department for Transport commissioned a study into the location of depots for

1547-407: A spot at the station to board and disembark trains is called station track or house track regardless of whether it is a main line or loop line. If such track is served by a platform , the track may be called platform track. A loop line without a platform, which is used to allow a train to clear the main line at the station only, is called passing track. A track at the station without a platform which

1638-417: A station and various other features set certain types apart. The first is the level of the tracks . Stations are often sited where a road crosses the railway: unless the crossing is a level crossing , the road and railway will be at different levels. The platforms will often be raised or lowered relative to the station entrance: the station buildings may be on either level, or both. The other arrangement, where

1729-576: A station stop does not. A station stop usually does not have any tracks other than the main tracks, and may or may not have switches (points, crossovers). An intermediate station does not have any other connecting route, unlike branch-off stations , connecting stations, transfer stations and railway junctions . In a broader sense, an intermediate station is generally any station on the route between its two terminal stations . The majority of stations are, in practice, intermediate stations. They are mostly designed as through stations ; there are only

1820-405: A station track as a temporary storage of a disabled train. A "terminus" or "terminal" is a station at the end of a railway line. Trains arriving there have to end their journeys (terminate) or reverse out of the station. Depending on the layout of the station, this usually permits travellers to reach all the platforms without the need to cross any tracks – the public entrance to the station and

1911-405: A three-way junction and platforms are built on all three sides, for example Shipley and Earlestown stations. In a station, there are different types of tracks to serve different purposes. A station may also have a passing loop with a loop line that comes off the straight main line and merge back to the main line on the other end by railroad switches to allow trains to pass. A track with

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2002-476: A top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h), and high acceleration and deceleration performance in line with a high-frequency timetable. The trains were to be designed for low weight, low track forces, and high energy efficiency. A standard 12-car train was to be about 240 metres (790 ft) long and shorter 8-car trains were limited to 162 metres (531 ft). The passenger accommodation was to include versions for both "metro" and "commuter" trains, based around

2093-519: A train with a new bogie design untested in the UK was challenged by several observers at a parliamentary investigation into the train procurement; rival bidder Bombardier already had a proven low-weight bogie. In 2014, the NAO reported on the Department for Transport 's handling of Intercity Express and Thameslink rolling-stock procurement projects. The report questioned the DfT's attempt to take leadership in

2184-449: A train, sometimes consisting of a short platform and a waiting area but sometimes indicated by no more than a sign, are variously referred to as "stops", " flag stops ", " halts ", or "provisional stopping places". The stations themselves may be at ground level, underground, or elevated. Connections may be available to intersecting rail lines or other transport modes such as buses , trams , or other rapid transit systems. Train station

2275-650: A tunnel beneath the concourse and emerge a few blocks away to cross the Potomac River into Virginia. Terminus stations in large cities are by far the biggest stations, with the largest being Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Other major cities, such as London, Boston , Paris, Istanbul , Tokyo, and Milan have more than one terminus, rather than routes straight through the city. Train journeys through such cities often require alternative transport ( metro , bus , taxi or ferry ) from one terminus to

2366-409: A twelve-car formation of a Thameslink Class 377/5 and 807 on a twelve car formation of a Great Northern Class 365 . The reduction in the number of seats is intended to provide more standing room on busy trains into Central London, but has been criticised by those who use the trains for longer journeys. There will, however, be more seats overall, as the services will run more frequently. Additionally,

2457-464: Is Arbroath . Occasionally, a station serves two or more railway lines at differing levels. This may be due to the station's position at a point where two lines cross (example: Berlin Hauptbahnhof ), or may be to provide separate station capacity for two types of service, such as intercity and suburban (examples: Paris-Gare de Lyon and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station ), or for two different destinations. Stations may also be classified according to

