The Station House pub in Durham has a real-time departures screen. It even tells you how many minutes you've got left to finish your drink if you want to be on the platform in time to catch each train.
It was a nice surprise to bump into you that morning - made a very mundane commute a bit more interesting. In S&HR's defence, I can get to work in KX 20minutes quicker than if I get the piccadilly line which can take over 50 minutes station to station, and sometimes involved me standing for most of the journey. Unfortunately those Chiltern stations are not well advertised or presented, and a reminder why staffed stations are so important. There were rumouring's of a Chiltern metro 20+ years ago but that never materialised. But as you noted the line has ample room for four tracks in many places, plus I think a bit actually connects up with the proposed West London Orbital near Neasden. The 10:19 also stops at Wembley Stadium which gets a lot more passengers. If that line were to be modernised, diesel trained removed from service, homes built nearby where there is space, it would make a very nice addition to the London overground and take some of the traffic off the A40 from High Wycombe. We can only hope. Anyway, fun fact - there was a bit of architectural ruins from the old station to the side of the public toilet (12:51) but it was hidden by the van. Next time you are there it's worth looking at.
Ha ha! Helllo! So lovely to meet you and thanks for chatting - and for commenting here as well!!! Always good to have proper commuter knowledge 👍 will go back and check out the old building part!
If Mayor Khan has his way and all stations within the London area come under the control of TfL then things may change and a metro type service could become a possibility although costly as the fast lines would need to be reinstated. I have no doubt that Chiltern would happily give up serving these stations but I suspect this is a contractual obligation as part of the franchise agreement. When Chiltern gets absorbed into GBR or whatever it will be called then things may be different.
@@nickgiles7568 The line never had four tracks. It just had two through tracks for express trains and loops for the stations (though not at Northolt Park). When the Great Central main line closed the express trains ceased and the straight through tracks were lifted, leaving the loops to serve the stations with the remaining stopping service. The resulting wiggly track proved to be a nuisance when fast trains were reintroduced, so the through tracks were reinstated, the loops lifted and the platforms edges moved. Only the section between Northolt Junction (South Ruislip) and West Ruislip was ever properly four-track - now reduced to three. In places there's space for four tracks, but for most of the route only two. The controversial Tesco tunnel at Gerrard's Cross was built to accommodate four electrified tracks though!
for station that had little in it. No car park, no allotments, not even sure there was litter bin, you still managed to make the video interesting and fun. Top work as always
I used to use the Sudbury & Harrow road station to go to school back in 1968/1969 and travel into Marylebone. Back in those days it was very old station was in a very bad state .I see in your video that the original ground level station building has been demolished. The platform level waiting room still had gas lighting! The frequency of the trains was very poor even back then. Often the early morning train was packed and we were forced to travel in the goods compartment. Happy Days.
Really!? My mum is from Sudbury Hill, so I knew the area back in the 1970s. It was not 'in a bad state,' merely two platforms. What more do you expect?
A lot of the stations on that line have the area in the middle to allow faster trains through, imagine if they had not removed them, how much better the timetable could be
This line was a life/ job saver when in the early 1980’s the tube fares went sky rocking during the Fares Fair scandal of 1981/1982. Overnight my tube fare cost tripled and it was the Marylebone line under British Rail, that got me to and from London every day for work. Yes it was quicker and that I had a 20 minute walk to work from Marylebone Station and back again each day. But it was so much more enjoyable than the very over crowded tube I had had to use. In fact when the fares went back to normal on the tube I did not change back to the tube but carried on using the Marylebone line for the next three years. My station was a little known one then Wembley Complex now called Wembley Stadium, very hidden gem in those days. The train was the slam door type, old but very comfortable and you always got a seat.
Yes, the Chiltern Main Line through the area between Neasden Junction and Northolt Junction was originally built by the Great Central Railway to connect Marylebone to the GW and GC Joint line through High Wycombe, which provided a connection with the GC main line north of Aylesbury in order to make the GCR less dependent on the Metropolitan Railway. The GCR was grouped into the LNER in 1923. The three stations featured were built by the LNER. My local national rail station is Northolt Park and I've been campaigning for Jago Hazzard to make an interesting video about it. Until he does it's nice that Geoff stepped in to fill the gap, despite him repeatedly getting the name wrong!
Edmund Bird, the TFL Heritage Manager, gave a presentation to the LTM Friends on Monday Night where he mentioned that they’d added the replica LNER “fish-eye” as part of the recent refurbishment and step-free installation at Sudbury Hill. You can see it on TH-cam - I presume Geoff had already filmed the video before that.
0:24 It's the least used of all Sudbury's stations, which are in turn less used than that of Sudbury in Suffolk, but it's the one that got the best code SUD.
If you time the trains right you should have no problem using it. An hourly service is miles better than what a lot of station's get across the country.
That video brings back memories. I used to work at MW Kellogg (later KBR) who's office block (on the other side of Sudbury Hill Tube) used to be there. Often used to get the train from Sudbury Hill Harrow as the trains were a lot quicker and more comfortable than the Piccadilly line. And less crowded too.
