WMT is stopping at Longport as a temporary measure to fill in the gaps left by EMR when they reduced their service in July. That's why there's no WMT timetable at the station. You're right, there should be a poster detailing all the stopping trains. The main building is in private ownership and being renovated, but very slowly so still looking shabby. We have a small group of volunteers at the station who maintain the gardens. I'm glad you liked them. Claire Sandys, Community Rail Officer

@Pit-jt3lw

2 жыл бұрын

If you don’t use google map or an online timetable to check on your phone then I don’t know for you. 🤦‍♀️ who goes to station to check timetable when it’s probably ripped or graffitied on

@asheiou

2 жыл бұрын

@@Pit-jt3lw people who don't use the internet on a daily basis still exist, especially in the smaller towns

@cleanycloth

2 жыл бұрын

@@Pit-jt3lw I have a phone and still check paper timetables as when you're in a bit of a pickle or a rush, they're often easier to read.

@jonathantownsend8018

2 жыл бұрын

Keep up the good work, Claire!

@flopyatt2552

Жыл бұрын

It's LNWR not WMT

The 0633 also has the distinction of stopping at two identically named stations - Adlington (Cheshire) and Adlington (Lancashire)

@andrewmaygothling6454

2 жыл бұрын

OOo. Can you buy a ticket between the two Adlingtons?

@alang5764

2 жыл бұрын

@@andrewmaygothling6454 Yes you can and it is not the only pair of identically named places that exist on the UK rail network, Don't think any other have direct trains though

@JoeDobisz

2 жыл бұрын

@@alang5764 rainham (essex) and rainham (kent) is a good one, no direct train but they are quite close either side of the thames

@robnorth480

2 жыл бұрын

Charing Cross(London) to Charing Cross(Glasgow) is a slighty longer haul!

@thomasgray6092

2 жыл бұрын

Bentley (Hants) and Bentley (South Yorks) are another couple, but it might be a little difficult running trains between them.

Hi Geoff, I’m a dispatcher at Stoke. London Northwestern Railway are only stopping at Longport due to an emergency EMR timetable. LNR stop when there is a missing EMR service. Northern have two northbound departures a day in peak time :) Lovely to see you back in Stoke!

@iMeyrick

2 жыл бұрын

@@geofftech2 Happy to help! Yeah it would be nice that’s for sure.

@andrewnelson4057

2 жыл бұрын

@@geofftech2 Pretty sure there is a statutory obligation on whatever TOC runs the station, to show services for ALL operators at the station. Usually they are combined and have notes that show third party services. I'm sure there'll be some excuse like "due to covid" we can't be bothered.

@MrAljosav

2 жыл бұрын

@@iMeyrick Thanks for that, I can't find it in the Network Rail timetables from May-December 2021 either.

@flopyatt2552

Жыл бұрын

LNWR are always stopping there now

@iMeyrick

Жыл бұрын

@@flopyatt2552 Yeah they’ve swapped! Silly decision honestly. Now you can no longer get a direct train from one end of Stoke to another.

Longport was my local station when I was at school and a teenager. I used it every Saturday to go to Bell Vue Speedway. There was a single box and gates and a road across the track . When at school the station was full of school children enjoying a school trip to Llandudno on a special. In the 70s they had mystery trips where you paid a few pounds for an unknown destination. We ended up in Brighton once and Weston Super Mare on another. When a teenager used the station to go to Crewe for train spotting. It’s sad to see the station in its current state.

Geoff waving goodbye to the faraway information lady was off the charts delightful.

@paulknight5018

2 жыл бұрын

That was worth the video alone!

London Northwestern Railway is a subsidiary of West Midlands Trains, West Midlands Railway is for services in the West Midlands region and combined authority (e.g Lichfield Trent Valley to Birmingham). London Northwestern Railway is for services going outside the region and combined authority on longer distance services (e.g Birmingham to Liverpool or London to Crewe).

