Missing platforms / Unused Platforms & other bits

[Eagle]

Aren't the old ones the Motorail terminal?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

No, I think he means the southbound platform.

Until about 10 years ago Olympia had four through tracks / two main platform faces.

Then, with the sort of logic that only the railway can produce, it was reduced to three through tracks with the southbound platform rebuilt over where the 4th track was.:roll:

Much of the original edge is still visible and in places there is indeed a narrow gap between the front of the old platform and the back of the present platform.

 

[noddingdonkey]

The only TPE terminator at Huddersfield is the teatime service from Hull which is a 170, so could probably use P5 as well as P6 which in the past would be ideal as it went to Crofton afterwards. Though it now runs ECS to Ardwick depot so P4 is the only practical solution.

That said, do TPE drivers sign the bays anyway?

I caught a Leeds-bound TPE service from P6 a few years ago, it was a double 185 but the rear unit had developed a fault. The leading unit was shunted from p8 into p6, then the faulty one was shunted into the sidings.

I think they've used P6 to turn back services that are diverted via Brighouse and the Calder Valley during engineering works in the past.

 

[D6975]

I caught a Leeds-bound TPE service from P6 a few years ago, it was a double 185 but the rear unit had developed a fault. The leading unit was shunted from p8 into p6, then the faulty one was shunted into the sidings.

I think they've used P6 to turn back services that are diverted via Brighouse and the Calder Valley during engineering works in the past.

Yup, I caught a 185 from Victoria to Leeds back in March on a Sunday (via Hebden Br). We reversed in P6 at Huddersfield. We also went via Healey Mills to Leeds.

Hull is an odd one, loads of platforms and yet they choose to stack up services on just 2 or 3 platforms. Caused me to be late last time I was there, a 158 failed blocking in my train - completely avoidable if they utilised the platforms properly.

 

[adamt958]

Platform 3 at Bridgend falls into this I think

 

[poshfan]

Stamford had a bay platform, no.3, which was used for Seaton branch trains, disused since the branch closed in 1966. Platform track gone by 1969, all other sidings and all points removed in 1983. Bay platform filled in a few years ago to provide access to a temporary platform 2 further west which was in use during work to increase clearance for container trains.

 

[rdeez]

Yes - platform 2 was a bay at north end of platform 1 that is now a car park.

The bay does in fact still exist, though it is fenced off.

 

[marks87]

Inverness has a "phantom" platform on the other side of platform 6. It's designated as a "walkway" to platform 7, and doors never open on that side, but it's as high (if not higher) than some of the insanely low platforms on the Highland Main Line.

Does anyone know if it was ever used as a platform?

 

[moogal]

Caught the Overground today from Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, which was an odd one as by the looks of it, what was evidently once Platform 1 is now just a walkway to the footbridge, with trains using the island platforms 2 (w/b) and 3 (e/b).

 

[infobleep]

I don't think Woking has been mentioned. Beside platform 1 use to be a bay platform on the London end of the station, called platform 1, with the current platform 1 being platform 2 and so on. That since got infilled and I think the wall between the station and the road was moved so that there was more space for the people wait on the other side at the bus stops.

However I think the current platform 3, which extends from the end of platforms 2 & 4, was built later, meaning that there are still 6 platforms, just as there use to be.

Would reinstating the old platform 1 provide any benefits at Woking? Currently stopping services from platform 3 have to cross the fast line to reach the slow line.

Take the following example. In the morning there is a 7.57 from Woking to Waterloo. This comes from Hilsea via Guildford. It leaves platform 2 which is on the fast line to London.

2 minutes later the 7.59 Woking to Waterloo leaves platform 1 on the slow line. It comes from Basingstoke and although slow prior to Woking , it is then a fast service. I don't know when it switches to the fast line but it will do at some point.

3 minutes after that you get the 8.02 stopping service from Woking to Waterloo. This leaves from platform 3 but needs to cross the fast line, so it can reach the slow line, doing the exact opposite of the 7.59 departure from platform 1, assuming that departure switches to the fast line shortly after leaving.

All it takes is for the 7.57 to be delayed and all the other two trains are then delayed. I'm assuming the 7.59 can't leave because it needs to join the fast line and it might hold up the late running 7.57 in doing so, which in turn would stop the 8.02 from being able to join the slow line. Of course I may have read the situation wrong. It may simply be that they want to rung the trains in order so they leave Waterloo in the right order.