I once used to commute home to Sudbury & Harrow Road. I worked in Baker Street at the time, so would walk across to Marylebone and get a stopping train. It was compartment stock hauled by a 2-6-4T and they had to work hard up the gradients through the tunnels to where it parallels the Met. at Finchley Road. I always got a compartment to myself right behind the engine! Pity we didn't have mobile phones in those days; I would have loved to be able to record some of those journeys. The 18 bus didn't terminate there then; it went to Edgware via Harrow, so I could either get that or the 16 bus to take me home. I'll tell you what did terminate at Sudbury (The Swan) though, and that was the 662 trolleybus. Later, I shared a flat over one of the shops in Sudbury with a couple of friends and one of my flatmates used it regularly to commute to work. It certainly was four tracks through there and somewhat shortsighted of BR to alter it in the way that they did.
A day when you upload geoff is always a good one. Every single one of your videos are amazing I love the least used station series and every video you make just makes any day a good one. Keep up the fantastic work geoff you are truly amazing and I can't wait to see what's next for the channel :)
I always get a kick out of watching you sprawling on the ground or a train floor, you're like a cat stretching out (and I'm a dog person 😅) but it still makes me smile. Your enthusiasm is priceless 😊
As someone who uses the Chiltern Main Line as my primary route into London, I have to say its the only station on the line between Marylebone and Warwick Parkway I've not visited. I've visited Sudbury Hill Harrow a few times as I used to travel into London on one of the trains which stopped there and used to transfure to the Picadilly Line but that LNER sign wasn't there then.
Went to a very good talk at the LTM the other night given by a TFL heritage manager, and he mentioned his team were behind that LNER sign as part of refurbishment works. 4:24
I was pointed in this direction and told this was the channel of all things to do with trains but I have to say I'm a little disappointed you don't have any content about the Middleton railway. It would be nice to give a nod to the past and especially this railway in particular because without it the world wouldn't have these magnificent engines or the things they have brought to the world were it not for it's existence. Just a thought for a future video maybe 🤷🏻♂️ Good luck with the channel btw 👍
Those station names eek. Surprised they've survived so long with such similar names. Although there may be some combinations of Sudbury harrow hill left if they really want to go for it.
Love the scene when you were talking but gets interrupted by a train and the next scene goes into a drone footage of it passing. That was impressive editing and wouldn't mind having a UK Departure board myself. Great video
There used to be 4 tracks through Sudbury Hill, I remember going to watch the preserved steam expresses through there as a kid, Mallard etc, as these are my local stations. Struggle to believe they can't put it back and have a better commuter service there, but then I can't see why that train doesn't stop at Wembley as the biggest population centre! Mad timetabling logic. Cheers #Disco
It's probably down to cost (like with everything nowadays). With HS2, East West rail and various station and line openings happening at the moment the rail authorities likely don't think its worth the trouble right now.
This is giving me Flashbacks - I used to commute to Sudbury Hill & Harrow back in late 2000s from Marylebone for work.... I used to prefer it as it was only a 15min commute from Marylebone in straight from the Bakerloo Line & I used to live pretty central.
Good video Geoff, I've been there it does have that lonely deserlate feeling like a least used station should, very unique however i do think that somebody should come to Sudbury & Harrow Road, clean it up and give it a bit of love even though no one knows it exists it's still a quirky and brilliant station and i love it. Anyway thanks for another fun video, its always the best thing to see on a TH-cam notification that you've uploaded a new video 😊 👍
A station that most trains do not stop at, has a very limited service, and is a short walk to a more serviced station, and an underground station ... it figures ...
Great video as always. I used to catch the train from here when I lived nearby many years ago. It was closer than the tube station and quicker to get into work. Always had to time the return journey carefully though! A couple of points you mentioned reminded me of one of the rare snow days in London; they cancelled the trains from here. There were probably about 10 of us waiting so I used the help button. Another passenger told me to say there were over 20 of us waiting so please send us a train. The guy on the other end laughed at that amount of passengers 😂 They did get a train to stop for us though.
Geoff, have you considered doing a similar challenge to your Acton challenge, but for Harrow stations? How quick can you visit, these two stations in Sudbury plus, North Harrow , West Harrow, Harrow and Wealdstone, South Harrow and Harrow on the Hill
I remember occasionally getting a train from Northolt Park to Marylebone during a tube strike. It stopped at every station on the way and the train was rammed but at least I got to work. I enjoy these quiet station videos. They’re so quirky
Really enjoyed that; I can just remember the 1950s half-hourly train service from Marylebone, which I think called at all these stations, and - yes - at least some of the stations were four-tracked so that the expresses could shoot past the stopping trains. There must have been a staffed signal-box for each one, so I presume that was the reason for getting rid of the extra tracks - at that time there were no expresses to Birmingham any more.
I live near Sudbury, Suffolk - our station is very different from this one. It'd be interesting to see you visit Sudbury (Suffolk) and give your opinion of the station here.