2548-423: Is a fixed length continuously gangwayed vehicle. The initial livery is "light grey with pastel blue doors and a white diagonal flash at the carriage ends". In July 2019, unit 700155 was wrapped with vinyl trainbow stickers to celebrate LGBT Pride and to mark Brighton's annual pride event . As of April 2020, unit 700111, alongside Southern unit 377111 and Great Northern unit 717011 , has been wrapped with

2639-455: Is any longer served by trains), or military base (such as Lympstone Commando ) or railway yard. The only two such "private" stopping places on the national system, where the "halt" designation is still officially used, seem to be Staff Halt (at Durnsford Road, Wimbledon) and Battersea Pier Sidings Staff Halt, both of which are solely for railway staff. In Portugal , railway stops are called halts ( Portuguese : apeadeiro ). In Ireland ,

2730-482: Is currently no step-free access. Local MPs met with Network Rail in April 2022 to discuss potential options to improve accessibility, presenting two options: a new footbridge with lifts to cross between the two platforms; or a lift directly to the platform from street-level nearby the current subway entrance. Services at Wivelsfield are operated by Southern and Thameslink using Class 377 and 700 EMUs . The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: During

2821-404: Is frequently, but not always, the final destination of trains arriving at the station. Especially in continental Europe, a city may have a terminus as its main railway station, and all main lines converge on it. In such cases all trains arriving at the terminus must leave in the reverse direction from that of their arrival. There are several ways in which this can be accomplished: There may also be

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2912-470: Is fully wheelchair-accessible. On 5 March 2020, Southern Railway , Mid Sussex District Council and Network Rail announced that £1 million of funding had been awarded by the Department for Transport in order to facilitate accessibility improvements at Wivelsfield station as part of the "Access for All" programme. The primary purpose of these improvements is to introduce step-free access to passengers wishing to travel northbound from Platform 1, where there

3003-406: Is the minimal option and creates a new platform 0 on the west side of the station served by a 3rd track from a new grade-separated flyover from Lewes. Option 2 incorporates the features of Option 1, but also adds an additional 4th platform on the east side of the station as well, served by a 4th track on the line to Lewes. Whilst this would enable each line to the south to have a dedicated platform

3094-514: Is the terminology typically used in the U.S. In Europe, the terms train station and railway station are both commonly used, with railroad being obsolete. In British Commonwealth usage, where railway station is the traditional term, the word station is commonly understood to mean a railway station unless otherwise specified. In the United States, the term depot is sometimes used as an alternative name for station , along with

3185-411: Is used for trains to pass the station without stopping is called through track. There may be other sidings at the station which are lower speed tracks for other purposes. A maintenance track or a maintenance siding, usually connected to a passing track, is used for parking maintenance equipment, trains not in service, autoracks or sleepers . A refuge track is a dead-end siding that is connected to

3276-479: The Desiro Mainline range. Development of the design had begun in 2007, with an investment of about £45 million. In September 2009, Alstom unveiled the X'trapolis UK , unusually an articulated vehicle , using 15.6 metre (51 ft) cars, with individual carriages proposed to be supported at one end by a bogie and at the opposite end by a linkage to the next carriage. The shorter vehicle allowed

3367-684: The Shinkansen in Japan, THSR in Taiwan, TGV lines in France, and ICE lines in Germany. Stations normally have staffed ticket sales offices, automated ticket machines , or both, although on some lines tickets are sold on board the trains. Many stations include a shop or convenience store . Larger stations usually have fast-food or restaurant facilities. In some countries, stations may also have

3458-604: The Thameslink network, as part of the Thameslink Programme in the United Kingdom . As of 2021 , they are operated by Govia Thameslink Railway . In 2011, the consortium Cross London Trains (XLT) consisting of Siemens Project Ventures , 3i Infrastructure , and Innisfree was announced as preferred bidder with Siemens Mobility to manufacture the trains. The decision was politically controversial as

