Trivia: Stations on four track lines that have platforms on three of the lines.

[busestrains]

Almost all stations in the UK on a four track line will either have platforms on two of the lines or on all four of the lines. However there are a couple of rare examples where three of the lines have a track and only one of the four lines has a through track without a platform. There is another thread where a station that has this layout is mentioned so i thought i would start this thread to see how many stations like this exist.

These are some that i can think of:

• Battersea Park
• Earlsfield
• Hatfield
• New Cross
• Stamford Brook
• West Byfleet

Also depending on your definitions then this one could possibly count too:

• Surbiton

Surbiton has four through platforms all on the SWML however there is only one through line in the middle and technically one of the platforms is a loop that is part of another one of the lines that has a platform. So possibly Surbiton can count too.

My question is what other stations in the UK are like this? Are there any other stations other than the ones above which are on a four track line but only have a platform on three of the four lines?

 

[Halish Railway]

Wakefield Kirkgate

 

[NSE]

Peterborough has a similar situation to Surbiton where one fast line has a platform but the other is looped. The up has a platform but the down is looped I believe.

 

[The Planner]

Chesterfield

 

[busestrains]

Thank you for your replies so far. There is quite a few of them then. Acton Main Line is another one of these to add to the list. It only has three platforms on four tracks.

 

[Thebaz]

Battersea Park always had 6 roads and 5 platforms. Now it has 5 roads and 5 platforms but platform 1 doesn't have a road and road 5 doesn't have a platform!

 

[BeijingDave]

Newark North Gate has four lines but only three platform faces.

Acton Bridge has its Liverpool-bound platform and fast northbound line on either side of an island platform, but its southbound services (fast and slow) on the same line with the same platform face (only used for services from Liverpool).

 

[MikeT]

Almost all stations in the UK on a four track line will either have platforms on two of the lines or on all four of the lines. However there are a couple of rare examples where three of the lines have a track and only one of the four lines has a through track without a platform. There is another thread where a station that has this layout is mentioned so i thought i would start this thread to see how many stations like this exist.

These are some that i can think of:

• Battersea Park
• Earlsfield
• Hatfield
• New Cross
• Stamford Brook
• West Byfleet

Also depending on your definitions then this one could possibly count too:

• Surbiton

Surbiton has four through platforms all on the SWML however there is only one through line in the middle and technically one of the platforms is a loop that is part of another one of the lines that has a platform. So possibly Surbiton can count too.

My question is what other stations in the UK are like this? Are there any other stations other than the ones above which are on a four track line but only have a platform on three of the four lines?

Bedford. 5 Platforms, 6 lines (including the Bletchley line)

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Hanwell
Swindon

 

[BeijingDave]

Wrexham General has two platform faces on the Chester-Shrewsbury line, with a middle path as well, then one platform face on the Bidston-Wrexham Central line, which fits your criteria.

(although it has two bays to the south, which are not in use for passenger services but I think are still used for stabling)

 

[busestrains]

Hanwell
Swindon

I do not think Hanwell is one any more. There is only two platforms at Hanwell currently. There used to be a third platform but the track has been moved away from the third platform now so it can no longer be used. I would not really call it a platform any more. If a train stopped at that extra platform you would have to be an Olympic jumper to reach the platform.

 

[PGAT]

Earlswood and Salfords might have an overgrown platform on the Up Fast?

 

[70014IronDuke]

Loughborough Midland fits this, doesn't it, now that the Ivanhoe line stations are open?

 

[30907]

New Cross has 5 running lines and 3 platforms.

Purley Oaks has 4 lines and 3 usable platforms (I assume P1 is locked off?), however like a few other stations on that line the Down Fast platform is fenced off.
Wrexham Central (or even General, sorry!) has no platformless through line, and (like some others mentioned upthread) isn't on a 4-track line.

Earlswood and Salfords might have an overgrown platform on the Up Fast?

Earlswood looks to have had the Up Fast platform cut back - but is the Down Fast usable? Salfords was only ever 2 platform though.

If you extend to stations on double track then historically Retford and Huntingdon were like Hatfield, and 3 platforms 5 lines was quite common (Tonbridge for example).

Edit: oops!

 

[steamybrian]

In reply to 30907 I will state that Earlswood Down Fast platform is still in situ but overgrown and has been abandoned for many years.
Purley Oaks platform 1 and 2 maybe locked off but probably unlocked and used during engineering works. Other stations between Purley and Clapham Jn are in a similar situation.

Westbury has 4 tracks through it with 3 platforms- the down loop platform was closed many years ago.

 

[PGAT]

New Cross has 5 running lines and 3 platforms.