I grew up in South Harrow in the 1970s and would sometimes catch a train from (gaslit!) Northolt Park to Marylebone early on Saturday mornings. I vividly remember the local residents’ association fighting hard to champion the station and the three others on the way to Marylebone because even then, the stations were underused, and there was talk of some or all of them being closed. What with services today to Birmingham, Stratford upon Avon and Oxford, the change in fortune of the line under Chiltern Railways couldn’t be more marked, but it’s a shame that relatively few people living near the first four NW London stations from Wembley Stadium to Northolt Park still fail to appreciate the benefit of a fast service to a London terminus that this line provides. My father drove frequently past Sudbury & Harrow Road station on the way to London on the A404. I can remember the white-timbered station very well indeed.
It was great to watch a new least station program. I always enjoy these programs. Also, will u be making more least used station programs as the 2024 passenger stats are now out?
I’ve lived in North West London all my life - I even used Sudbury Hill Harrow once - and I’m not sure I even knew this station existed until a few weeks ago.
It's ironic to think that not too long ago this was exactly the same aesthetic at stations along what is now the Suffragette Line; deserted, unstaffed and barely used stations with an hourly service that hardly anyone cared to use. The turnaround and transformation when that line came under the London Overground branding was amazing, and just goes to show that if you invest in quality public transport services, the people will come...
This is my nearest station. Such a shame it is so underused as the 18, 92, 182 and 245 buses all stop right outside (unlike Sudbury Town which now only has the 204) I've seen a brilliant photo of the station from the 1960s showing all 4 lines and the outside wooden platforms. The station master at the time was an Indian gentleman who was described as India's version of Cliff Richard
Geoff, back in the 60's there is a film " Blowup " there is a scene where the photographer is walking around a "deserted" Park when you were walking around today's station it reminded me much of the movie
I have had occasion to use this station occasionally and think it is such a shame it is so underused and underserved. I do understand the reason why - just no capacity for it - but 12 minutes directly into Marylebone seems better than clanking all the way round the wrong end of London on the Picc. I would also disagree that the Picc service to Rayners Lane is any great shakes. It can be very infrequent and unreliable at times - and the ancient trains are cramped and hot/cold when compared with the nice seating and air-con of the Chiltern Line. Opportunity missed somewhere but too late to solve it now, sadly.
I rather like Sudbury Hill Harrow station from the days when I had a flat directly opposite. Although services ceased rather early in the evening, it was a more civilised ride into Marylebone than using the adjacent Piccadilly line (although I would need to use the latter to return home if late in central London.) In those days using Oyster cards, the cost was no greater and it was quite easy to learn the morning train times for the short step across the road. It was a long plod via Hammersmith on the more cramped tube service whilst Marylebone, always something of a backwater, became a calm spot to pick up odd items before travelling further. It was also a good opportunity to see the splendid (but now sadly missed) Marylebone arrivals from Wales. So, the usage may have been limited, but that just helps to get seating even at busy times. From your film, I note they have spruced it up somewhat since my day. Never mind the short platforms, the train size was more than adequate.
Based on my rough calculations, for the earlier of the two trains, you saw an 'average' in terms of passengers per train: Excluding weekends and public holidays ≈ 253 days. 8 trains per day. 253×8 = 2024 trains per year. 18680/2024 ≈ 9.23 passengers per train. Allowing for some cancellations (especially given what the other waiting passenger noted) rounding up to 10 per actual train seems about right (probably the distribution is more heavily biased towards times that work better for commuting).
Sudbury and Harrow Road used to be my local station when I was growing up from about age of 3 to 9 or 10, regularly got a train (on my own) into London, pretty sure they were almost hourly then !
Well done Geoff you have demonstrated another problem with ticket machines. Simply with no power you can’t get a ticket to legally board and of course it is also not possible to buy a ‘Promise to Pay’. So always carry enough for a fine then???!!!
Always love these videos, how much time will need to have passed for Geoff to drag himself round the country doing all of them (or at least the new ones) again?
I really hope they build side platforms here, make as much of the line as possible four-track, so that stopping trains can call at the stations while express trains pass them, and then pass the stopping service over to London Overground, so that it gets four trains per hour all day (including weekends). There is no call for stations like Sudbury & Harrow Road to get an intentionally hobbled service. And there is no reason why people living close to the Chilten Mainline should be breathing in diesel fumes in the twenty first century. This railway needs major investment.
I’ve visited both these stations. I’m surprised Sudbury Hill Harrow isn’t used more as the Piccadilly line is incredibly slow to get into London versus the Chiltern Line which would take less than half the time. When I visited I had to walk from Sudbury Hill / Town respectively as Chiltern cancelled all the trains on that day owing to network strikes. The Greenford branch ie Greenford isn’t that far away from Sudbury Hill (10 mins on bus) where a couple of the other least used stations are.
Working on the Chiltern Line, looking after the platform services, I’m surprised it’s not Denham Golf Club station. I guess it’s because Harrow has no car park. Q: Per track mile, does Chiltern have the most unmanned stations?
I live near Drayton Green station, didn't realise its famous for being least used in London, not surprising though, it just goes a few stops from West Ealing to Greenford, perhaps the line will be used more now given the arrival of the Elizabeth line connection at West Ealing.