Ooh, a map man... don't tell Jay!

West Midlands Trains is the TOC that owns boths London North Western Railways and West Midlands Railways. That's why the service comes under their jurisdiction. And yes, it does seem easy to get confused between West Midlands Trains and West Midlands Railways, but they do infact mean two different things.

@Pit-jt3lw

2 жыл бұрын

If you don’t use google map or an online timetable to check on your phone then I don’t know for you. 🤦‍♀️ who goes to station to check timetable when it’s probably ripped or graffitied on

@keyed_6727

2 жыл бұрын

I think this is one of the units that has "I'm a stunt double, I also work in the west midlands" writen on it.

Geoff Marshall the answer to your question at 9:36, the West Midlands train with LNWR livery. As LNWR and WMR are the same company, WMR train sometimes uses LNWR livery.

@skylarius3757

2 жыл бұрын

So two franchises are run by the same company?

@beanieshark05

2 жыл бұрын

@@skylarius3757 they are owned by the same company but different names for different routes.

Hey Geoff. West Mids do use LNWR-liveried trains: if you look closely at the side of the LNWR train, there's a little graphic that says "I'm seeing other passengers! I also work in the West Midlands" with the WMR logo :)

@GreenJimll

2 жыл бұрын

Just wait until Geoff realises that Chiltern also lend train sets to WMR. ;-)

@isaactimmins8959

2 жыл бұрын

@@GreenJimll & EMR too,

@liamward5837

2 жыл бұрын

@@GreenJimll Wait really? I didn't know about that one - learn something new every day :)

@Matthewsbuses1997

2 жыл бұрын

@@liamward5837 WMR has I think 2 172 turbostars which were previously operated by chiltern

Having fun with the editing there, Geoff? 😊 It paid of! Wonderful video again! Thanks for all the work you clearly put in

@neville132bbk

2 жыл бұрын

@@geofftech2 The NZ Geoff Marshall Appreciation Soc will have its first AGM in November :-)

Your older guests show both much charm, and trepidation of technology or their appearance on it. Thank you for caring about these timeless troves of information.

@coasterb1

2 жыл бұрын

@ScriptedHqrry They sometimes show hesitation about being on video. They might be afraid of saying something wrong, or looking awful on camera, knowing the world is watching.

Had to get the train to Longport for a job at Port Vale a few years ago. Genuinely the coldest place I've ever been in my life.

Thank you UK KZreadrs for your supplemental information. It has been far too long since I have visited.

Longport the nearest station to the Port Vale football ground. Timetable poster showing all the services, that would mean a joined up railway 🚂 😂

@Thornaby37

2 жыл бұрын

Timetable posters showing all operators do exist at many stations, known as "A-Z" timetables. Longport is a prime example of station which should have that type of poster

positivity out of nowhere and for no reason is just so UK and so delightful.

@binarysignals9593

2 жыл бұрын

head down to slough and say that.

@neville132bbk

2 жыл бұрын

@@binarysignals9593 ...to pick up orders from the Office?

"The Hunt for the Northern Timetable" sounds like Geoffs fifth book :P

@neville132bbk

2 жыл бұрын

Does it follow or precede "The Riddle of the Sands"?

@OneKnifeYeHand

2 жыл бұрын

@@neville132bbk It follows “A Lot of Allotments”.

@neville132bbk

2 жыл бұрын

@@OneKnifeYeHand In the allotted time...

As someone said earlier it is the nearest station to Port Vale FC. When I went to PVFC there were a lot of fans using the station but if like me they had tickets to Stoke-on-Trent they would not be counted in the user stats I assume. So it may be a false least "used" station.

@adameley7655

2 жыл бұрын

Geoff will have to come back and do Blythe Bridge then... or the bus shelters next to a track... where the old station building is now a builders merchants.

Always a shock to see Park Street on the map, which is where I grew up.

