List of railway towns

This is a list of railway towns.

Australia

• Peterborough, South Australia^[1]
• Korong Vale, Victoria
• Junee, New South Wales
• Serviceton, Victoria^[2]
• Seymour, Victoria^[3]
• Shepparton, Victoria^[4]
• Werris Creek, New South Wales^[5]

Canada

Under the provisions of the Dominion Lands Act of 1870, the railway companies had the power to survey new townsites along their rail lines, throughout Western Canada. Virtually every community in Western Canada that was created after 1870 (the majority) was directly created by the rail companies. One company, the Grand Trunk Pacific, actually began naming the new towns along its main line in alphabetical order from east to west, demonstrating the arbitrary nature of their planning powers.^[6]

Czech Republic

• Česká Třebová - This town in Eastern Bohemia has been an important settlement for more than seven centuries but since 1849 it became a large railway hub where main lines connecting Bohemia and Moravia meet. The largest rail yard in that country is located there as well as maintenance and scrap works.
• České Velenice - The settlement was developed around an engine depot and railway works located on halfway between Vienna and Prague. Originally a suburb of Austrian town of Gmünd, the railway junction with its hinterland was attached to newly created Czechoslovakia after World War I and became a town of its own.
• Kralupy nad Vltavou - Since Middle Ages Kralupy was a tiny insignificant village on the Vltava River. Since the 1850s it became an important railway junction and centre of petrochemical industry.

Denmark

• Langå

Finland

• Espoo, now the second largest town in Finland
• Hyvinkää
• Karis
• Kouvola
• Lahti
• Riihimäki

France

• Sotteville-lès-Rouen, Seine-Maritime Department
• Tergnier, Aisne Department

Germany

• Altenbeken
• Bebra
• Falkenberg/Elster
• Hamm

Hong Kong

• Sha Tin
• Tai Po
• Heng Fa Chuen
• Tung Chung
• LOHAS Park

Japan

Japanese National Railways (JNR) had chosen 12 major railway towns officially.^[7] The list below shows the official railway towns, but there are many other towns where town officials and residents think their town as a railway town.

• Iwamizawa, Hokkaidō - Iwamizawa engine depot and center of coal transport in Hokkaido.
• Oiwake, Hokkaidō - now part of Abira, Hokkaidō - Oiwake engine depot and another center of coal transport in Hokkaido.
• Tsuchizaki - part of Akita, Akita, Tsuchizaki engine depot and Tsuchizaki railway works.
• Niitsu, Niigata - now part of Niigata, Niigata. Junction of Shinetsu Main Line and Uetsu Main Line, Niitsu engine depot and Niitsu railway works.
• Ōmiya, Saitama - now a part of Saitama City. Junction of Tōhoku Main Line and Takasaki Line, Omiya railway works and Omiya marshalling yard.
• Maibara, Shiga - Junction of Tōkaidō Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line, Maibara engine depot and Maibara marshalling yard.
• Suita, Osaka - Suita marshalling yard, which was the largest marshalling yard in Japan.
• Tadotsu, Kagawa - Junction of Yosan Line and Dosan Line, Tadotsu railway works.
• Yonago, Tottori - Goto railway works.
• Tsuwano, Shimane - Tsuwano engine depot.
• Nōgata, Fukuoka - Center of coal transport for Chikuho coalfield.
• Tosu, Saga - Junction of Kagoshima Main Line and Nagasaki Main Line, Tosu engine depot and Tosu marshalling yard.

Netherlands

• Ede

Poland

• Chabówka
• Fosowskie
• Herby Nowe
• Koluszki
• Węgliniec
• Zbąszynek
• Zduńska Wola Karsznice

Russia

• Novosibirsk, now the 3rd largest city in Russia

Sweden

• Hallsberg
• Nässjö, at the expense of the—at the time—larger town of Eksjö

Thailand

• Nakhon Ratchasima, Used to be the terminus for almost 30 years (1900 - 1930)
• Hatyai, The city was founded after SRT build the Hatyai Junction and it become to a Financial Center of Southern Thailand.

Turkmenistan

Bereket Railway Station built in 1885.

• Bereket city is originally a typical railway town. The Bereket railway station was built in 1885 followed by building Bereket city which is now an important crossroad of the Trans-Caspian Railway and North-South Transnational Railway.

United Kingdom

• Ashford, Kent
• Craven Arms
• Crewe
• Darlington
• Didcot
• Doncaster
• Eastleigh
• Newton Abbot - site of Great Western Railway
• Rugby, Warwickshire
• Sheringham
• Shildon
• Swindon
• Toton
• Wolverton
• York

United States

• Altoona, Pennsylvania
• Atlanta, Georgia, at one time named Terminus because it was the terminal of the Western and Atlantic Railroad
• Barstow, California
• Birmingham, Alabama
• Benson, Arizona
• Boring, Oregon
• Chicago, Illinois
• Davis, California
• Denver, Colorado
• De Queen, Arkansas
• Etowah, Tennessee
• Frederick, South Dakota
• Helper, Utah
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Los Angeles, California
• Port Arthur, Texas
• Renovo, Pennsylvania
• Sacramento, California
• San Bernardino, California
• Stilwell, Oklahoma
• Stockton, California
• Woodland, California
• Woodsville, New Hampshire
• White River Junction, Vermont
• Wells River, Vermont
• Island Pond, Vermont

Brazil

• Corupá, Santa Catarina

India

• Bhusawal, Maharashtra
• Erode, Tamil Nadu
• Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh
• Jolarpet,Tamil Nadu
• Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu
• Olavakkode, Palakkad, Kerala
• Shoranur, Kerala
• Mughalsarai, Uttar pradesh
• Asansol, West Bengal
• Kharagpur, West Bengal
• Adra, West Bengal

Spain

There are different kinds of railway towns in Spain:^[8]

• Railway towns: new creation settlements which have community services (medical service, school, church...)
• Railway villages: new creation settlements which have no community services.
• Railway neighborhoods: settlements which appeared near a formerly town.