Even with the old platform 1 the problem may have still occurred but at least you wouldn't have trains from platform 3 crossing the fast line to reach the slow one The same happens in reverse, where trains have to cross the fast line into platform 4 to reach platform 3.

 

[delt1c]

Inverness has a "phantom" platform on the other side of platform 6. It's designated as a "walkway" to platform 7, and doors never open on that side, but it's as high (if not higher) than some of the insanely low platforms on the Highland Main Line.

Does anyone know if it was ever used as a platform?

Rember in the early 70's going to Kyle of Lochalsh hauled by a 24/1 ( think it was 24.121) which departed from there . Also the sleeper from Edinburgh/glasgow used to split outside the station and the seated acomodation was shunted into this platform to be used for the early morning Wick /Thurso service
Happy memories

 

[30907]

Woking - the old P1 was 8 cars only and little used - the thought of finding a path out of it onto the up slow in either peak is mindboggling.
P3 is (IIRC) full length - and you only have to cross one fast line at a time.

Inverness - from 70's memories, people tended to use that side of no 6 road for boarding/alighting rather than the other, ditto staff for loading vans, but of course there was no way you could prevent both sides being used.

 

[swt_passenger]

Woking - the old P1 was 8 cars only and little used - the thought of finding a path out of it onto the up slow in either peak is mindboggling.
P3 is (IIRC) full length - and you only have to cross one fast line at a time.

The significant difficulty with the old P1 would have been how to get down services, or down direction ECS into it, they would have had to cross down fast, up fast and up slow. The set up with P3 now means weaving across only one line on each occasion, and that's going in the same direction. So because you've removed the possibility of a head on collision, (although same direction accidents are still possible) it is a considerable safety improvement over the previous situation.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Does Southport now have any platforms that would fall into the realms of this thread ?

 

[infobleep]

The significant difficulty with the old P1 would have been how to get down services, or down direction ECS into it, they would have had to cross down fast, up fast and up slow. The set up with P3 now means weaving across only one line on each occasion, and that's going in the same direction. So because you've removed the possibility of a head on collision, (although same direction accidents are still possible) it is a considerable safety improvement over the previous situation.

You're right. I'd forgotten about having to cross two fast lines when returning to Woking. It's not an easy junction at Woking. Trains often have to wait at Woking junction, in order for other trains to get out of the way. At least 1 train an hour from Guildford gets held here. Not sure what it's like for trains from to and from the Basingstoke direction.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Another station I don't think was mentioned is Preston Park. That has 1 side of a platform which is disused. I wonder if there will ever be enough demand to bring it back into use.

 

[mr_jrt]

Another station I don't think was mentioned is Preston Park. That has 1 side of a platform which is disused. I wonder if there will ever be enough demand to bring it back into use.

I suspect you'll only see that happening if demand increases at Wivelsfield, Burgess Hill, Hassocks and obviously Preston Park enough to warrant more stopping services, in which case limited extension of the platform loops north might make each other viable. It'll always be a tough sell on going further and doing the tunnels though. I wonder though if a case for another station on this section could be made (e.g. Patcham/Withdean) if you did four-track up to Patcham tunnel.

Patcham tunnel shouldn't be too bad as it's quite short (only 446m - I suspect closing the A27 to bridge the new lines would be more trouble!), but Claydon...well. That's 2065m of very, very expensive tunnel. I'm not even sure if you'd be able to get a dispensation for modifying the Grade II-listed northern portal to accommodate a second one, even if identical in design (a-la the Primrose Hill tunnels north of Euston). Still, the Haywards Heath tunnel shouldn't be too hard either - it's only 227m. Then you could operate some sort of frequent all-stations metro service between Brighton and Haywards Heath quite comfortably, even with the bottleneck of Claydon tunnel.

...perhaps there's even an argument for (re)connecting Hayward's Heath to East Grinstead to utilise the extra capacity down to Brighton it would enable... Brighton could easily manage another platform or two to replace the cab road and maybe if they built a replacement elevated walkway around the edge of the building they could once again start using the disused arrival platform (9?) (see, back on topic!) at Brighton next to the current platform 8 used for the east coastway services (it can't currently be used as the original east-facing station entrance opens onto the platform, so it's currently just used for access to the later south entrance and is fenced off).

 

[AntoniC]

Does Southport now have any platforms that would fall into the realms of this thread ?

Yes it does.

There is a disused P7 (I think) that was used for excursions.

The Platform is still there, but the track has long since gone and there is a grey signal cabinet that sits proudly in the middle of the trackbed.

(At Southport P1-3 are for Merseyrail services, P4-6 for Northern Rail services).

