At what stations and platforms are trains allowed to depart early?

[infobleep]

At what stations and platforms are trains allowed to depart early? More than 1 minute early.

I am so use to a train pulling into platform 12 at Clapham Junction and waiting before departure that I was surprised today to find the 08:08 departed just over 6 minutes early.

It seems platform 7, 10 and 12 allow trains to depart as soon as they arrive.

My train into platform 7 arrived 9 minutes early. I knew they didn't wait on platform 7 but hadn't realised it also applied to platforms 10 and 12. I'm not sure about platform 14.

The departure screens can't cope with this idea and tell you 8 minutes until the next train when it isn't.

I was actually seeing if platform 14 had an earlier departure time, when I guess the train from platform 12 departed.

The next train wasn't early and departed on time at 08:14.

 

[mathstrains19]

Waterloo East, and possibly London Bridge allow Charing Cross bound trains to depart as soon as they are ready. I think in this case, and presumably in the Clapham Junction case it's because service is frequent enough it's better to just get trains moving into the relevant termini.

 

[Bill57p9]

My understanding is that the edge case services which are confident that all passengers have boarded can also depart early, i.e.:

• Stops advertised as set down only
• Reservation compulsory where people check in, i.e. sleeper and presumably charter if the train manager declares ready

 

[jfollows]

It will happen at Stockport for class 1 services even if the train isn’t set down only, virtually none are because of ORCATS/revenue allocation and it’s relatively unusual for trains to run early these days anyway.
Project Rio services were terrible for this.

 

[The Planner]

It will happen at Stockport for class 1 services even if the train isn’t set down only, virtually none are because of ORCATS/revenue allocation and it’s relatively unusual for trains to run early these days anyway.
Project Rio services were terrible for this.

Why will it happen at Stockport?

 

[Kite159]

Haymarket for anything terminating at Edinburgh.

Also during the morning peak services heading towards Waterloo departing Raynes Park - Vauxhall.

 

[infobleep]

Haymarket for anything terminating at Edinburgh.

Also during the morning peak services heading towards Waterloo departing Raynes Park - Vauxhall.

Haymarket makes sense. I wasn't aware of the Raynes Park ones but it too makes sense.

I wonder which is the longest gap between services, where one or more services are allowed to depart early.

The next train after 08:08 Clapham Junction to London Victoria is the 08:14. The 08:08, left 08:01so that was a 13 minute gap. Is there anything longer?

Although the 08:06 Clapham Junction to London Waterloo arrived at 07:56, it actually didn't depart until 08:06, and to my surprise, waited 10 minutes at Clapham Junction. I didn't think trains from platform 7 did this.

 

[AMD]

There was a notice up last year about Haymarket. We've been told to stop dispatching early as the signallers weren't happy about trains turning up early in Princes Street gardens.

 

[Tobberz]

I used to make the Waterloo - Vauxhall journey frequently, and a number of times I was on a train that left over 60 seconds early during rush hour.

I presumed that was either a) because there was another train waiting on another platform going to the same places soon or b) because the platform was needed for another train.

 

[plugwash]

Why will it happen at Stockport?

I don't have any inside info, but I a few characteristics of stockport spring to mind which bear some similarities to other stations mentioned here, though on a smaller scale.

1. It's at the confluence of a number of lines (Altrincham, Crewe, Stoke, Buxton and Sheffield).
2. Most northbound trains go to the same place (Manchester Piccadilly).
3. It only has two northbound platforms.
4. Some trains run non-stop from Milton Keynes or even London to Stockport,

So I can see how if an intercity train turned up say 10 minutes early it would be less disruptive to send it on towards picadilly than to have it block a platform at stockport until it's scheduled departure time.

 

[The Planner]

I don't have any inside info, but I a few characteristics of stockport spring to mind which bear some similarities to other stations mentioned here, though on a smaller scale.

1. It's at the confluence of a number of lines (Altrincham, Crewe, Stoke, Buxton and Sheffield).
2. Most northbound trains go to the same place (Manchester Piccadilly).
3. It only has two northbound platforms.
4. Some trains run non-stop from Milton Keynes or even London to Stockport,

So I can see how if an intercity train turned up say 10 minutes early it would be less disruptive to send it on towards picadilly than to have it block a platform at stockport until it's scheduled departure time.

But why is a train going to turn up 10 minutes early? If there was a risk of that, such as late night engineering allowances, it would be set down only. Otherwise its timetabled to sit there.

 

[jfollows]

4. Some trains run non-stop from Milton Keynes or even London to Stockport,

So I can see how if an intercity train turned up say 10 minutes early it would be less disruptive to send it on towards picadilly than to have it block a platform at stockport until it's scheduled departure time.

None run non-stop to Stockport from this distance, Crewe or Stoke-on-Trent are the longest non-stop runs, and the former is rare. (Sheffield too, I guess, but most of these services don’t terminate at Piccadilly)
And they hardly ever run early, so it’s unlikely to be an issue.
Project Rio saw trains run non-stop from Leicester, arrive and depart early, even though officially booked to pick up at Stockport. They should have been set down only stops, but they weren’t, presumably for ££££ reasons.
I agree if there were such an early arrival of a service terminating at Piccadilly it would not make sense to hold it, but it’s extremely unlikely to happen with today’s timetable anyway.

 

[800001]

Haymarket for anything terminating at Edinburgh.

Also during the morning peak services heading towards Waterloo departing Raynes Park - Vauxhall.

Haymarket is an annoying one as they don’t display on the platforms like a Clapham Junction eg Edinburgh Waverley next train 2 min, they show the official departure time.

Many a time I’ve walked down stairs 2-3 minutes before train due and the train is pulling out of the platform.

 

[MCR247]

I don't have any inside info, but I a few characteristics of stockport spring to mind which bear some similarities to other stations mentioned here, though on a smaller scale.

1. It's at the confluence of a number of lines (Altrincham, Crewe, Stoke, Buxton and Sheffield).
2. Most northbound trains go to the same place (Manchester Piccadilly).
3. It only has two northbound platforms.
4. Some trains run non-stop from Milton Keynes or even London to Stockport,

So I can see how if an intercity train turned up say 10 minutes early it would be less disruptive to send it on towards picadilly than to have it block a platform at stockport until it's scheduled departure time.

As long as it’s platform at Piccadilly will be free 10 minutes early or you have a long train sat outside Piccadilly blocking other trains

 

[Rescars]

Unlikely I assume, but are Cannon Street trains allowed to depart London Bridge early?

 

[Kite159]

Unlikely I assume, but are Cannon Street trains allowed to depart London Bridge early?

If heading towards Cannon Street, then I suspect they are allowed to go when ready, rather than waiting for the actual departure time.
Especially in the morning peak

 

[infobleep]

But why is a train going to turn up 10 minutes early? If there was a risk of that, such as late night engineering allowances, it would be set down only. Otherwise its timetabled to sit there.

Well the train i missed from Clapham Junction wasn't set down only and allowed to depart early.

Haymarket is an annoying one as they don’t display on the platforms like a Clapham Junction eg Edinburgh Waverley next train 2 min, they show the official departure time.

Many a time I’ve walked down stairs 2-3 minutes before train due and the train is pulling out of the platform.

Well at Clapham Junction it said next train in 8 minutes. 8 minutes later and the train had already departed some minutes before.