The 2,597[1] railway stations on theNational Rail network inGreat Britain are classified into six categories (two of which are each divided into two subcategories) by theDepartment for Transport. The scheme was devised in 1996[2] and there was a review in 2009 when 106 stations changed categories.[3] The categorisation scheme is owned byNetwork Rail, the site landlord of most of the stations.[2]
Some stations are in more than one category: for instance, atLondon St Pancras International, the surface platforms are in category A and theThameslink platforms are in category C1.
Stations in Scotland are categorised and counted in the totals below, for exampleGlasgow Central andEdinburgh Waverley are both category A,[2] but are not included in the lists of stations for each category.[3]
| Category | Number (in 2011[update])[4] | Description | Trips per annum | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 28 | National hub | over 2 million | Birmingham New Street,London King's Cross | |
| B | 67 | Regional interchange | over 2 million | Guildford,Nottingham | |
| C | C1 | 248 | Important feeder | 0.5–2 million | Grantham,Plymouth |
| C2 | Burgess Hill,Tamworth | ||||
| D | 298 | Medium staffed | 0.25–0.5 million | Abergavenny,Penrith | |
| E | 679 | Small staffed | under 0.25 million | Deal,Oakham | |
| F | F1 | 1,200 | Small unstaffed | under 0.25 million | Beccles,Bishop Auckland |
| F2 | Llanfairpwll,Winchelsea | ||||
| Total | 2,520 | ||||
Category C stations are sub-divided intoC1 (city or busy junction) andC2 (other busy railheads). The only exception isWorthing, which has not been given a subcategory; it is listed by DfT as "C".[3]
Category F stations are sub-divided intoF1 (over 100,000 journeys per annum) andF2 (others).[3]