3549-942: The Thameslink platforms at St Pancras in London, the Argyle and North Clyde lines of Glasgow's suburban rail network , in Antwerp in Belgium, the RER at the Gare du Nord in Paris, the Milan suburban railway service 's Passante railway , and many of the numerous S-Bahn lines at terminal stations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, such as at Zürich Hauptbahnhof . Due to the disadvantages of terminus stations there have been multiple cases in which one or several terminus stations were replaced with

3640-782: The Wegberg-Wildenrath Test and Validation Centre ; a completed unit was presented by Siemens in Krefeld, Germany in April 2015. The first train arrived in the UK by the end of July 2015, and was delivered to the Three Bridges depot . The first test run on the Brighton Main Line took place in December 2015. The first train in service was unit 700108 forming the 1002 Brighton to London Bridge service on 20 June 2016. By 18 September 2017, Class 700s replaced all Class 319 , 377 , and 387 units previously in use on

3731-609: The British Isles. The word is often used informally to describe national rail network stations with limited service and low usage, such as the Oxfordshire Halts on the Cotswold Line . It has also sometimes been used for stations served by public services but accessible only by persons travelling to/from an associated factory (for example IBM near Greenock and British Steel Redcar – although neither of these

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3822-465: The Hornsey application was blocked by Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government John Denham on grounds of its scale. Potential sites for the northern depot were reassessed and possible options reduced to three: a main depot at Coronation Sidings Hornsey; a main depot adjacent to the existing depot at Hornsey; and a site at Chesterton, Cambridge – a depot reduced in size on the site of

3913-510: The SF5000 design. The primary suspension system uses layered rubber, with pneumatic secondary suspension. Motor bogies have a wheelbase of 2,200 mm (87 in), while trailer bogies are 100 mm (3.9 in) shorter. Both variants use wheels of 820 mm (32 in) nominal diameter. Braking is by tread brakes and regenerative braking on motor bogies, and two axle-mounted disc brakes per axle on trailer bogies. Prototypes of

4004-463: The UK-market replacement for the preceding Siemens SGP SF5000 model. To reduce energy consumption and track access charges, a key feature of the design was reduced weight: weight-saving design elements included short wheelbase, inboard frames, a bolsterless bogie design, and hollow axles. Total bogie weight is 6.3 tonnes (powered) and 4.4 tonnes (trailer), a reduction of around one third from

4095-560: The aim of introducing more passenger capacity on Thameslink lines to match expected demand. In addition, the bidders were to provide depots for vehicle maintenance and storage and finance for the rolling-stock project whereby revenues would be generated from the long-term leasing of rolling stock to the train operating company and associated maintenance payments. The general specifications included: high reliability, short station dwell times, integrated information technology including passenger information and information for vehicle maintenance,

4186-452: The completion of the junction in 1847. The station was closed on 1 November 1883 to allow for the proposed remodelling of the junction. However, when the railway later bought Parliamentary authority to abandon their planned changes, they were required to provide a replacement station to the north of the junction on the present site. The second Keymer Junction station was opened on 1 August 1886 and retained that name until 1 July 1896 when it

4277-478: The compound forms train depot , railway depot , and railroad depot —it is used for both passenger and freight facilities. The term depot is not used in reference to vehicle maintenance facilities in the U.S., whereas it is used as such in Canada and the United Kingdom. The world's first recorded railway station, for trains drawn by horses rather than engined locomotives , began passenger service in 1807. It

4368-533: The construction of stations, from those boasting grand, intricate, Baroque - or Gothic -style edifices, to plainer utilitarian or modernist styles. Stations in Europe tended to follow British designs and were in some countries, like Italy, financed by British railway companies. Train stations built more recently often have a similar feel to airports, with a simple, abstract style. Examples of modern stations include those on newer high-speed rail networks, such as

4459-582: The cross-loading of freight and may be known as transshipment stations, where they primarily handle containers. They are also known as container stations or terminals. British Rail Class 700 The British Rail Class 700 is an electric multiple unit passenger train from the Desiro City family built by Siemens Mobility . It is capable of operating on 25 kV 50 Hz AC from overhead wires or 750 V DC from third rail . 115 trainsets were built between 2014 and 2018, for use on