Another great Least Used Station instalment. Absolutely love the editing at the end with the East Midlands Railway service arriving edited in with the music!

Cheers for these videos Geoff, it makes me feel like I’m back home, moved to the States for love but miss my dark October days of home

I was around Longport last Tuesday! If only I knew. Been hoping you'd do this one. As part of the EMR Community Rail Partnership, we are working to encourage more usage of Longport (I'm based at Longton), like all the stations in the route. Even though you can get a train to Blackpool. You can't get a single train back. As for why it's least used, it's easier to go to Stoke and get trains from there. But it's useful for commuting. Also West Midlands Train as it says on the side of the trains themselves, is part of London North Western.

Geoff, it was great to see Longport featured, it was my local station when I lived in Staffordshire and before I moved to London. Its such a shame that the old ticket office and waiting room is now closed, I always remember when it was staffed and great excitement of buying a ticket and waiting for the train as we headed to Manchester for the day. Closure of these lovely buildings I am sure went hand in hand with many of the stations becoming unstaffed, I just hope they don’t go beyond economic repair and just become eyesores.

@SteamboatWilley

11 ай бұрын

The actual building is lovely, it's sad that there is no manned ticket office. Although, being a least used station, I can understand why it would be destaffed.

Being my local station it's great to see a video from you and get to know more about it 👍

Sorry Geoff, but you'll have to knock Alsager from your list of least used stations in Staffordshire, as the town and its station are actually in Cheshire. The place does have a Stoke series of postcodes, though.

@paulhealy2557

2 жыл бұрын

He hasn’t said which definition of county he is using

@singswansong

2 жыл бұрын

Yeh i noticed this as well. However, even though Alsager is definitively a cheshire town, it is managed by east midlands railway. Also I am very nearby to alsager and have noticed it has adopted a significant stokie culture in the last 10 years. However i guess both the train management and culture are irrelevant when specifically talking about least used stations in whatever county.

@norbitonflyer5625

2 жыл бұрын

How can there be a "list" of least-used stations in Staffordshire? Just as there can only be one highest mountain, oldest person, or fastest car, there can be only one least-used station.

@paulhealy2557

2 жыл бұрын

@@norbitonflyer5625 you have to compare some to see which has least

Another brilliant video Geoff, love these least used stations videos!

Thanks to you, I have seen it… (and comment about it) say it… and I am now waiting for the final video until I’m sorted. Thanks for taking us on your adventure today and sharing in your enjoyment.

During WW2 my parents used to board the LMS train from Longport to the Royal Ordnance factory at Radway Green where they both worked. The train used to be crowded. The few holidays that we had invariably started at Longport station. Thanks Geoff, it brings back fond memories,

Such a great shame. I was born about a mile from Longport and can remember it as a busy railway centre. With goods sheds a level crossing box. The 'boarded up' booking office was wonderful. Great video, thank you.

More content you didn't know needed (but love) from Geoff! 🏆 🎉

I do like how you waved at the inanimate help point when disconnecting the call.

I've only just noticed that you do english subtitles. I'm not hard of hearing but I am autistic and I think this is fantastic, as not only deaf/HoH people use them. They help me to focus on the video more easily.

Having a Geoff video to take my mind of my pains from an op nothing is better

Great as always Geoff 👍🏻

This has been in my watch later playlist since upload day due to me being too busy doing other things and then the length of that playlist. Then I noticed it in my scrolling of that playlist today for something cool to watch, just 5 days before I am going to this station and staying in the area nearby for a weekend.

@mich8050

2 жыл бұрын

my trains are EMR apparently

Congratulations on 245 000 subscribers!

Been waiting a long time for this video. My home county! 😁

Another good one Geoff. For me I loved that there used to be a level crossing and you can see it.

Longport does indeed feature on the front cover of Northern Railway's Timetable 19 (Manchester to Stoke on Trent via Macclesfield), even though only 2 trains stop there.