A lot of these least used stations are least used because they have so few trains serving them (although the train operators would probably claim it's the other way round). But it would be a very different picture if stations were ranked on the basis of passengers per train.
I lived in Sudbury until I was 14 in 1973, even then this station had the appearance of being derelict. As we were basically equidistant from Sudbury Town and North Wembley, those were our stations of choice, although it was more often bus 18 92 182 or 245
My old stomping ground! Much as I like a 1973 stock Northolt Park was way better than South Harrow for heading into town never liked wasting valuable drinking time🍻 Ps great vid👍
@dancrooksycamore think Scotland is separate, considering one near me was closed for 10 months, the entire line was closed, there are only 5 trains a day, I don't think people use the train here either
Hi Geoff. Can I ask if you shot this last week and if so what day as there is a chance I was your driver on the 10:19 2H16 ex Gerrards Cross. Thank you.
@@geofftech2not me unfortunately then. I had that service 4 days out of 5 the previous week. Most drivers dislike the stop on the up, it’s a downhill gradient to a mirror with wrong side door opening.
1:55 not really true - the Chiltern service has so few shopping trains which destroys the use case for passengers. Sudbury Hill looses passengers to Greenford on the central. Sudbury Town gets less passengers thanks to Wembley Central on the Overground/Bakerloo (or the 18 bus).
Geoff, since this is a M-F only service, the passengers per day figure is 72. That means an average of 9 per train - and you saw 10 of them get on one train. WOW!
Apparently Sudbury Hill Piccadilly Line station and Sudbury Hill Harrow station on the Chiltern Railways Chiltern Main Line are quite close to each other. Have you seen the Class 168 Clubman that have been refurbished.
Pretty sure I went to one of those stations to take a photo of the steam train that used to run from Marylebone to Stratford on Avon at the weekends many years ago.
Sudbury & Harrow Road looks like it has some brand new apartments built right next to it. If they gave the station a bit of TLC and added a few more services, I bet they could get quite a few more passengers who'd appreciate having a fast train into central London.
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The Station House pub in Durham has a real-time departures screen. It even tells you how many minutes you've got left to finish your drink if you want to be on the platform in time to catch each train.
There is one in Salisbury opposite the station that does that. I used it earlier this summer when I had a wait between trains.
It also far more importantly has incredible beer selection. Strongly recommend.
It was a nice surprise to bump into you that morning - made a very mundane commute a bit more interesting. In S&HR's defence, I can get to work in KX 20minutes quicker than if I get the piccadilly line which can take over 50 minutes station to station, and sometimes involved me standing for most of the journey. Unfortunately those Chiltern stations are not well advertised or presented, and a reminder why staffed stations are so important. There were rumouring's of a Chiltern metro 20+ years ago but that never materialised. But as you noted the line has ample room for four tracks in many places, plus I think a bit actually connects up with the proposed West London Orbital near Neasden. The 10:19 also stops at Wembley Stadium which gets a lot more passengers. If that line were to be modernised, diesel trained removed from service, homes built nearby where there is space, it would make a very nice addition to the London overground and take some of the traffic off the A40 from High Wycombe. We can only hope. Anyway, fun fact - there was a bit of architectural ruins from the old station to the side of the public toilet (12:51) but it was hidden by the van. Next time you are there it's worth looking at.
Ha ha! Helllo! So lovely to meet you and thanks for chatting - and for commenting here as well!!! Always good to have proper commuter knowledge 👍 will go back and check out the old building part!
If Mayor Khan has his way and all stations within the London area come under the control of TfL then things may change and a metro type service could become a possibility although costly as the fast lines would need to be reinstated. I have no doubt that Chiltern would happily give up serving these stations but I suspect this is a contractual obligation as part of the franchise agreement. When Chiltern gets absorbed into GBR or whatever it will be called then things may be different.
@@nickgiles7568 The line never had four tracks. It just had two through tracks for express trains and loops for the stations (though not at Northolt Park). When the Great Central main line closed the express trains ceased and the straight through tracks were lifted, leaving the loops to serve the stations with the remaining stopping service. The resulting wiggly track proved to be a nuisance when fast trains were reintroduced, so the through tracks were reinstated, the loops lifted and the platforms edges moved. Only the section between Northolt Junction (South Ruislip) and West Ruislip was ever properly four-track - now reduced to three. In places there's space for four tracks, but for most of the route only two. The controversial Tesco tunnel at Gerrard's Cross was built to accommodate four electrified tracks though!
As someone who grew up and lived by Northolt Park station for most of my life, I can tell you that ticket machine hasn’t been working for years!
I love this series because it feels like a fun outing for all of us.
for station that had little in it. No car park, no allotments, not even sure there was litter bin, you still managed to make the video interesting and fun. Top work as always
i really wanted one of those departure boards, untill i saw they were £170 😭
yeah same, it's the tiny one too that's £170!!
@@hrg1 Oh my gosh i didnt even notice the big one was £290!!
