Trivia: Ridiculously long platforms?

[NoMorePacers]

No. Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal (Cheriton) is the longest. 791m.

But it isn't served by NR services and it's designed to take services the length of freight trains.

 

[southern442]

I would disagree on that

Considering they are long enough for a 39-coach train of 20m carriage lengths, it's hard to disagree

 

[fowler9]

But it isn't served by NR services and it's designed to take services the length of freight trains.

That wasn't the question asked to be fair.

 

[najaB]

That wasn't the question asked to be fair.

Well, the question asked about stations - is Cheriton really a station?

 

[cin88]

I've always thought that Blackpool North has quite long platforms.

 

[bnm]

Well, the question asked about stations - is Cheriton really a station?

Terminal. noun The end of a railway or other transport route, or a station at such a point.
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But it isn't served by NR services and it's designed to take services the length of freight trains.

No mention of National Rail services in the OP.

 

[southern442]

Well, the question asked about stations - is Cheriton really a station?

I say it is. I think of Le Shuttle as Motorail 2.0

 

[TheNewNo2]

My suggestions would be local stations around Bristol, for instance Parson Street or Severn Beach. Each have platforms long enough for excursion trains, but rarely see anything longer than a 150 call.

 

[crispy1978]

I suppose the question would be better phrased as platforms which are excessively long for their purpose?

You look at Platform 1 at Scarborough for example (with the long bench as mentioned earlier) and think you'll never see a TPE/NR service needing a platform that long, but there's those few times a year when the Special Spa Express (etc) trains need the length that Platform 1 provides.

 

[91104]

I remember when I used to use the Barking-Gospel Oak line the platforms at Harringay Green Lane were ridiculously long for the 2 car DMUs used then. But the last time I used that line I see that they had been shortened to a more sensible length.

 

[DarloRich]

Consider how far down the platform a southbound service stops - and a whole 9+2 will still fit on the platform. Platform 4 is listed as 458m in the SA. Platform 1 is 441m.

you are right - i guess i am just conditioned to it!

 

[colchesterken]

In the good old days ( the 50 s ) Goblin used to run fast trains to Saufend ( Southend )
All stations to Woodgrange park, long stop for the engine to have a drink of water then non stop to Benfleet
They would be 8 coach and make a double stop at my station Wanstead Park as I think the platform was only 6 cars long
Ahhhh the good old, days who would go on a day trip to Southend now

 

[baz52]

We used to love going to Southend on Sea, I belive its been modernisation the last few yrs, it was our nearest seaside when we lived at Romford, we havnt been there since the 80s to far away now,

 

[AndrewE]

West Allerton has 4 very long platforms for the services that stop there.

I was told about a decade ago that a suburban station on the way in to Euston was having all its platforms lengthened so that in the event of a major incident closing the terminus all the passengers off the incoming flow of trains could be unloaded and the stock sent straightaway head-on into the carriage sidings.

West Allerton would fit the same pattern. Any other examples?
A

 

[D6975]

Well, the question asked about stations - is Cheriton really a station?

I'd say not - it's a car and lorry loading terminal.

At a station you can walk up to the station (buy a ticket where applicable) then walk onto the platform and get on a train - try that at Cheriton.

 

[Deepgreen]

Many stations on the London Underground District line have platforms that are far longer than the trains (but qualified by the fact that the 'excess sections' are permanently out of use), as they used to be served by through Windsor to Southend trains in the 19th (and early 20th?) century. Good examples are at St. James's Park (staggered somewhat) and several on the Barking to Upminster section.

Also, Betchworth (ha, fame at last!) has a six car platform on the Guildford-bound line, to ensure that pre-multiple unit trains did not stop fouling the level crossing. No regular service trains longer than three cars have run on the route since 1965, when steam ended. The other platform is of three car length. I suspect the same applies in reverse at Chilworth, though I can't recall for certain at the moment.

 

[Blamethrower]

Rugby surely?

Weren't Eurostar sets meant to split/divide at Rugby when initially conceived? Hence link to NLL

With that in mind, Kensington Olympia has to be pretty damn long

 

[Deepgreen]

I'd say not - it's a car and lorry loading terminal.

At a station you can walk up to the station (buy a ticket where applicable) then walk onto the platform and get on a train - try that at Cheriton.

Nowadays, it's unique in Britain in loading passengers in boxes (road vehicles) onto bigger boxes (rail vehicles)! Motorail used to do the same.

Interesting (-ish) point about the definition of "station" - the OED says this:

"A permanent establishment of missionaries" - oops, sorry, wrong one! Here:

"A place along a railway line where trains regularly stop to pick up and set down passengers or (less commonly) receive goods for transport; (also) the terminus of a railway line. Also: the buildings and platforms of such a place".