It's Monday and you just uploaded a new video. What a great way to start the new week!

I can't wait for the Lumo video, It was amazing meeting you!

@canihavesome2591

2 жыл бұрын

The Lumo is the Mallard looky-likey train (colourwise) is it not? I did chuckle when I saw that !!

What a beautiful station

Brilliant video mate! Love these 😀

Great video Geoff. I can confirm that the first Northern Service of the day is the 06:33 to Blackpool North from Stoke-On-Trent (331 operated). The Next Northern service is the 08:00 to Manchester Piccadilly from Stoke-On-Trent (323 operated). LNWR Services to Birmingham New Street at xx:20 every hour to Birmingham New Street (350 operated).

If I recall correctly, West Midlands *Railway* is the operating company (The purple and orange trains!) and West Midlands *Trains* are the parent company that own WMR and LNWR. I'm sure my Dad will correct me if I'm wrong on that as he works for them ^^;

@sihollett

2 жыл бұрын

The operating company/franchisee is WMT. WMR and LNR are sub-brands of that franchise. And what route is what brand is a bit awkward in Staffordshire, leading to too many trains (currently) having LNR branding. This is due to the various service pattern changes that have happened - though it was the Pandemic that killed off the troublesome merging of Euston-New Street services with New Street - Liverpool/Crewe (via Stoke)/Rugeley services, rather than the problems that were caused by it. The Crewe-Stoke-Birmingham service might be currently considered WMT on timetables (WMR Timetable 8 of 8, but also appearing on LNR Timetable C), but the service went to Euston (at least nominally) until COVID hit and so was LNR.

@robshipway2269

2 жыл бұрын

I was going to add a similar comment that according to the wikipedia page for West Midland Trains, London North Western Railway is part of West Midland Trains. If you look at the wikipedia page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Midlands_Trains, services such as Birmingham - Crewe or Birmingham - Liverpool Lime Street come under LNWR, not WMR.

@colinlittlewood9613

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely correct (I look over Kenilworth station from my bedroom so see many of them every day!)

LNWR and West Midlands trains are the same company after london midland ceased in 2017. LNWR mainly look after the services from London to Birmingham, Crewe and destinations around London and West Midlands trains are more based from Birmingham

Awesome video Geoff

Epic Video Geoff, Alsager is in Cheshire, Kidsgrove is the northernist station in Staffordshire, There is two Northern services per day as you mention in the video one of them Stoke-on-Trent at 0756 for Manchester for 8am (I have travelled on that service and got off Longport on a Northern service) The London Northwestern services are only stepping in while the East Midlands Railway services are running every 2 hours and sometimes they step in if there engineering works for East Midlands Railway (apart from 1040 to 1140 when that is hourly) They are using London Northwestern Trains because London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway are the same company, just divided the franchise and they do say on the Class 350s that they do operate West Midlands Railway service, it's like the Chase Line Birmingham to Rugeley, it's a West Midlands Railway line but London Northwestern Railway Class 350s operate the line. At 10:58 the electro-motive depot is when they are building the Class 6 9 locomotive which are Class 56 bodies with Class 66 engines.

@janprimus1947

2 жыл бұрын

You beat me to it with pointing out that Alsager is in Cheshire, for a map man quite a mistake. But you didn't notice that Alsager was mispronounced. The ' Al' is pronounced the same way as it is in Salford and St Albans. However,this isn't suprising, as all the railways use the wrong pronunciation in their announcements.

Longport is a station that has found itself being cut off from it passengers, industrial units, the building of the A500 (D-road), the loss of the village of Longbridge Hayes. There used to be a residential area in Longbridge Hayes, now all gone. In the 1980's there was a sitcom based around Longbridge Hayes, staring John Mills as a retired potter, called Young at Heart, produced by ATV.

@mikenash7049

2 жыл бұрын

I remember Young At Heart. John Mills sang the theme song and the record got into the lower reaches of the charts, if I remember correctly.