Savings people for something you know you will love and need in your life. 😊😊👌👌
Well worth it
This. I rushed to look at the site, but I could probably buy an actual departure board for that
I used to use the Sudbury & Harrow road station to go to school back in 1968/1969 and travel into Marylebone. Back in those days it was very old station was in a very bad state .I see in your video that the original ground level station building has been demolished. The platform level waiting room still had gas lighting! The frequency of the trains was very poor even back then. Often the early morning train was packed and we were forced to travel in the goods compartment. Happy Days.
Really!? My mum is from Sudbury Hill, so I knew the area back in the 1970s. It was not 'in a bad state,' merely two platforms. What more do you expect?
If there's no weekend service, shouldn't we divide by 261 instead of 365? That would give 71 passengers a day.
A lot of the stations on that line have the area in the middle to allow faster trains through, imagine if they had not removed them, how much better the timetable could be
I live north of Chicago and south of Milwaukee and I will probably never get to the UK and thoroughly enjoy Geoff's videos. 😊
I live in Harrow and would happily offer you a house swap....
This line was a life/ job saver when in the early 1980’s the tube fares went sky rocking during the Fares Fair scandal of 1981/1982. Overnight my tube fare cost tripled and it was the Marylebone line under British Rail, that got me to and from London every day for work. Yes it was quicker and that I had a 20 minute walk to work from Marylebone Station and back again each day. But it was so much more enjoyable than the very over crowded tube I had had to use. In fact when the fares went back to normal on the tube I did not change back to the tube but carried on using the Marylebone line for the next three years. My station was a little known one then Wembley Complex now called Wembley Stadium, very hidden gem in those days. The train was the slam door type, old but very comfortable and you always got a seat.
4:10 I assume the LNER sign is referring to the historical L&NER of 1923-48? They did pass through Sudbury according to route maps
Yes, the Chiltern Main Line through the area between Neasden Junction and Northolt Junction was originally built by the Great Central Railway to connect Marylebone to the GW and GC Joint line through High Wycombe, which provided a connection with the GC main line north of Aylesbury in order to make the GCR less dependent on the Metropolitan Railway. The GCR was grouped into the LNER in 1923. The three stations featured were built by the LNER. My local national rail station is Northolt Park and I've been campaigning for Jago Hazzard to make an interesting video about it. Until he does it's nice that Geoff stepped in to fill the gap, despite him repeatedly getting the name wrong!
It was on the pre grouping Great Central which became part of the LNER.
Edmund Bird, the TFL Heritage Manager, gave a presentation to the LTM Friends on Monday Night where he mentioned that they’d added the replica LNER “fish-eye” as part of the recent refurbishment and step-free installation at Sudbury Hill.
You can see it on TH-cam - I presume Geoff had already filmed the video before that.
Their social club is still down the road too
0:24 It's the least used of all Sudbury's stations, which are in turn less used than that of Sudbury in Suffolk, but it's the one that got the best code SUD.
I'm a local to Sudbury Hill, I'd much prefer chiltern but they don't come frequently enough and not at all on weekends :(
Exactly! 12 mins into Marylebone is a no brainer...but the problem is it's a no train-er! 😟
If you time the trains right you should have no problem using it. An hourly service is miles better than what a lot of station's get across the country.
@@nathanw9770 It doesn't get an hourly service - no trains at all in the middle of the day. Just a few in the morning and a few in the evening.
That video brings back memories. I used to work at MW Kellogg (later KBR) who's office block (on the other side of Sudbury Hill Tube) used to be there. Often used to get the train from Sudbury Hill Harrow as the trains were a lot quicker and more comfortable than the Piccadilly line. And less crowded too.
I once used to commute home to Sudbury & Harrow Road. I worked in Baker Street at the time, so would walk across to Marylebone and get a stopping train. It was compartment stock hauled by a 2-6-4T and they had to work hard up the gradients through the tunnels to where it parallels the Met. at Finchley Road. I always got a compartment to myself right behind the engine! Pity we didn't have mobile phones in those days; I would have loved to be able to record some of those journeys.
The 18 bus didn't terminate there then; it went to Edgware via Harrow, so I could either get that or the 16 bus to take me home. I'll tell you what did terminate at Sudbury (The Swan) though, and that was the 662 trolleybus.
Later, I shared a flat over one of the shops in Sudbury with a couple of friends and one of my flatmates used it regularly to commute to work. It certainly was four tracks through there and somewhat shortsighted of BR to alter it in the way that they did.
Lovely memories Ron, thanks for sharing !! 😊
A day when you upload geoff is always a good one. Every single one of your videos are amazing I love the least used station series and every video you make just makes any day a good one. Keep up the fantastic work geoff you are truly amazing and I can't wait to see what's next for the channel :)
I always get a kick out of watching you sprawling on the ground or a train floor, you're like a cat stretching out (and I'm a dog person 😅) but it still makes me smile. Your enthusiasm is priceless 😊
As someone who uses the Chiltern Main Line as my primary route into London, I have to say its the only station on the line between Marylebone and Warwick Parkway I've not visited. I've visited Sudbury Hill Harrow a few times as I used to travel into London on one of the trains which stopped there and used to transfure to the Picadilly Line but that LNER sign wasn't there then.