4550-673: The first, 700128, operating the 0656 Peterborough to London Kings Cross service. The Great Northern route has since been partially incorporated in the Thameslink network after through services through the Canal Tunnels began on 26 February 2018. On this route, Class 700s replaced parts of the Class 365 fleet. On 11 December 2017, Class 700s took over peak-time services from London Bridge to Littlehampton and weekday-only services from London Bridge to Horsham from Southern with

4641-481: The fleet. The new fleet were allocated TOPS classification '700' in 2013. This was divided into subclasses 700/0 for eight-car units and 700/1 for twelve-car units. The first class compartment at the rear of each unit is declassified at all times. In July 2013 Eversholt Rail entered into an agreement with Cross London Trains to provide long-term (22-year) asset management for the fleet of trains. There are 60 eight-car units and 55 twelve-car units. Each

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4732-500: The former starting from Bedford instead of London Bridge. From 21 May 2018, Class 700s also entered service on the new Rainham to Luton service, having replaced the Southeastern Class 465s from Gillingham to London Charing Cross . The Class 465s are now being used to enhance capacity on other routes. Class 700s are still due to enter service on a planned new service between Cambridge and Maidstone East but

4823-475: The future Thameslink rolling stock: Network Rail preferred two depots based on an expectation that at times the central area of the Thameslink route would be closed for maintenance outside commercial operational hours, with no workable alternative electrified routes available; as a result, depots on either side of the central Thameslink area were required, enabling trains to reach a depot on a nightly basis without passing through central London. A single-depot solution

4914-476: The goods facilities are on the opposite side of the tracks from the station building. Intermediate stations also occur on some funicular and cable car routes. A halt , in railway parlance in the Commonwealth of Nations , Ireland and Portugal , is a small station, usually unstaffed or with very few staff, and with few or no facilities. In some cases, trains stop only on request , when passengers on

5005-591: The lack of padding was required to meet fire regulations; however, the Rail Safety and Standards Board have claimed that this is untrue, and that it was simply a measure by the DfT to reduce costs. Upon delivery, the trains were also missing various amenities which were considered standard, including seatback tables and Wi-Fi , which are now being retrofitted to some units. As of April 2023 , 58% of Class 700/1 (12 coach) and 23% of Class 700/0 (8 coach) are fitted with Wi-Fi with no plans to extend this further across

5096-401: The layout of the platforms. Apart from single-track lines, the most basic arrangement is a pair of tracks for the two directions; there is then a basic choice of an island platform between, two separate platforms outside the tracks ( side platforms ), or a combination of the two. With more tracks, the possibilities expand. Some stations have unusual platform layouts due to space constraints of

5187-417: The less developed KTM East Coast railway line to serve rural 'kampongs' (villages), that require train services to stay connected to important nodes, but do not have a need for staff. People boarding at halts who have not bought tickets online can buy it through staff on board. In rural and remote communities across Canada and the United States, passengers wanting to board the train at such places had to flag

5278-541: The loading and unloading of goods and may well have marshalling yards (classification yards) for the sorting of wagons. The world's first goods terminal was the 1830 Park Lane Goods Station at the South End Liverpool Docks. Built in 1830, the terminal was reached by a 1.24-mile (2 km) tunnel. As goods are increasingly moved by road, many former goods stations, as well as the goods sheds at passenger stations, have closed. Many are used purely for

5369-484: The main line, and between Haywards Heath and Plumpton stations on the East Coastway line , which branches off just south of the station at Keymer Junction. The station is managed by Southern which is one of two companies serving Wivelsfield, the other one being Thameslink . Until May 2018, Gatwick Express also served the station with a single early-morning service each weekday towards London. Despite its name,