@dazzlerbob1870

2 жыл бұрын

@@mikenash7049, I vaguely remember it, it was over 40 years ago. I watched it at the time, but i've never seen it since. It also stared David Nielson, aka Roy Cropper of Corrie fame, and Meg Jenkins starred in quite a few roles. (Thank god for the internet to refresh our memories.)

Alsager station is still running but further along the line used to be Radway Green & Barthomley station which served the Royal Ordnance factory and nearby village of Barthomley. That station has long disappeared. A new RO factory was built and opened in 2011 and the old buildings in use at that time were demolished.

Thank you for these vids. I'm Canadian but my roots and family are from Stoke :)

Is it me or does Mr. Mappy have a demeanour of someone who retained the same mannerisms and posture of when he was a kid? I've never seen him as a kid but I can imagine that cheeky smile of his and him standing with his arms behind his back with a coat too long for him lol

as an american viewer i will say i love these videos because it shows off the way less touristy and more authentically British parts of the UK and i love it. I have learned about some amazing areas of the UK that i'd love to go see if I ever visited

@julianshepherd2038

2 жыл бұрын

Hooray for the crap bits

I love these least used stations videos

I haven't caught a train from there for fifty-seven years. As a thirteen year old with my northern cousins we caught a train from Longport to Crew to train spot at the loco sheds and were caught on the tracks by security. I was really worried that my act of trespass, would be reported to my "Potteries" born mum in far away Hertfordshire. Thanks for the location memories!

West Midlands Railway and LNWR are both under the West Midlands Trains franchise. That's why on some of their liveries say "London North Western Railway (By WMT)"

I visited the station back in May when EMR we’re running an hourly service however Since then EMR had to go into an emergency timetable and the EMR services generally became every 2 hours so LNWR (Part of West Midlands Trains) came into rescue to maintain an hourly service they don’t usually stop At Longport (expect during engineering work or I. Timetable emergencies like there is) this is also why LNWR don’t have a timetable board at Longport. In regards to Northern I find it odd how they don’t advertise there 2 daily Manchester trains because they are part of the normal timetable. I only realised myself the other month that northern stop there. Great Video by the way!

I used to travel from Birmingham to Longport as a student to watch Port Vale football games. Lovely ground and well within walking distance from Longport station.

Alsager's in Cheshire. We had a teacher at school who travelled from Stone, I think, to Longport, back in the 60s. Can't tell you how often she was late!

London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway are two subsidiaries of the same company, West Midlands Trains, who are the official holder of the franchise and so on many booking engines they come up as the operator for both subsidiaries services. They do share stock however, WMR’s services from Wolverhampton to Walsall, Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham, and the Birmingham International shuttles, all use LNR Class 350s. The 350’s PIS system also says whether or not it’s operating a London Northwestern or West Midlands service

I didnt even realise this video was recently uploaded

Really enjoyed this one 👍

London North Western also have West Midlands trains logos on their trains. This peaked my interest a few months ago. Service is much improved from Euston to Birmingham, with seemingly increased frequency of services that stop less.

West Midlands Trains I think owns/operates LNWR (one of my sources for this apart from many online timetables calling LNWR services WMT ones, is that some of WMT’s new trains - I think either the two or three car CAF ‘Civitys’ - are listed as being trains that will eventually replace the LNWR 350s) however don’t rely on me, I’m a 15 year old Irishman! Keep up the amazing videos and keep safe!

I lived near Longport Station for 10 years but always drove past it to go to Stoke Station when I needed to get a train! Now my nearest is the 2nd least used... Blythe Bridge, and that I have used as it's a bit more useful for the eastbound services to Derby and therefore connecting on to ECML.

