An Elephant sized gap

[williamn]

One of my regular stations is Elephant and Castle. On Platform Four the track tilts away from the platform, meaning that in places there is a 2foot+ step up to the train. I've not seen this anywhere else and its hard to see how its acceptable. If you were at all infirm you'd be totally unable to get on or off the train. Even if you're able bodied its really quite a jump.

 

[PR1Berske]

Wigan Wallgate has a bit of a gap issue too.

 

[philjo]

Fortunately I have only had to get off the train on that platform at Elsephant but yes it is a large gap!
I was surprised by the size of the gap on the new platfroms at Blackfirars considering all of the platfroms have been rebuilt - they are much lower than the train. Same applies to the new island platfrom at Cambridge.

 

[Monty]

Platform 1 at Wandsworth Town can only be described as a 'gaping chasm' you almost have no hope in alighting without assistance if you are elderly or have a pushchair for example.

Edit: Come to think of it, Wraysbury on the up is pretty dire towards the London end as well.

 

[tsr]

In the East/South-East alone...

Class 319s (and to a lesser extent 377s) don't work well with East Croydon Platform 2, and there are also severe (and I believe officially recognised) issues on some platforms at Clapham Junction (though not with 319s, obviously, as they don't go there). Flitwick can be bad - I have slightly injured myself there due to the gap! And anything served by a Meridian can be a bit tricky if there is ice on the ledge, so you have to jump. I seem to remember St Pancras High Level being rather bad for this last winter. Betchworth is tricky with luggage or a bike. Edenbridge is a bit of a faff.

 

[tractakid]

London Overground at Battersea Park! Wow.

 

[sarahj]

Biggest gaps and steps on southern:

Brighton. Platform 1. Middle coach on a 313 and 2 and 4 on a 377. Big Big gap
Platform 8. Big drop
Gaps on other platforms, big, but not massive. Drop from a 442 is a bit big.

Clapham Junction. p12 12 car, the more towards the front, the bigger the drop, so coach 1, whoah, coach 10 nice and easy.
P13/14/15 Decent sized drops

Pevensey and Westham down (towards Bexhill). Big drop down
Amberley Down line (towards arundel). Big Big drop
Arundel. Up. Big step
Aldrington. Up. (towards hove) Big drop
Salfords. Up Big drop.

Selhurst on the down fast used to be massive,(the biggest I'd seen outside of mainland europe) but recent work there has changed that.

 

[Lincoln]

Market Rasen in Lincolnshire also has a huge step up onto the train, as did Beeston in Nottinghamshire until the platform was rebuilt several years ago.

 

[pemma]

Northwich has a big drop down from the train to the platform. They've put little 'Harrington Humps' on the platforms to improve things. Although, there's an issue in the Chester-Manchester direction in that quite often a 4 car working has the rear unit locked out of use until Northwich and when a 4 car working stops on the Manchester bound platform in the correct place the front passenger door on the rear unit is lined up with the hump but any passenger wishing to alight is on the front unit.

Apparently the reason for the low platform at Northwich is since the platforms were built the track has been raised but the platforms have stayed at the same height.

 

[Searle]

I don't know if you were looking for an answer or just complaining, but it's might be that large container freight passes through, and the platform has to be cleared for whatever gauge the freight is (W10 or W12 or something), which means that other gauges of trains are left quite far from the platform.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I don't know if you were looking for an answer or just complaining, but it's might be that large container freight passes through, and the platform has to be cleared for whatever gauge the freight is (W10 or W12 or something), which means that other gauges of trains are left quite far from the platform.

I can confidently say that no intermodal traffic passes through the Elephant and Castle!

 

[Searle]

oh, forgot we were talking about elephant and castle!

 

[Muzer]

Don't they not use one platform (is it P8?) for stopping services at CLJ because the gap is so large, or is that a different reason?

If this is the reason, is there anything to stop them changing the height of the platform to resolve this?

 

[cdonnigan]

Seaton Carew on the Durham Coast is the same a good drop when you get off the train.

 

[asylumxl]

One of my regular stations is Elephant and Castle. On Platform Four the track tilts away from the platform, meaning that in places there is a 2foot+ step up to the train. I've not seen this anywhere else and its hard to see how its acceptable. If you were at all infirm you'd be totally unable to get on or off the train. Even if you're able bodied its really quite a jump.