 

[30907]

The significant difficulty with the old P1 would have been how to get down services, or down direction ECS into it, they would have had to cross down fast, up fast and up slow. The set up with P3 now means weaving across only one line on each occasion, and that's going in the same direction. So because you've removed the possibility of a head on collision, (although same direction accidents are still possible) it is a considerable safety improvement over the previous situation.

Sorry - forgot which side of the layout it was for some reason.
I was more concerned though about pathing than safety.

 

[Colly405]

Is there a listing anywhere of all stations that have numbered platforms that do NOT have a platform 1?

Bristol TM has five double-length platform faces each of which has two numbers, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12. There are no mid-platform signals but the route indicators on the approach signals tell drivers which end of the platform to stop at (there are some orange cases holding white illuminated boards with black Xs to show drivers the limits of each platform).

The furthest island from the main entrance is too short to be split into two faces but is numbered 13/15 instead of 13/14 as it is mainly accessed from the east and drivers can just remember if they get an odd number from this direction to stop in the nearer part of the platform.

I believe this is a longstanding arrangement - certainly there is a GWR-looking wooden sign on 13/15 giving the numbers of the other platforms accessible via the staircase.

The wooden sign on 13/15 is (AIUI) a relic from when the platforms were numbered the other way round, i.e. when 13/15 were 1/2. Hence why it doesn't have 1 or 2 on it.

According to the Sectional Appendix, none of the three unused bays at Plymouth are cleared for passengers. Also they seem to be called docks 2, 3 and 4. So where is or was dock 1?

Dock 3 was originally part of platform 3. Until they chopped it in half.
Docks 2 and 4 were Platform 2. Until they chopped it in half.
Dock 1 I'm sure existed in the 70's and 80's - it was at the east end, and was the remnant of what was presumably platform 1.

I well remember in the 80's that trains departing from platform 3 were always announced as departing from the "west end of platform 3", even though by then there was no east end to that platform!

 

[Buttsy]

Oxford's history of platforms is varied. Up until the rebuild in teh 60s, there was a north facing bay on the other side of what is now platform 2 which, I believe was used for local Cotswold Line & Banbury services. The current platform 3 I think was used for Blecthley trains following the closure of Rewley Road station.

After the 60s rebuild, both northern bays were taken out of use for passenger services with the track for the platform 2 bay being removed and the bridge to this bay was used as an access road to the depot. Platform 3 and the platforms beyond were used for parcels up until the late 80s when 3 was re-instated for use by some Banbury, Bicester and Cotswold line terminators.

The parcels area is likely to be redeveloped for Chiltern Line and E-W services, but what will happen keeps changing as there is now talk of adding loops to the loops to increase capacity and potentially speed up XC services.

 

[30907]

Oxford's history of platforms is varied. Up until the rebuild in teh 60s, there was a north facing bay on the other side of what is now platform 2 which, I believe was used for local Cotswold Line & Banbury services. The current platform 3 I think was used for Blecthley trains following the closure of Rewley Road station.

After the 60s rebuild, both northern bays were taken out of use for passenger services with the track for the platform 2 bay being removed and the bridge to this bay was used as an access road to the depot. Platform 3 and the platforms beyond were used for parcels up until the late 80s when 3 was re-instated for use by some Banbury, Bicester and Cotswold line terminators.

The (first) rebuilding of Oxford wasn't till the early 70's - when I became a student in 1971 the decrepit wooden buildings were still there, together with full mechanical signalling (including a GW UPPER quadrant on the Up at North Junction).
I think you are right in saying the down bay had disappeared earlier, as I don't recall it (once the Fairfords, Bletchleys and most of the Cotswold stoppers had gone, there wasn't much left to use it).
I have an idea that the Up bay was sometimes used by units in the 70's (but I wasn't often down at the station around 08.30 so no photo!)
I wonder if the platforms were numbered at all in those days, given that the station functioned in two halves owing to the absence of a footbridge or subway?

 

[CockneySparrow]

Fair enough, I just don't get why it's "published" as a platform though.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
• Platform 4 at Horsham why is there a weird signal halfway along the platform? Weirdest set up I have come across.