Northern services are the 06.29 Stoke-on-Trent to Blackpool North and 07.56 Stoke-on-Trent. West Midlands are 1tp2h between Birmingham New St and Crewe using London Northwestern 350s. West Midlands Trains is the full franchise name. London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway are the two sub brands of the franchise

One of the reasons for the high passenger numbers (for a least used station anyway) is it is the nearest station to Port Vale FC

I look forward to the Stone video, not that I did not enjoy this one! Stone was where in my day the old Post Office Telecom had a training school and I with many others were shipped for a few weeks of training in the 1960s and early 70s.

Geoff is very protective of his channel

9:35 West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern are the same company. It's just different names they use for inside and outside the West Midlands

A least used station I've used, back in 2007! Got off a Northern (or whatever it was called back then) 323 from Manchester at around 17:00 in order to meet a narrowboat on the nearby canal. I would then spend the next ten days on board cruising to Reading via the Severn Estuary! Also, the EMR timetables even show the operator at the top, even though they're all the same company and missing everyone else's!

Living in the area, I'd say the relative disuse of the station is probably down to its proximity to Stoke station. Stoke is much busier in terms of stopping services, has better amenities in terms of refreshments, tickets etc., as well as being well-served by local buses. I'd guess that, unless you live in walking distance of Longport, Stoke would be the preferable option.

Very nice video. :) Also that see it say it sorted announcement is the one I've heard a lot at my local station, Leicester.

Hi Geoff, West Midlands Trains is the company name and the franchise is split between London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway. This was a London Northwestern service but National Rail classes LNWR and WMR trains as West Midlands Trains services. WEST MIDLANDS TRAINS: London Northwestern Railway + West Midlands Railway.

9:36 yes, it is LNWR livery, and at 7:12 if you look carefully, there is actually a WMR logo.

That was cool. Great fun

LNWR and WMR are owned by a company called West Midlands Trains. You'll note on the livery of the 350/1s a small logo that says those trains have a dual use with WMR. I know the Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham New Street services are WMR operated, but they're LNWR 350s that run it (or it was when I did that branch almost 2 years ago, 2 months pre-lockdown).

I'd say a large reason it's not used as much as it could be is because it's cut off from a large part of the population by that massive duel carriageway you can hear throughout the video. I used to use this station and it's a pretty un-pedestrian friendly crossing over a busy flyover roundabout juction. I'd say North Staffs as a whole is a pretty car-centric place because of the crappy road infastructure that cuts everything off from everything else. It's just easier to drive to the places the station serves.

Ideally the station would have A to Z posters - but generally the station will have a EM poster, a Northern poster and maybe also LNR - however EMR will normally produce the full timetable but the C-19 timetable means EMR are only publishing their services. TImetable poster information should actually sort itself out in December

@Sim0nTrains

2 жыл бұрын

LNR don’t stop at Longport, they only calling at Longport at this moment in time to help EMR out while they only running every 2 hours at the moment but that will sort itself out in December when it planning to go back hourly

And Mr Mapps mentioned one of my favourite places west mersea lots of old boats...(I sail around Mersea Maldon Bradwell area)

Even the least used of stations can have sublime brickwork and fancy Dutch facades! Thanks guys.

@neville132bbk

2 жыл бұрын

Yes... i thought at once "lovely Dutch gables".

@christinaburton9297

2 жыл бұрын

@@neville132bbk ..looks like the work of A W N Pugin who did Oakamoor station.. and Big Ben! It used to be called Burslem before the later Burslem was built.

@neville132bbk

2 жыл бұрын

@@christinaburton9297 good evening/morning, Christina. Take a look at, if you don't already know it, Dunedin railway station..1906 , by "Gingerbread George" Troup. I think he also did St Patrick's basilica in Timaru among other public buildings.

another great quality video. 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

I once caught a train here many years ago after watching Stockport County at Port Vale when the previous incarnation of Northern stopped there. Now Northern hardly stops there at all.

