Bakerloo Line trains turning back in P2 at Queens Park station.

[stadler]

Normally the Bakerloo Line trains from Elephant & Castle terminate at P3 at Queens Park and then go in to the sidings and turn around. They then come back out in to P2 to head back to Elephant & Castle again.

However every now and again i end up on a train which arrives from Elephant & Castle straight in to P2 instead. So the train simply arrives in P2 and the driver walks along the platform to switch ends and then the train goes back to Elephant & Castle again. I probably see this once every couple months. So it seems at least fairly common.

Does anyone know if trains reversing in P2 (instead of P3 then sidings then P2) is actually booked? Are there any trains that are actually booked to do this or is it just something that happens when trains are running late? I am just trying to work out if there is any logic as to when i see this happen?

Also can the same thing be done in P3 as well? So can a train from Elephant & Castle terminate in P3 and then return to Elephant & Castle again? I have never seen this happen but i am just curious whether it does happen sometimes?

 

[plugwash]

Carto metro shows crossovers both ways, I don't know what the signalling situation is though.

I'd think even if reversing in platform 3 is technically possible though, it would be undesirable from a passenger management point of view. Afaict london underground usually works on the principle of fixed allocations of services to platforms (unlike NR which expects people to rely on announcements and departure boards).

 

[Dstock7080]

Northbound home signal BB35 has both routes into platforms 2 & 3, so reversal is possible.
More likely reversing in the platforms would be undertaking as part of stepping-back, a fresh driver waiting at the South end of the platform.

T203 MO 23.50 dep. Elephant to Queen’s Park 3 arr. 00.50
T212 M-F 00.03½ dep. Elephant to Queen’s Park 2 arr. 00.35, shunts empty into south sidings.

 

[bramling]

Normally the Bakerloo Line trains from Elephant & Castle terminate at P3 at Queens Park and then go in to the sidings and turn around. They then come back out in to P2 to head back to Elephant & Castle again.

However every now and again i end up on a train which arrives from Elephant & Castle straight in to P2 instead. So the train simply arrives in P2 and the driver walks along the platform to switch ends and then the train goes back to Elephant & Castle again. I probably see this once every couple months. So it seems at least fairly common.

Does anyone know if trains reversing in P2 (instead of P3 then sidings then P2) is actually booked? Are there any trains that are actually booked to do this or is it just something that happens when trains are running late? I am just trying to work out if there is any logic as to when i see this happen?

Also can the same thing be done in P3 as well? So can a train from Elephant & Castle terminate in P3 and then return to Elephant & Castle again? I have never seen this happen but i am just curious whether it does happen sometimes?

It’s mainly for late running, either with the same driver taking the train back south, or with a new one.

Yes trains can reverse in the SB platform as well. Normally an announcement would be made at Kilburn Park advising people travelling behind Queen’s Park to change there. Again normally for late running or reformation purposes.

During Covid when a special service was running trains reversed alternately in each platform, to avoid the need for staff to have to detrain, as well as to save time.

LU working timetables are on line, so it would be possible to have a look to see if anything is booked to do these moves in service.

 

[gfa]

Normally the Bakerloo Line trains from Elephant & Castle terminate at P3 at Queens Park and then go in to the sidings and turn around. They then come back out in to P2 to head back to Elephant & Castle again.

However every now and again i end up on a train which arrives from Elephant & Castle straight in to P2 instead. So the train simply arrives in P2 and the driver walks along the platform to switch ends and then the train goes back to Elephant & Castle again. I probably see this once every couple months. So it seems at least fairly common.

Does anyone know if trains reversing in P2 (instead of P3 then sidings then P2) is actually booked? Are there any trains that are actually booked to do this or is it just something that happens when trains are running late? I am just trying to work out if there is any logic as to when i see this happen?

Also can the same thing be done in P3 as well? So can a train from Elephant & Castle terminate in P3 and then return to Elephant & Castle again? I have never seen this happen but i am just curious whether it does happen sometimes?

Queen's Park is my local station, it only happens when there is delays.

Its been happening a lot recently, I had never seen it before but it happened twice (once in each platform) in December that I saw. P3 led to a mad scramble through past the ticket gates as people crossed the tracks.

The line has been awful recently so I expect to see it again in the coming weeks/months.

 

[Route115?]

There was a dispute about the lack of station staff to assist with detraining a few years back during which all trains going out of service reversed in platforms.