Its not as simple as taking a sign down then going into the office and updating it online as gone, it affects the signalling system as well

Not to mention filling out all the documents and answering any questions the DFT or someone might have

Sometimes its best to leave as is

 

[southern442]

West croydon:
Platform 2 was for the west croydon-wimbledon line. Platform 3 was an extension to platform 2 so the layout was like this:

track track track
platform 3 track track
platform 3/2 platform 2

most of platform 2 was filled in in 2009-2010 when LO took over. you can still see a little stub at the end of P3 but it is not marked as a platform anymore.#

there is a disused platform at streatham hill station, next to platform 1. At thornton heath there is what looks like an old platform on the end of p4. There is also a platform on the far side of fratton depot by the sidings, presumably for the old southsea branch. There are loads more I can think of but those are the only ones that spring to mind. As for woking P6, are there any trains that are timetabled from that platform? Also, there are some old platforms to the south of woking which I'm not sure if they were part of the main station.

 

[rf_ioliver]

...I wonder though if a case for another station on this section could be made (e.g. Patcham/Withdean) if you did four-track up to Patcham tunnel.

Back in the 90's when Brighton and Hove Albion were looking for a new ground, there was a plan to build a stadium at the A27/A23 junction and build a station there - probably called Patcham....so there is/was a case existing from the distant past...

t.

Ian

 

[causton]

I was going to say Platform 1 at Exeter Central, but on my way to work the other day, there was a service departing from there! Not seen that happen in the few years I've been commuting that way. Occasionally see a 150 tucked up in the bay platform at St Davids on occasion.

There is a platform at Newton Abbot that's not seen any passengers for yonks, but seems to be home to a Heathfield dwelling Colas loco.

Had a very late SWT service reverse in the bay there, was quite fun (not!) waiting at Yeovil for the replacement unit to turn up, just to find out we were being turfed out literally a couple of minutes away from St Davids - so had to wait for another train!

 

[mr_jrt]

Back in the 90's when Brighton and Hove Albion were looking for a new ground, there was a plan to build a stadium at the A27/A23 junction and build a station there - probably called Patcham....so there is/was a case existing from the distant past...

t.

Ian

Cheers for that. I suspect there would be a lot less of the rail capacity issues if that had happened instead of the stadium being built where it was on the east coastway route, namely you'd be able to run 12 car services and add stops on match day BML services directly rather than having them change at Brighton onto 3/6 car shuttles.

 

[JB25]

West croydon:
Platform 2 was for the west croydon-wimbledon line. Platform 3 was an extension to platform 2 so the layout was like this:

track track track
platform 3 track track
platform 2

most of platform 2 was filled in in 2009-2010 when LO took over. you can still see a little stub at the end of P3 but it is not marked as a platform anymore.#

there is a disused platform at streatham hill station, next to platform 1. At thornton heath there is what looks like an old platform on the end of p4. There is also a platform on the far side of fratton depot by the sidings, presumably for the old southsea branch. There are loads more I can think of but those are the only ones that spring to mind. As for woking P6, are there any trains that are timetabled from that platform? Also, there are some old platforms to the south of woking which I'm not sure if they were part of the main station.

It is interesting seeing where Platform 2 ended as the Platform looks differently.

There is also a silly signal halfway along Platform 1 at Redhill in the Down direction.

Streatham Hill the bay platform is not in passenger use but is still used sometime. I saw a 5 car 377 in there the other week.

 

[Michael.Y]

Not sure if Shrewsbury has been mentioned - 1 and 2 long gone, 3 only used sporadically, 4 and 7 thru platforms, 5 and 6 bay platforms (accessible from only one road).

Bridgend is an odd one - 1A, 1, 2 and 3 - 1A being the terminus bay for VoG services, 3 being a bay for terminating services from Maesteg, if such things exist.

Newport has a couple of platforms that have been brought INTO public use - the old Guard's platform is now #4, while the previously minimally used P1 on the down relief loop (which used to house the post and luggage facilities) now sees at least 1tph.

 

[CockneySparrow]

Why use it? There is never normally the need to use it, Ipswich trains sit in 2, Norwich in 3. Same reason 1, 3 and 4 at Yarmouth are not used as often as 2.

Although saying that it is used normally every day. 05+12 ECS arrival normally uses it so 05.25 Harwich and 05.42 Norwich depart from it.

Platform 1 at Yarmouth is used after the station is locked up well the main buildings that is as there is a side gate near platform 1

Platform 3 or 4 appear to be used for services via Berney Arms and 4 is used whilst the summer drags are in the station, I was in Yarmouth the other week in fact and boarded on P4 think it was the 16:18 via Berney to Norwich

 

[Eagle]

Cardiff Queen Street is currently missing a platform 1, since the numbers were changed round the other month. (The new 1 will be the bay for the Bay shuttle.)