Great video Geoff. Longport is the least Staffordshire station and indeed Northern do stop at Longport heading south. Try doing Penkridge and Wilnecote both least used station in Staffordshire

I just got a train from Stafford to London last week that was listed as a West Midlands train but had the London northwestern livery

A bit daft that the two Northern only services to Manchester Piccadilly in the morning from Longport don't have corresponding ones in the evening, meaning you've got to go to Stoke and reverse back up. And the way the timetable works out, that means CrossCountry to Stoke to get the West Midlands one going back. Also it's the main station for Port Vale football ground, which may explain the extra footfall on a match day for example to boost the figures.

All of WMT's Class 350s are in/will be painted in LNWR livery, despite the services north of Birmingham that they're used on being technically West Midlands Railway.

I’ve been to and from Longport station on a couple of occasions, but that was to take the relatively long walk up to Port Vale Football Club through Burslem! Used to have to wait at Stoke for ages to make the 4 minute journey to Longport usually! I’d imagine more football fans like me use that station for Port Vale away days?

I would have said Longton was more least used (if that's the correct wording?) than Longport, although more services stop there. Again another Potteries station that used to have booking office, toilets, was staffed & enjoyed the Potters excursion trains a plenty during holiday season. A shell of its former glory nowadays although the closely located Foley Signalbox is worthy of a mention

My Great Uncles was Stationmaster at Longport back in the day

great vid!

Also LNR stock is shared pooled resources with 'West Midlands Railway' of which both are West Midlands Trains

see it say it sorted brilliant video

Lots of new "least used" stations by county this year, and some old favourites Bedfordshire - Millbrook Berkshire - Midgham: City of Bristol - St Andrews Road: Buckinghamshire - Fenny Stratford Cambridgeshire - Shippea Hill: Cheshire - Stanlow & Thornton: Cornwall - Coombe Junction: Cumbria - Nethertown: Derbyshire - Peartree Devon - Sampford Peverell (closed)/ Okehampton Dorset - Chetnole Co Durham - Teesside Airport Essex - White Notley Gloucestershire - Pilning: Hampshire - Beaulieu Road Herefordshire - Colwall: Hertfordshire - How Wood: Isle of Wight - Smallbrook Junction: Kent - Kemsing: Lancashire - Hoscar Leicstershire - Bottesford: Lincolnshire -- Kirton Lindsey (new entry, was Havenhouse) Greater London - Heathrow Terminal 4 (new entry) Greater Manchester - Denton: Merseyside - Upton: Norfolk - Spooner Row: Northamptonshire - Kings Sutton: Northumberland - Acklington: Nottinghamshire - Elton & Orston Oxfordshire - Finstock: Rutland - Oakham (no surprise there!) Shropshire -Hopton Heath: Somerset - Bruton: Staffordshire - Longport: Suffolk - Lakenheath: Surrey - Betchworth Sussex (East) - Doleham: Sussex (West) - Faygate: Warwickshire - Polesworth West Midlands - Bordesley: Wiltshire - Dilton Marsh Worcestershire - Honeybourne: Yorkshire (East Riding) - Rawcliffe Yorkshire (North) - Whitley Bridge Yorkshire (South) - Darnall: Yorkshire (West) - Pontefract Baghill

Interesting OLE there. I can't tell if the over tall masts are for vertical adjustment (common in mining areas) or the OLE has been lowered after the closer of the level crossing to reduce the footbridge height

The biggest surprise for me was that the main TOC at Longport is EMR, given that it's not in the east midlands and is on the WCML Stoke branch!

West Midlands Trains and LNWR are, iirc, owned by the same company - and yes, the liveries are different (LNWR is green and grey, WMT is orange and purple)

Apart from Alsager which is actually just outside the county anyway, I have used all the stations in the least used list for Staffordshire over the years.

I know I’m very late, but the LNR/WMT thing is because West Midlands Trains operates the franchise covering both West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway, much like how Govia Thameslink Railway has Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink

I live a literal stone's throw away from that station and I didn't know it was so seldom used!