I think Cheriton falls into this category, but it's fair point that it is not necessarily what is what is normally thought of as a station.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I was told about a decade ago that a suburban station on the way in to Euston was having all its platforms lengthened so that in the event of a major incident closing the terminus all the passengers off the incoming flow of trains could be unloaded and the stock sent straightaway head-on into the carriage sidings.

Sounds like Harrow and Wealdstone, which has all the stop boards laid out for Voyagers and Pendolinos. Though the main reason for the extension was to allow 12-car 350s to stop there.

 

[D6975]

Nowadays, it's unique in Britain in loading passengers in boxes (road vehicles) onto bigger boxes (rail vehicles)! Motorail used to do the same.

No it didn't.
Passengers had to leave their car keys with rail staff who loaded the cars.
They then boarded the train just like a normal passenger.

 

[Deepgreen]

No it didn't.
Passengers had to leave their car keys with rail staff who loaded the cars.
They then boarded the train just like a normal passenger.

Quite right. Should have remembered that as the loading staff had trouble driving my father's Rover 80 onto the Stirling Motorail in the mid-80s!

 

[AndrewE]

Sounds like Harrow and Wealdstone, which has all the stop boards laid out for Voyagers and Pendolinos. Though the main reason for the extension was to allow 12-car 350s to stop there.

On all lines? It might come in handy one day, but how many stoppers are on the fast lines? Anyway, it's not what I was told when I was working on it.
A

 

[fowler9]

I was told about a decade ago that a suburban station on the way in to Euston was having all its platforms lengthened so that in the event of a major incident closing the terminus all the passengers off the incoming flow of trains could be unloaded and the stock sent straightaway head-on into the carriage sidings.

West Allerton would fit the same pattern. Any other examples?
A

A couple of decades ago West Allerton hosted the Royal Train, there are photos by the entrance along with photos of some other interesting stuff there. The Queen was picked up in a car at the end of our road. I'm not much of a Royalist but still find it interesting.

 

[southern442]

With that in mind, Kensington Olympia has to be pretty damn long

I think Kensington Olympia is 12 coaches, so actually not that long compared to some other entries on here. The thing that makes it seem very long is that 12-car trains never use the station. It is the same thing with Sutton station, 12 coach platforms but usually at most only 10 cars stop.

I also remember seeing a platform at Three Bridges with the end of the platform quite a few yards after the 12-car stop, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[gsnedders]

I think Kensington Olympia is 12 coaches, so actually not that long compared to some other entries on here. The thing that makes it seem very long is that 12-car trains never use the station. It is the same thing with Sutton station, 12 coach platforms but usually at most only 10 cars stop.

Was it not the backup station for Eurostar services (should Waterloo get closed), and the intended border-control stop for regional and NightStar services? That makes it seem short compared with a twenty-car train ending up there!

 

[Tetchytyke]

On all lines? It might come in handy one day, but how many stoppers are on the fast lines?

I could be, and probably am, wrong, but I think the two fast line platforms will take 12 cars. Certainly when I've been taking the late Saturday 12 cars they don't announce a short platform at Harrow, whereas they do at Kings Langley, Apsley, etc.

 

[12CSVT]

Does Darlington have very long platforms? They don't seem that long compared to other places ( York, Newcastle, Euston ( sleepers) etc)

How do you define the length of platform 1 at Darlington, given that a large chunk at the north end is out of bounds to the public ?

 

[najaB]

How do you define the length of platform 1 at Darlington, given that a large chunk at the north end is out of bounds to the public ?

By using the length listed in the sectional appendix. 441m as I posted earlier.

 

[Kettledrum]

Unless you're on crutches what's wrong with long platforms?

Walking from the train to the exit can add a disproportionate amount of time to your journey. The newish platforms for East Midlands Trains at St Pancras International are particularly bad.

Millions of pounds are spent shaving minutes off journeys from Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham, only for more minutes to be added on at arrival at St Pancras by making passengers walk the length of the MML platforms and the length of the old train shed to get to the exit.

Sometimes two 5 car trains are using the same platform, and can't even board the coach nearest the ticket barriers if your train is leaving first.

....And to make things even more inconvenient for passengers, you funnell passengers into a handful of exit ticket barriers that frequently refuse to accept valid tickets, thereby adding extra delays for the passengers.

You couldn't make it more user unfriendly if you tried.

 

[Gathursty]

I am reminded of a question I posed more than a year ago on here where one member added up the length of all the platforms and realised if you start at Kings Cross and put all the platforms end-to-end, the last platform would be sited near Doncaster IIRC.