5460-403: The main reception facilities being at the far end of the platforms. Sometimes the track continues for a short distance beyond the station, and terminating trains continue forward after depositing their passengers, before either proceeding to sidings or reversing to the station to pick up departing passengers. Bondi Junction , Australia and Kristiansand Station , Norway are examples. A terminus

5551-399: The motors and brakes, was also specified. Vehicles were to operate on 750 V DC and 25 kV AC electrification systems, with regenerative brakes . Maintenance time was to be reduced by the use of modular components, remote diagnostics, and the avoidance of over-complicated systems. The Department for Transport gave a target of 384 tonnes (378 long tons; 423 short tons) when empty for

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5642-480: The network. All units were accepted by Thameslink by summer 2018, and by the end of 2019 all were in passenger service. The Class 700 fleet, at 60 eight-car and 55 twelve-car units, is over double the size of the old Thameslink fleet. This increase has been used not only to enhance capacity, but also to expand the Thameslink network. On 6 November 2017, Class 700s started on the Great Northern route with

5733-565: The new bogie were completed at Siemens' bogie plant in Graz , Austria in late 2011. Manufacture of pre-series production trainsets began before formal financial close of the project in mid-2013. A mock-up of the train was unveiled at the ExCel centre in January 2014, and then displayed at various stations in London and the surrounding area. In March 2014, testing of a twelve-car unit began at

5824-651: The order contract was finalised in July 2013. In mid-2013 the National Audit Office (NAO) reported that the contract delay could negatively impact the delivery of the entire Thameslink Programme. The £1.6 billion contract to finance, supply, and maintain a 1,140-carriage fleet of passenger rolling stock was eventually finalised between the DfT, the supplier Siemens, and the Cross London Trains consortium on 14 June 2013. To finance

5915-526: The order was originally planned to be signed in Summer 2009, with the first vehicles in service by February 2012, and squadron service by 2015. The award of the contract was delayed by the 2010 general election and the subsequent spending review , following which the procurement was announced to be proceeding in late 2010. On 16 June 2011, Cross London Trains Ltd, a consortium formed by Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, Innisfree Ltd., and 3i Infrastructure Ltd.,

6006-816: The other. For instance, in Istanbul transfers from the Sirkeci Terminal (the European terminus) and the Haydarpaşa Terminal (the Asian terminus) historically required crossing the Bosphorus via alternative means, before the Marmaray railway tunnel linking Europe and Asia was completed. Some cities, including New York, have both termini and through lines. Terminals that have competing rail lines using

6097-503: The peak hours, the station is served by one Southern train per day in each direction between London Bridge and Littlehampton . On Sundays, the service between London Victoria and Eastbourne does not run. In Autumn 2015 Network Rail released the Sussex Area Route Study, where two options for the proposed grade separation of Keymer Junction are detailed, both of which would transform the station dramatically. Option 1

6188-596: The platform indicate that they wish to board, or passengers on the train inform the crew that they wish to alight. These can sometimes appear with signals and sometimes without. The Great Western Railway in Great Britain began opening haltes on 12 October 1903; from 1905, the French spelling was Anglicised to "halt". These GWR halts had the most basic facilities, with platforms long enough for just one or two carriages; some had no raised platform at all, necessitating

6279-519: The platforms via the same subway at the northern end of the station; the more easterly of the two entrances also includes the ticket office. A third entrance of the station was built in March 2015 and is located by the new station car park in Gordon Road. It is the only entrance with step-free access (via a ramp) but is directly linked only to platform 2. For this reason, just one of the two platforms

6370-433: The primary benefit would be that the existing platforms could be used to turn back trains in either direction as needed without blocking the main lines. As of 2022, no plans to implement any of these options have been announced. 50°57′50″N 0°07′15″W  /  50.96389°N 0.12083°W  / 50.96389; -0.12083 Railway station Locations at which passengers only occasionally board or leave