Some of them can be partial, non-entire. It means that railway activity was not the only one; it coexisted with other economic activities such as mining industry, cargo trade or customs activity.

Railway towns

• Almorchón, Cabeza del Buey, Province of Badajoz
• Linares-Baeza, Linares, Province of Jaén
• Fuente del Arco's station, Fuente del Arco, Province of Badajoz
• Moreda's station, Morelábor, Province of Granada
• La Encina, Villena, Province of Alicante
• Monfragüe's station (Plasencia-Empalme until middle 1970s; Palazuelo-Empalme until 27 May 1990), Malpartida de Plasencia, Province of Cáceres
• Bobadilla's station, Antequera, Province of Málaga
• Vadollano, Linares, Province of Jaén
• Espelúy's station, Espelúy, Province of Jaén
• Algodor, Aranjuez, Community of Madrid
• Arroyo-Malpartida, Cáceres, Province of Cáceres
• Chinchilla's station, Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón, Province of Albacete
• Puente de los Fierros, Lena, Asturias
• Maçanet-Massanes (formerly Empalme), Maçanet de la Selva and Massanes, Province of Girona

Partial railway towns

• Los Rosales (Tocina-Empalme until 1 August 1914), Tocina, Province of Seville
• Villanueva del Río y Minas, Province of Seville
• Canfranc's station, Canfranc, Province of Huesca
• Sierra Menera, Ojos Negros, Province of Teruel
• Barruelo de Santullán, Province of Palencia
• Venta de Baños, Province of Palencia
• Portbou, Province of Girona
• Prat del Pinter, Ogassa, Province of Girona
• Castejón, Navarre
• Valencia de Alcántara's station, Valencia de Alcántara, Province of Cáceres

Railway villages

• Doña María-Ocaña, Las Tres Villas, Province of Almería
• Nacimiento's station, Nacimiento, Province of Almería
• Roda de Barà's station, Roda de Barà, Province of Tarragona
• Calasparra's station, Calasparra, Region of Murcia

Partial railway villages

• Puerto La Laja, El Granado, Province of Huelva
• Mengíbar-Las Palomeras, Jabalquinto, Province of Jaén
• Agramón's station, Hellín, Province of Albacete
• Aljucén's station (Lavaderos until 15 April 1884; Puente de Aljucén until 1928), Mérida, Province of Badajoz

Railway neighborhoods

• Belmez's station, Bélmez, Province of Córdoba (Spain)
• Los Prados, Málaga, Province of Málaga
• La Almozara, Zaragoza, Province of Zaragoza
• Astorga-San Andrés, Astorga, Province of León
• Torralba's station, Medinaceli, Province of Soria
• Móra La Nova's station, Móra la Nova, Province of Tarragona
• Vicálvaro's station, Madrid, Community of Madrid
• Villabona's station, Llanera, Asturias

Partial railway neighborhoods

• Santa Fe-Alhama, Santa Fe de Mondújar, Province of Almería
• Serón's station, Serón, Province of Almería
• Guadix's station, Guadix, Province of Granada
• Sant Vicenç de Calders' station, El Vendrell, Province of Tarragona
• Las Matas, Las Rozas de Madrid, Community of Madrid
• Puerto de Sagunto, Sagunto, Province of Valencia
• Aldea Moret, Cáceres, Province of Cáceres

Portugal

• Entroncamento, Santarém District
• Pinhal Novo, concelho de Palmela, Setúbal District

References

1. ↑ "Peterborough - South Australia - Australia - Travel - smh.com.au". www.smh.com.au. 2004-02-08. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
2. ↑ "Serviceton - Victoria - Australia - Travel - theage.com.au". Melbourne: www.theage.com.au. 2004-02-08. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
3. ↑ John C. Jennings and Robert K. Whitehead (July 2005). Seymour - A Railway Town. Seymour and District Historical Society. ISBN 0-9751658-0-1. 
4. ↑ http://www.heritageaustralia.com.au/search.php?state=VIC&region=157&view=175 Heritage Australia
5. ↑ Rogers, Philippa. "The Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum". Labor History. www.historycooperative.org. 90. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
6. ↑ Lucas, Rex. A. 1971. Minetown, Milltown, Railtown; life in Canadian communities of single industry. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
7. ↑ Asahi Shimbun March 3, 1986 evening edition
8. ↑ Domingo Cuéllar Villar, Miguel Jiménez Vega and Francisco Polo Muriel (coords.). Historia de los poblados ferroviarios en España. Ed.: Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles. Madrid, 2005.