Stations with "platforms" which could in principle be used but (almost) never are

[Ashley Hill]

Bedminster and Parson Street each have 4 platforms, but the track through the outside faces of the down islands is overgrown and long out of use. Also, at Parson Street the track on the outside of the up island is for the branch only, but maybe used again if they ever actually reopen Portishead.

The old down relief platform at Bedminster is still occasionally used for ECS reversing moves to St Phillips Marsh. The old down relief at Parson Street is trackless. The remains of the line actually end near Malago Vale but utterly derelict beyond Bedminster.

 

[matchmaker]

Is platform 8 at Stirling used for anything other than stabling stock nowadays?

I know there is the odd departure from 7 but couldn't find anything from 8.

I don't know. Very few I'd imagine as few services start from/terminate at Stirling now - most of the Glasgow services are to/from Alloa.

 

[All platforms]

It might be interesting to be made aware that RTT shows a use of the RES platform at Preston Sunday 03 Nov 2024 with a TP 10.50 departure to Manchester Airport. I have looked, and all other platforms are in use at some stage between ECS arrival (10.33) and Passenger use Departure (10.50). This seems to indicate this may be a legitimate move - but things can change between now and then so please use your own due diligence if planning to make a journey.

 

[thedbdiboy]

Does Norwood Junc platform 2 get much use since the demise of the slammers? Similar single track between the faces of platforms 1 and 2.

It's not used at all but the opposite face (P3) is. All door release for trains using the 'gulley' between P1 and P2 is on the P1 side.

Is the disused line at Norwood Junction still connected with the rest of the track?

No, not for many years, but the platform is fully numbered (P7). It is proposed to reinstate the track so that it could be a terminating platform from the north as part of the proposed Norwood/Selhurst triangle remodelling (along with the removal of P2/P3 which are narrow and extremely sub-standard) but funding issues seem to have deferred this indefinitely.

 

[noddingdonkey]

Did the criteria for what "in principle" means get clarified? If platforms that are officially Out of Use for passenger use but intact are included, then Harrogate P2

 

[Trainman40083]

Derby platform 7.

I suspect the last time that was used, was during the resignalling, for an hourly service to London and to Matlock.

 

[brad465]

Tonbridge - Platform 4 - This is very little used but does actually have an early morning service and a late evening service booked. But it is certainly not a well used platform. It would be easy to think it was never used.

Certainly limited use for passenger services but I believe it's regularly used as a stabling place overnight and Sundays, similar to Tattenham Corner (with whatever 1-2 platforms there see limited passenger use).

Is there anything at Ebbsfleet or Ashford that could count whilst Eurostar's nonstop to Lille or beyond?

P3-4 at Ashford and P1 and P4 at Ebbsfleet.

Bay Platform 1 at Taunton has no regular use but is occasionally used to stable a loco., mostly between Charter
train duties.

From what I've seen locos actually tend to stable in the sidings just west of P1, but on RTT anything that leaves/enters those sidings is considered to have used Taunton's P1. Some engineering trains that leave/arrive for overnight shifts have shown this as well as railtour locos when a steam/diesel swap occurs at Norton Fitzwarren by Fairwater Yard.

How often does P3 at Theale see trains call? This is the one on the goods loop there.

 

[jamesst]

Birkenhead North platform 1, generally only used during disruption or for unit changeovers

 

[D6975]

Doncaster P2 is still in use just nothing is booked there in the current timetable. It gets EMR services if there’s issues on the down side, or most often a 180 set waiting to form a Grand Central set swap during unit issues!

Last time I was there a Lincoln service used P2.

 

[Crossover]

Mirfield p2. Many services pass it but it has no booked use for passengers (and doesn't, or at least didn’t, have a PIS screen)

Funnily enough, I have used it - a GC service was held in p3, I think because of a freight stuck ahead of it, so the TPE stopper got routed through p2. No announcement and I think I was the only passenger to make, likely only because I was tracking proceedings on Traksy at the time!

I remember when this was used loads! Is it because of the relatively recent rerouting (2017 iirc?)?

I suspect the last time that was used, was during the resignalling, for an hourly service to London and to Matlock.

I remember using it - I feel like for a while it was the only through platform open and was used by a select few services to operate a through service. I think the Matlock used another through platform that was temporarily made into a bay

 

[JCO1406]

GEML fast lines between Stratford and Shenfield, apart from Romford with 1tph

 

[Cricketer8for9]

What would theoretically be Andover platform 0, which still has tracks.

Clapham Junction platform 8 still exists but can only be used in emergencies because allegedly there's some issue with a gap.

There’s nothing alleged about the large gap - it’s very real.

 

[Whistler40145]

Does anything use Platform 7b at Shrewsbury?

 

[Quenfight]

I don't think anything uses platform 3 at Worcester Shrub Hill

 

[thealexweb]

I think there is one north facing bay at Preston on the RES side. On Google Earth there’s a 158 parked in it.

