Talk:Train station

I might have found what could be a contender for one of the oldest train stations. It's on the Canterbury and Whitstable way. According to http://www.canterbury-archaeology.org.uk/railwest/4590809528 , the station here was opened May 3rd 1830. If someone more knowledgeable than me could look into this, that would be great. 212.140.143.4 (talk) 14:37, 15 March 2021 (UTC)Random ip editor

There are now so many images in this article that under the goods stations section, I am greeted with an entire screen worth of white space and images scrolling down the side. I don't have a particular preference on which images go, but there needs to be some trimming. Trainsandotherthings (talk) 21:09, 1 May 2025 (UTC)

@Trainsandotherthings: The big blank space is doe to the {{clear}} at the bottom of the Goods stations section. --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 21:48, 1 May 2025 (UTC)

Formatting issues aside, the image selection is heavily biased towards passenger operations and main station buildings (de:Empfangsgebäude). I should like to recommend fewer pictures, but a greater variety. Maybe include a track plan of a smaller station that shows the various aspects of operations. --Schlosser67 (talk) 08:45, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

This article was clearly written from a UK or European perspective, by a non-railroad person. From a US railroad perspective, the very first line is incorrect. A station is defined as "a place designated in the timetable by name". That is the full and complete definition of a station.

A station may have a building (which may or may not have provisions for passengers, in which case it may be called a depot; and which may or may not have provisions for handling freight, in which case it likely is called a freight house). It may or may not have a station agent (often called an operator). It may or may not have signals controlling train movements (in which case it is called a control station). On a single track line it probably has a passing siding (or, often, one end of a passing siding with the other end having a different name). In steam days a station most likely had a water tank, and may have had other locomotive servicing facilities.

The key point here is that almost everything which the article names as a purpose of a station, is, in US practice, either secondary or irrelevant. The main purpose of a station in US practice is simply to be an identifiable point. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:589:300:C7C0:202F:53A2:56A:3043 (talk) 20:43, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Different countries, different customs. In Germany, the term "station" is used more colloquially rather than officially. Instead a variety of terms serves to describe the various operating circumstances, whether it is a "station proper" (de:Bahnhof), a halt, a halt with a team track (the former three often being referred to as stations), or just a junction on an open stretch of track (which appears in internal timetables as a waypoint and may therefore also be considered a station in US parlance). As for the term "depot" - this is already addressed in the article (as are some other points mentioned above) and by a redirect. - If you can cite some document where the US definition is found, feel free to add it to the article! --Schlosser67 (talk) 06:02, 22 August 2025 (UTC)

In the UK, the term "station" is popularly understood to mean a place where passengers may get on or off. But in the past, there were are also goods stations, at which freight could be sent or received. Technically speaking, a station is anywhere where a train is permitted to stop, and so could include signal boxes (such as at junctions) between normal stations, even though passengers were not allowed to board or alight at such points. --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 07:12, 23 August 2025 (UTC)