Truncated railway station termini

A truncated railway station terminus is when an original station site is sold for redevelopment and a new, usually smaller station is constructed back down the line. Whilst there are many examples of station buildings and other structures, such as the redundant platforms at Whitby being sold for redevelopment. The truncation at Whitby however, is only partial, as one platform still survives in its original location. This article is about new stations which have been fully truncated and cut short from a former location.

Truncating usually happens when traffic has declined to such an extent that an original station site is no longer required and the land is deemed to have a greater commercial value. The argument for truncating would state that the money gained from the sale of a station site can then be reinvested in new facilities. However, as a result of this policy, newly constructed stations can often be sited farther away from a town or city centre. Many old stations have been redeveloped as shopping destinations with the aim of generating footfall from passengers as they walk to the new platforms. The policy of truncating continues to this day, with a plan to relocate Lowestoft railway station some 400 m to the west and redevelop the land for retail. This proposal is currently under discussion.

Old Bradford Forster Square railway station prior to demolition in 1990. Construction workers can be seen in the foreground ready to start work on the new station

The new (truncated) Bradford Forster Square station just after opening with the old station in the background. The old station was closer to the city centre

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