This can be some of the least used transfer in London!😂
See! You don't know what you've been missing!!
I recommend Banstead Stn, a slab of concrete with a shelter but still has a map of the station at the entrance
Went to a very good talk at the LTM the other night given by a TFL heritage manager, and he mentioned his team were behind that LNER sign as part of refurbishment works. 4:24
Living near High Wycombe, Sudbury and Harrow Road is normally just a blur on the way into Marylebone. Thanks Geoff for giving it the treatment.
Congratulations Sudbury & Harrow road station you made it to the top spot keep it up! You're kind of famous now!
Hi Geoff, brilliant video! thanks
basically if your station has the name Elton in it, its going to be on the list
Blimey Geoff. That was a trip down memory lane for me. Thanks 😊😊😊
Northolt Park station was at the bottom of our road and we used to stand on the footbbridge watching the trains go past underneath...1960s.😀
That central strip would be a hell of a stealth camping location for someone brave enough.
I was pointed in this direction and told this was the channel of all things to do with trains but I have to say I'm a little disappointed you don't have any content about the Middleton railway.
It would be nice to give a nod to the past and especially this railway in particular because without it the world wouldn't have these magnificent engines or the things they have brought to the world were it not for it's existence. Just a thought for a future video maybe 🤷🏻♂️
Good luck with the channel btw 👍
Both Sudbury stations were on platform loops originally.
Those station names eek. Surprised they've survived so long with such similar names. Although there may be some combinations of Sudbury harrow hill left if they really want to go for it.
Love the scene when you were talking but gets interrupted by a train and the next scene goes into a drone footage of it passing. That was impressive editing and wouldn't mind having a UK Departure board myself. Great video
There used to be 4 tracks through Sudbury Hill, I remember going to watch the preserved steam expresses through there as a kid, Mallard etc, as these are my local stations. Struggle to believe they can't put it back and have a better commuter service there, but then I can't see why that train doesn't stop at Wembley as the biggest population centre! Mad timetabling logic. Cheers #Disco
It's probably down to cost (like with everything nowadays). With HS2, East West rail and various station and line openings happening at the moment the rail authorities likely don't think its worth the trouble right now.
This is giving me Flashbacks - I used to commute to Sudbury Hill & Harrow back in late 2000s from Marylebone for work.... I used to prefer it as it was only a 15min commute from Marylebone in straight from the Bakerloo Line & I used to live pretty central.
Your videos cheer me up. Grateful. Thank you.
"Least used station" until Geoff does a video, then it's not as we all flock to it 😂
..The Geoff Marshall Effect
Good video Geoff, I've been there it does have that lonely deserlate feeling like a least used station should, very unique however i do think that somebody should come to Sudbury & Harrow Road, clean it up and give it a bit of love even though no one knows it exists it's still a quirky and brilliant station and i love it. Anyway thanks for another fun video, its always the best thing to see on a TH-cam notification that you've uploaded a new video 😊 👍
Lived 5 minutes away from that station for 35 years. Never used it once. Seen several TH-cam videos of it though 😂
A station that most trains do not stop at, has a very limited service, and is a short walk to a more serviced station, and an underground station ... it figures ...
Great video as always. I used to catch the train from here when I lived nearby many years ago. It was closer than the tube station and quicker to get into work. Always had to time the return journey carefully though!
A couple of points you mentioned reminded me of one of the rare snow days in London; they cancelled the trains from here. There were probably about 10 of us waiting so I used the help button. Another passenger told me to say there were over 20 of us waiting so please send us a train. The guy on the other end laughed at that amount of passengers 😂 They did get a train to stop for us though.
Geoff, have you considered doing a similar challenge to your Acton challenge, but for Harrow stations? How quick can you visit, these two stations in Sudbury plus, North Harrow , West Harrow, Harrow and Wealdstone, South Harrow and Harrow on the Hill
A new least used video. What a treat on a day where I'm home sick
Get well soon.
Sings.... "So Geoff was travelling on the one after 9:09" (Beatles referrence)
I remember occasionally getting a train from Northolt Park to Marylebone during a tube strike. It stopped at every station on the way and the train was rammed but at least I got to work. I enjoy these quiet station videos. They’re so quirky
Really enjoyed that; I can just remember the 1950s half-hourly train service from Marylebone, which I think called at all these stations, and - yes - at least some of the stations were four-tracked so that the expresses could shoot past the stopping trains. There must have been a staffed signal-box for each one, so I presume that was the reason for getting rid of the extra tracks - at that time there were no expresses to Birmingham any more.
wow, geoff has a decent sponsor, nice change. i didnt just skip past it
I live near Sudbury, Suffolk - our station is very different from this one. It'd be interesting to see you visit Sudbury (Suffolk) and give your opinion of the station here.
There are photos on the internet of the station when it has the old platform layout and four tracks.