There's an island on the fast tracks, they can be used but haven't since September

but is the Down Fast usable? Salfords was only ever 2 platform though.

It exists but isn’t usable

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Wrexham Central has no platformless through line

Given it's a terminus, I should hope not!

 

[steamybrian]

There's an island on the fast tracks, they can be used but haven't since September

New Cross does not now have any platforms on the fast lines. It did in the past but they were removed in the 1970s when the station was reconstructed.
The station has 4 platforms- one bay for TfL East London line trains
3 platforms serve the slow lines

 

[vic-rijrode]

On the Main (AC) lines Bushey station has 3 usable platforms and one (down fast) which is still there but, having been torn up by an errant train many years ago, is definitely unusable.

 

[PGAT]

New Cross does not now have any platforms on the fast lines. It did in the past but they were removed in the 1970s when the station was reconstructed.

That is not correct, here is an image taken well after 1970 showing the fast platforms (3 & 4)

 

[busestrains]

That is not correct, here is an image taken well after 1970 showing the fast platforms (3 & 4)View attachment 124305

That photo is of New Cross Gate which is a completely different station.

 

[PGAT]

Apologies thought you were talking about New Cross Gate

 

[steamybrian]

That photo is of New Cross Gate which is a completely different station.

I agree the photo is of New Cross Gate not New Cross

 

[Basil Jet]

On the Main (AC) lines Bushey station has 3 usable platforms and one (down fast) which is still there but, having been torn up by an errant train many years ago, is definitely unusable.

While the down fast platform is only 4 carriages long in contrast to the 10+ carriage lengths of the other AC platforms, I was assured by the station staff that it is sometimes used when engineering work has shut the Slow (AC) Lines. However I wouldn't be surprised if you are right and he was wrong.

 

[IanXC]

In a similar fashion Ferriby is on a three track formation with only two of them having platforms.

 

[BurtonM]

This used to apply to Stalybridge (sort of) before the platform renumbering/extra bay addition, as what is now P1 used to be a walled off avoiding loop used by freight and then there were three platforms, two throughs and a bay.

 

[Dave W]

Ally Pally used to be like this (albeit 4 platforms for 5 lines - an additional platform face for the Down Hertford) - but now neither fast line has a platform face.

 

[jfollows]

While the down fast platform is only 4 carriages long in contrast to the 10+ carriage lengths of the other AC platforms, I was assured by the station staff that it is sometimes used when engineering work has shut the Slow (AC) Lines. However I wouldn't be surprised if you are right and he was wrong.

I believe platform 3 at Bushey is still used when it has to be, IE when the stopping trains use the fast lines at weekends or late evenings. The Sectional Appendix (https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/sectional-appendix/Sectional Appendix full PDFs September/London North Western (South) Sectional Appendix September 2022.pdf) shows it limited in length to 90 metres.
Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushey_railway_station) says it was closed 1980 to 2011, after it was badly damaged by the 20:25 (I think) Euston-Piccadilly on 16/2/80.

MD101 - EUSTON TO ARMITAGE JUNCTION (EXCLUSIVE) EUSTON To MILTON KEYNES CENTRAL
Class 321 Electric Multiple Units. Twelve car formations of sliding door stock must not use the following platforms to pick up or set down passengers.
Euston Platforms 9, 10
Queen’s Park All platforms Wembley Central All platforms
Bushey Platforms 3 and 4
King’s Langley Platforms 1 and 2 Apsley Platforms 1 and 2
Milton Keynes Central Platform 2a
If a 12-car formation of sliding door stock is stopped in any platform listed above, then the doors must not be released, except in cases of an emergency.
See the Route Clearance section of this Appendix for details of platform restrictions applicable to Class 3501/1 Electric Multiple Units.

For example, 2N99 22:18 Euston-Northampton used platform 3 at Bushey last Monday, 21 November 2022.

 

[Tester]

On the Main (AC) lines Bushey station has 3 usable platforms and one (down fast) which is still there but, having been torn up by an errant train many years ago, is definitely unusable.

Bushey platform 3 (down fast) is most certainly usable, albeit 4 car length only, and has the unusual status of being for set down only. There is no mention of it on the station itself, and access is blocked by a gate which can only be released from the platform.

 

[jfollows]

Bushey platform 3 (down fast) is most certainly usable, albeit 4 car length only, and has the unusual status of being for set down only. There is no mention of it on the station itself, and access is blocked by a gate which can only be released from the platform.

I don't think it's "set down only"; maybe it once was but the timetable for 2N99 above shows both pick up and set down. However I'm not local and I could be wrong!