6461-530: The project, contrary to general policy, without any prior experience of large-scale rolling stock procurement; the NAO also said the DfT had handled communications with bidders poorly, increasing the likelihood of a legal challenge to its decisions. The Class 700 units have been criticised for having fewer seats than those they replaced. There are 666 seats on the twelve-car versions of the Class 700, compared to 714 on

6552-469: The provision of steps on the carriages. Halts were normally unstaffed, tickets being sold on the train. On 1 September 1904, a larger version, known on the GWR as a "platform" instead of a "halt", was introduced; these had longer platforms, and were usually staffed by a senior grade porter, who sold tickets and sometimes booked parcels or milk consignments. From 1903 to 1947 the GWR built 379 halts and inherited

6643-438: The seats themselves have been criticised for being an uncomfortable shape and having insufficient padding. They are also narrow and positioned close together – another design intended to increase standing space. These poor levels of comfort, along with their tall, thin, tapered appearance, have led them to sometimes be nicknamed " ironing boards "; they have also been likened to sitting on concrete . Thameslink have claimed that

6734-405: The station entrance and platforms are on the same level, is also common, but is perhaps rarer in urban areas , except when the station is a terminus. Stations located at level crossings can be problematic if the train blocks the roadway while it stops, causing road traffic to wait for an extended period of time. Stations also exist where the station buildings are above the tracks. An example of this

6825-477: The station frequently set up a jointly owned terminal railroad to own and operate the station and its associated tracks and switching operations. During a journey, the term station stop may be used in announcements, to differentiate halts during which passengers may alight and halts for another reasons, such as a locomotive change . While a junction or interlocking usually divides two or more lines or routes, and thus has remotely or locally operated signals ,

6916-584: The station is not located in Wivelsfield village, which actually lies approximately 2.3 miles (3.7 km) to the northeast, in the Lewes District of East Sussex . The London Brighton and South Coast Railway opened a station called Keymer Junction on the Lewes line, just beyond the junction, towards the end of 1854, although, it appears that some trains may have called at Keymer Crossing from

7007-567: The station location, or the alignment of the tracks. Examples include staggered platforms, such as at Tutbury and Hatton railway station on the Crewe–Derby line , and curved platforms, such as Cheadle Hulme railway station on the Macclesfield to Manchester Line. Stations at junctions can also have unusual shapes – a Keilbahnhof (or "wedge-shaped" station) is sited where two lines split. Triangular stations also exist where two lines form

7098-557: The street to underground rapid-transit urban rail stations. In many African, South American, and Asian countries, stations are also used as a place for public markets and other informal businesses. This is especially true on tourist routes or stations near tourist destinations . As well as providing services for passengers and loading facilities for goods, stations can sometimes have locomotive and rolling stock depots, usually with facilities for storing and refuelling rolling stock and carrying out minor repairs. The basic configuration of

7189-442: The train down to stop it, hence the name " flag stops " or "flag stations". Accessibility for disabled people is mandated by law in some countries. Considerations include: In the United Kingdom, rail operators will arrange alternative transport (typically a taxi ) at no extra cost to the ticket holder if the station they intend to travel to or from is inaccessible. Goods or freight stations deal exclusively or predominantly with

7280-471: The trains were to be built in Germany, while the competing consortium led by Bombardier Transportation had a UK train factory . Both the procurement process and final close of contract were significantly delayed, resulting in the expected first delivery date moving from 2012 to 2016. The £1.6 billion contract to manufacture and provide service depots for the trains was finalised in June 2013. The first train

7371-486: The work, loans were arranged with nineteen banks, with Lloyds , Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation , KfW and BTMU acting as mandated lead arrangers ; the European Investment Bank also provided a debt facility. Loans for the construction of the rolling-stock depots were through Siemens Financial Services . Development of the new SF7000 bogie began in 2007, with the intention that it would be