 

[cool110]

I think there are two north facing bays at Preston on the RES side.

Not quite, there's one in each direction at RES and one at the north end of P3. As well as the hidden one under the taxi rank.

 

[Purple Train]

Iver (?) - WB Main too low for safe use, not to passenger standards iirc. If not Iver, then definitely around that area.

There are some stations without a Main Line platform, such as Acton Main Line, West Ealing and Hanwell (hence why they are regularly not having a Sunday service recently with HS2 engineering works) and Burnham.

I've got it in my head it may have been Taplow?

As far as my understanding goes, Acton Main Line, Hanwell, and West Ealing have no platform on the down main, and a platform on the up main that is completely fenced off and inaccessible (I'm not quite sure whether West Ealing's is totally inaccessible, but there is definitely a fence). Taplow's main platforms are still in situ, but fenced off, inaccessible, and completely out-of-use, even in a situation where the relief lines are shut. I had it in my head that Hanwell's remaining platform was too low, and that Taplow's were simply closed off, but I may have got my wires very crossed indeed! Burnham is (I think) the only station never to have had any main line platforms whatsoever.

 

[richard1976]

Platform 2 at Harrogate doesn't see any regular services (not sure when it was last used) as it is a York facing bay platform

 

[Whistler40145]

Platform 2 at Harrogate doesn't see any regular services (not sure when it was last used) as it is a York facing bay platform

There's several ECS workings from Knaresborough today, which stable overnight in Platform 2, then return to Knaresborough on Sunday to work

 

[Sonadagothalus]

Platform 1 at Kettering. For years 1 & 2 never saw any action with the occasional Corby train sitting in platform 2 letting fast trains pass but never anything on platform 1, making it an annoyance that anyone travelling had to cross to the opposite side of the station to use platforms 3 and 4 due to the track layout.

 

[Trainman40083]

Mirfield p2. Many services pass it but it has no booked use for passengers (and doesn't, or at least didn’t, have a PIS screen)

Funnily enough, I have used it - a GC service was held in p3, I think because of a freight stuck ahead of it, so the TPE stopper got routed through p2. No announcement and I think I was the only passenger to make, likely only because I was tracking proceedings on Traksy at the time!





I remember using it - I feel like for a while it was the only through platform open and was used by a select few services to operate a through service. I think the Matlock used another through platform that was temporarily made into a bay

I certainly caught a Matlock off Derby platform 7. Only reason I caught the train.

 

[Alfie1014]

Colchester platform 6 is rarely used now, it was when 321/360s were in service 8 car trains would use it sometimes, but as it can only accommodate a 5 car 720 it’s of little use any more.

 

[Lifelong]

Does Woking platform 6 count?

 

[Dr_Paul]

I'm pretty sure that platform 2 at Twickenham, a London-facing bay, is not used. Platform 1, also a London-facing bay, had its track removed a few years back after being derelict for ages; the platform is still there but lost in a jungle of weeds. Platform 2 was used back in the past for specials from Waterloo on rugby days at the stadium. The track at platform 2 was relaid a few years back, and the rebuilding of the station buildings allowed space for the platform to be turned from a bay into a through. However, a stout portable fence has been put up along the platform edge, the track is rusty, and I suspect that it's never actually been used since it was relaid.

 

[Crossover]

Platform 2 at Harrogate doesn't see any regular services (not sure when it was last used) as it is a York facing bay platform

I have a feeling there is a restriction on the signalling for it to be used for passengers, but I may be mixing up with somewhere else and that it isn’t used simply because operationally it isn’t much use

I certainly caught a Matlock off Derby platform 7. Only reason I caught the train.

It may have varied at different stages of the works to be honest - my memory is hazy but there may have been a period of no through services at all leaving 7 free to
handle the terminators

 

[Statto]

The 05.44 Monday to Saturday, 07.44 & 07.49 on Sundays depart from the Rock Ferry bay platforms, nothing else is timetabled to use the bay platforms.

Birkenhead North P1, no trains are timetabled to use it, P1 is only used for ECS movements & when their is any disruption.

 

[Condor7]

Platform 3 at Penrith. This is mainly used as a loop to hold north bound freight. Occasionally it is used for charter passenger trains but I don’t remember the last time a scheduled passenger train stopped there.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Platform 1 at Dullingham. Only gets used once a day on Monday-Friday and Sunday

 

[barringtoncem]

I cannot recall when but i have seen stock in platform 1 at Huntingdon for whatever reason

 

[Kite159]

Platform 1 at Kettering. For years 1 & 2 never saw any action with the occasional Corby train sitting in platform 2 letting fast trains pass but never anything on platform 1, making it an annoyance that anyone travelling had to cross to the opposite side of the station to use platforms 3 and 4 due to the track layout.

All 4 platforms at Kettering seem to get 2tph