I grew up in South Harrow in the 1970s and would sometimes catch a train from (gaslit!) Northolt Park to Marylebone early on Saturday mornings. I vividly remember the local residents’ association fighting hard to champion the station and the three others on the way to Marylebone because even then, the stations were underused, and there was talk of some or all of them being closed. What with services today to Birmingham, Stratford upon Avon and Oxford, the change in fortune of the line under Chiltern Railways couldn’t be more marked, but it’s a shame that relatively few people living near the first four NW London stations from Wembley Stadium to Northolt Park still fail to appreciate the benefit of a fast service to a London terminus that this line provides. My father drove frequently past Sudbury & Harrow Road station on the way to London on the A404. I can remember the white-timbered station very well indeed.
Thanks Geoff - great video as always, love these niche series
It was great to watch a new least station program. I always enjoy these programs. Also, will u be making more least used station programs as the 2024 passenger stats are now out?
I’ve lived in North West London all my life - I even used Sudbury Hill Harrow once - and I’m not sure I even knew this station existed until a few weeks ago.
The 182, 92 and H17 go right past it (the 18 even terminates right outside).
It's ironic to think that not too long ago this was exactly the same aesthetic at stations along what is now the Suffragette Line; deserted, unstaffed and barely used stations with an hourly service that hardly anyone cared to use. The turnaround and transformation when that line came under the London Overground branding was amazing, and just goes to show that if you invest in quality public transport services, the people will come...
This is my nearest station. Such a shame it is so underused as the 18, 92, 182 and 245 buses all stop right outside (unlike Sudbury Town which now only has the 204) I've seen a brilliant photo of the station from the 1960s showing all 4 lines and the outside wooden platforms. The station master at the time was an Indian gentleman who was described as India's version of Cliff Richard
Underused because it is so underserved I feel! Could've been a gem if served properly. 😕
Geoff, back in the 60's there is a film " Blowup " there is a scene where the photographer is walking around a "deserted" Park
when you were walking around today's station it reminded me much of the movie
I actually have a map of London trains bookmarked on my phone, so I had to have a look before I watched the video.
Am I obsessed yet
I have had occasion to use this station occasionally and think it is such a shame it is so underused and underserved. I do understand the reason why - just no capacity for it - but 12 minutes directly into Marylebone seems better than clanking all the way round the wrong end of London on the Picc. I would also disagree that the Picc service to Rayners Lane is any great shakes. It can be very infrequent and unreliable at times - and the ancient trains are cramped and hot/cold when compared with the nice seating and air-con of the Chiltern Line. Opportunity missed somewhere but too late to solve it now, sadly.
I rather like Sudbury Hill Harrow station from the days when I had a flat directly opposite. Although services ceased rather early in the evening, it was a more civilised ride into Marylebone than using the adjacent Piccadilly line (although I would need to use the latter to return home if late in central London.) In those days using Oyster cards, the cost was no greater and it was quite easy to learn the morning train times for the short step across the road. It was a long plod via Hammersmith on the more cramped tube service whilst Marylebone, always something of a backwater, became a calm spot to pick up odd items before travelling further. It was also a good opportunity to see the splendid (but now sadly missed) Marylebone arrivals from Wales. So, the usage may have been limited, but that just helps to get seating even at busy times. From your film, I note they have spruced it up somewhat since my day. Never mind the short platforms, the train size was more than adequate.
God, imagine living there... bollocks,just remembered. I do.
The pizza boxes and beer cans do make me think though... this probably *is* a pretty nice place to hang out and chill after the last train.
@@mst4309 it kinda scares me cause der prob gonna be drunk men
@William_gamer365 At least they took the train instead of driving
@ true😂😂😂
Based on my rough calculations, for the earlier of the two trains, you saw an 'average' in terms of passengers per train:
Excluding weekends and public holidays ≈ 253 days.
8 trains per day.
253×8 = 2024 trains per year.
18680/2024 ≈ 9.23 passengers per train.
Allowing for some cancellations (especially given what the other waiting passenger noted) rounding up to 10 per actual train seems about right (probably the distribution is more heavily biased towards times that work better for commuting).
Sudbury and Harrow Road used to be my local station when I was growing up from about age of 3 to 9 or 10, regularly got a train (on my own) into London, pretty sure they were almost hourly then !
Well done Geoff you have demonstrated another problem with ticket machines.
Simply with no power you can’t get a ticket to legally board and of course it is also not possible to buy a ‘Promise to Pay’. So always carry enough for a fine then???!!!
I tried to look into it as an option for tickets to Northampton but I couldn't get it to sell me one!
Always love these videos, how much time will need to have passed for Geoff to drag himself round the country doing all of them (or at least the new ones) again?
The 2 sudburys are both 3 cars long, northolt is 5. I'm a driver on the route and interestingly I've never stopped at sudbury and harrow road lol.
Thank you! Great info 👍
I really hope they build side platforms here, make as much of the line as possible four-track, so that stopping trains can call at the stations while express trains pass them, and then pass the stopping service over to London Overground, so that it gets four trains per hour all day (including weekends).