I also use the station regularly. I usually hope for my train to arrive on Platform 2 and loathe when it passes over the pointwork towards platform 4.

I believe the large gap/drop is due to the need to keep the clearances correct despite the gradual movement of the track. I don't know historically if it was as bad as it is now, but if you alight near the stairs the gap is absolutely huge.

 

[swt_passenger]

It is possible to lift a platform sometimes, but the main reason given when they can't is that they'd introduce a steep slope down to the floor level of any existing platform buildings. A couple of inches is OK, but they can't make the platform surface too difficult for normal mobility.

Basingstoke P4 (up slow) is an example of this, it ideally needs raising about 6 or even 9 inches, but that's too much to allow a safe front to back slope alongside the buildings.

 

[sprinterguy]

There’s a big step up onto the train from the Down platform at Warwick Parkway. One of the side-effects of building a station on a curve that was already super-elevated to a high degree to cope with the high running speeds of passing trains. You can certainly tell that you’re on quite a slope when sitting on a train that calls there. It’s a little disorientating.

 

[superdrive1]

The gap/drop between the train/platform on the down line at Bishops Stortford and Stansted Mountfitchet if you board/alight in the wrong place can be incredibly awkward, not helped by the fact both stations are on reasonably sharp curves.

 

[W230]

One of my regular stations is Elephant and Castle. On Platform Four the track tilts away from the platform, meaning that in places there is a 2foot+ step up to the train.

I had to empty the punters out on P4 at E&C after failing in the core and as I walked down the platform to shut the doors I was amazed at the size of the step up between the train and the platform. It is certainly monumental in an 8 car train and I would imagine that some of the more infirm/disabled passengers would really struggle.

I've not seen this anywhere else and its hard to see how its acceptable. If you were at all infirm you'd be totally unable to get on or off the train.

Platform 1 at Tulse Hill is pretty bad, depending on where you get off the train.

 

[DVD]

Platform 2 at Lewisham (down line to Sidcup / Hayes lines) has enormous gaps. Some curvature but there is also a big height difference especially mid-platform.

 

[Dr_Paul]

The Up platform at Norbiton leaves a large gap between the platform edge and the carriage door, the station is on quite a sharp curve.

 

[tsr]

Platform 2 at Lewisham (down line to Sidcup / Hayes lines) has enormous gaps. Some curvature but there is also a big height difference especially mid-platform.

As you imply, I do find moving down to the either end of the train helps - and many "normals" also have the same idea!

 

[southern442]

Selhurst on the down fast used to be massive,(the biggest I'd seen outside of mainland europe) but recent work there has changed that.

All the stations between Clapham and Croydon on the down fast are bad. I do remember Selhurst was definitely a sit-on-the-ledge-and-jump one though!

 

[Anvil1984]

Seaton Carew on the Durham Coast is the same a good drop when you get off the train.

Also in North East. Pegswood and Blaydon can be fun to jump off too footed

 

[philjo]

I got off the train at Dunrobin Castle last month. The platform was about 2 foot below me when I opened the door! It does have one of those movable yellow steps but this didn't seem very stable. when getting back on the train later the button to open the door was about shoulder height!

 

[ess]

This thread would be good with some pics!
Southall has a huge gap on whatever the London bound platform is.

 

[Rich McLean]

If I remember correctly, Telford Central on Platform 2 had quite a big gap and a jump from a 170

 

[Furrball]

I do like the irony in the statement on the TfL planner following the introduction of the S Stock

Caution! Take extra care when getting on and off Circle line trains here. The introduction of new, low floor trains to increase accessibility has changed the gap between the train and the platform

 

[AndyLandy]

Don't they not use one platform (is it P8?) for stopping services at CLJ because the gap is so large, or is that a different reason?

If this is the reason, is there anything to stop them changing the height of the platform to resolve this?

I thought it was just the curvature of 8 at CLJ that meant they didn't use it. I heard a rumour that the gap between a Turbostar and the platform edge was so wide that a person could easily fall in it.

Or maybe it's just that 7 is better in some other way, and since they have the option, they simply use it in preference.

 

[swt_passenger]

I thought it was just the curvature of 8 at CLJ that meant they didn't use it. I heard a rumour that the gap between a Turbostar and the platform edge was so wide that a person could easily fall in it.

Or maybe it's just that 7 is better in some other way, and since they have the option, they simply use it in preference.

The P8 track also has a significant cant to allow a useful speed for through trains.