7462-618: The world was Crown Street railway station in Liverpool, England , built in 1830, on the locomotive-hauled Liverpool to Manchester line. The station was slightly older than the still extant Liverpool Road railway station terminal in Manchester. The station was the first to incorporate a train shed . Crown Street station was demolished in 1836, as the Liverpool terminal station moved to Lime Street railway station . Crown Street station

7553-591: Was The Mount in Swansea , Wales, on the Oystermouth (later the Swansea and Mumbles ) Railway. The world's oldest station for engined trains was at Heighington , on the Stockton and Darlington railway in north-east England built by George Stephenson in the early 19th century, operated by locomotive Locomotion No. 1 . The station opened in 1827 and was in use until the 1970s. The building, Grade II*-listed ,

7644-507: Was also investigated, but no suitably large sites were identified for such a facility. Sites were considered at: Wellingborough ; Hornsey ; Cricklewood ; Selhurst ; Three Bridges ; and Tonbridge . By late 2008, the sites had been narrowed to Hornsey, Three Bridges and Tonbridge; finally Hornsey and Three Bridges were selected as a two-depot solution. In August 2009, planning applications for both sites were submitted by Arup acting on behalf of Network Rail . However, in December,

7735-526: Was called a "rail motor stopping place" (RMSP). Usually situated near a level crossing , it was often designated solely by a sign beside the railway. The passenger could hail the driver to stop, and could buy a ticket from the train guard or conductor. In South Australia, such facilities were called "provisional stopping places". They were often placed on routes on which "school trains" (services conveying children from rural localities to and from school) operated. In West Malaysia , halts are commonplace along

7826-627: Was converted to a goods station terminal. The first stations had little in the way of buildings or amenities. The first stations in the modern sense were on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway , opened in 1830. Manchester's Liverpool Road Station , the second oldest terminal station in the world, is preserved as part of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester . It resembles a row of Georgian houses. Early stations were sometimes built with both passenger and freight facilities, though some railway lines were goods-only or passenger-only, and if

7917-624: Was delivered in late July 2015. A fleet of 60 eight-car and 55 twelve-car trains entered service between Spring 2016 and 2019. Having replaced Class 319s , 377s , and 387s , Class 700s are the only trains operated on the Thameslink network. Each train is able to reach 100 mph (160 km/h) and carry 1,146 passengers in an 8-car train, and 1,754 passengers in a 12-car train. Maintenance depots have been built at Hornsey and Three Bridges . The Department for Transport began its procurement process ( Thameslink Rolling Stock Project , or Thameslink Rolling stock Programme ) on 9 April 2008, with

8008-403: Was hoped for by the end of the year, and financial close in early 2013. Key aspects of the commercial contract were reported to have been finalised by December 2012. As a result of the delays to the procurement, in late 2012, train operating company Southern began procurement of 116 dual-voltage Class 387 EMUs from Bombardier that would be used temporarily on the Thameslink route until 2015;

8099-519: Was in bad condition, but was restored in 1984 as an inn. The inn closed in 2017; in 2024 there were plans to renovate the derelict station in time for the 200th anniversary of the opening of the railway line. The two-storey Mount Clare station in Baltimore , Maryland , United States, which survives as a museum, first saw passenger service as the terminus of the horse-drawn Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on 22 May 1830. The oldest terminal station in

8190-532: Was named preferred bidder for the PFI contract , and the targeted entry of trains into service was rescheduled to 2015–2018. The vehicles would be manufactured at Siemens' plant in Krefeld , Germany, and maintenance depots were to be built at Hornsey (London) and Three Bridges (Sussex). The contract was significantly delayed: initially Siemens had hoped to reach agreement in early 2012; by late 2012 commercial close

8281-491: Was renamed Wivelsfield . Construction of the new station involved widening a narrow, high embankment. Just over two months after it opened, heavy rain caused a landslip which caused a long section of the Up (northbound) platform, and the waiting room building, to collapse and fall down the embankment. On 23 December 1899, a serious accident happened here, when a red signal was obscured by thick fog. A train from Brighton collided with

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