There is no call for stations like Sudbury & Harrow Road to get an intentionally hobbled service. And there is no reason why people living close to the Chilten Mainline should be breathing in diesel fumes in the twenty first century. This railway needs major investment.
I always enjoy the step action scenes 11:50
Great video Geoff
Great to have met you at haywards heath station on that stormy sat night im karl the london victoria track maintenance engineer you met there
Ha, hello! You too! Nice to have a chat yes 😊
I’ve visited both these stations. I’m surprised Sudbury Hill Harrow isn’t used more as the Piccadilly line is incredibly slow to get into London versus the Chiltern Line which would take less than half the time. When I visited I had to walk from Sudbury Hill / Town respectively as Chiltern cancelled all the trains on that day owing to network strikes. The Greenford branch ie Greenford isn’t that far away from Sudbury Hill (10 mins on bus) where a couple of the other least used stations are.
Working on the Chiltern Line, looking after the platform services, I’m surprised it’s not Denham Golf Club station. I guess it’s because Harrow has no car park. Q: Per track mile, does Chiltern have the most unmanned stations?
Denham Golf Club wouldn't be London's least used station because it's not in London.
Fantastic video Geoff! I need to pay a visit sometime 😀
I live near Drayton Green station, didn't realise its famous for being least used in London, not surprising though, it just goes a few stops from West Ealing to Greenford, perhaps the line will be used more now given the arrival of the Elizabeth line connection at West Ealing.
I knew this about a week or two ago and I’ve been waiting for you to make this
I have been on chiltern Railways but not called at Sudbury & Harrow Road
A lot of these least used stations are least used because they have so few trains serving them (although the train operators would probably claim it's the other way round). But it would be a very different picture if stations were ranked on the basis of passengers per train.
I lived in Sudbury until I was 14 in 1973, even then this station had the appearance of being derelict. As we were basically equidistant from Sudbury Town and North Wembley, those were our stations of choice, although it was more often bus 18 92 182 or 245
Did you go to East Lane school? If so, you were probably there with my sister also born 1959.
Don't forget the 16 bus as well.
You should do a video of the least used station per train. I'd bet a fiver that it would be Morden South!
7:11 what a great visual!
Ahh just when I was thinking should I go to Sudbury and Harrow. I mess the G man 😪😪😪😪
Hahhaha I lilterly have my departure board in front of me while you where advertising it
It's frustrating that a station near so many houses, flats and shops is so poorly serviced. More trains will attract more users....
Meanwhile in Tokyo, Shinjuku station gets 1.27 billion passengers per year
My old stomping ground! Much as I like a 1973 stock Northolt Park was way better than South Harrow for heading into town never liked wasting valuable drinking time🍻 Ps great vid👍
Good thing your first train wasn't cancelled, or you've had to take the One After 909 :D
Great video Geoff Marshall
51 people per day feels better than a lot a local village stations
You should do the least used station of Scotland, think one near me easily beats Britain's least station
Least used of Scotland would be Britain's least used tho? (Unless E W or NI had one less used)
@dancrooksycamore think Scotland is separate, considering one near me was closed for 10 months, the entire line was closed, there are only 5 trains a day, I don't think people use the train here either
A new Least Used Station video - an early Christmas present!
Hi Geoff. Can I ask if you shot this last week and if so what day as there is a chance I was your driver on the 10:19 2H16 ex Gerrards Cross.
Thank you.
Correction 2H26, fat fingers 😂
This was Monday of this week! 😊
@@geofftech2not me unfortunately then. I had that service 4 days out of 5 the previous week.
Most drivers dislike the stop on the up, it’s a downhill gradient to a mirror with wrong side door opening.
Nice video. Though I still think passengers per train would be a good statistic - almost 9 passengers per train (on average) for this station.
I'm not the only one missing the music am I?
No you are not
1:55 not really true - the Chiltern service has so few shopping trains which destroys the use case for passengers.
Sudbury Hill looses passengers to Greenford on the central. Sudbury Town gets less passengers thanks to Wembley Central on the Overground/Bakerloo (or the 18 bus).
Geoff, since this is a M-F only service, the passengers per day figure is 72. That means an average of 9 per train - and you saw 10 of them get on one train. WOW!
ha ha, GOOD CALL! yes ... i did not think of that!
Apparently Sudbury Hill Piccadilly Line station and Sudbury Hill Harrow station on the Chiltern Railways Chiltern Main Line are quite close to each other. Have you seen the Class 168 Clubman that have been refurbished.
Northolt Park ❤
Beautiful station and just a short walk to my parents.
Pretty sure I went to one of those stations to take a photo of the steam train that used to run from Marylebone to Stratford on Avon at the weekends many years ago.
Soon to no longer be the least used station in London as people flock to it checking it out because of this video.
Sudbury & Harrow Road looks like it has some brand new apartments built right next to it. If they gave the station a bit of TLC and added a few more services, I bet they could get quite a few more passengers who'd appreciate having a fast train into central London.
There were some flats built on the old goods yard.
Surprised the ones right next to Picadilly stations survived Beeching (or even closures later on)