Can big stations put up notices showing which platform for which destinations, like small stations?

[miklcct]

At small stations, the entrances clearly show the destinations of the train served, such as "Platform 1 for trains to London and Southampton", and "Platform 2 for trains to Weymouth". However, at large stations, such signs don't usually exist and it can be hard to find the appropriate platform for the train I want. An extreme case is Clapham Junction where there are 17 platforms, but unlike the London Underground, the routes and destinations aren't shown prominently in the directional signs, but instead, only a small board lists the destinations and the associated platform number.

What I'd like to see is TfL-like signage applied to National Rail stations, in the case of Clapham Junction, that means, at the sign pointing to Platform 1, it actually says:

← Trains to Stratford
Platform 1

and on the platform, the Overground line diagram to Stratford. Similarly, the sign pointing to Platform 9 should say:

← Trains to Basingstoke, Weymouth, Portsmouth and Exeter
Platform 9

and on the platform, the South Western Railway intercity line diagram.

At the entrance, there should be a sign listing the main destinations of all 17 platforms as well, i.e.

Platform 1 for trains to Stratford
Platform 2 for trains to Dalston Junction
Platform 3, 4, 7 & 10 for trains to London Waterloo
Platform 5 & 6 for trains to Richmond, Shepperton, Windsor & Reading
etc.

Such signs can be a great convenience for passengers navigating the National Rail network like taking the Tube. Can these be made uniform across the whole country, rather than only at small stations?

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

I can only really speak for my nearest large station which is Leeds.

There's no guarantee that a train to a certain destination will go from where the sign says. For example, Transpennine services tend to go from platforms 15 and 16 but plenty of times I have boarded one on platform 12.

As for local Northern stopper services: they can depart from a range of different platforms.

Of course smaller stations with 2 platforms on a two track line can guarantee which way a train will be heading and thus direct passengers to the appropriate platform.

 

[alxndr]

I've never had a problem with the signs at Clapham Junction. In fact, seeing your title alone, Clapham sprung to mind as an example of a station where that works. Or at least it did until the page loaded and I saw you'd used it as an example of one where it's less than idea.

 

[LowLevel]

It becomes a waste of time when you've got "platforms 3, 4, 7 and 10" - the idea is that it is a simplifier and it will work well as long as the most you've got is 2 adjacent platforms using the same access.

Anything more than that and you'll just cause indecision or confusion.

Anywhere where there isn't a set system of regular platforms or trains are prone to platform alterations is also going to be unhelpful.

 

[Starmill]

Clapham Junction used to have such a platform finder in the subway. It listed destinations and then a range of platforms that trains might be leaving from. It wasn't comprehensive (e.g. a train to Basingstoke via East Putney), and it was very, very long.

Is it not still there?

 

[edwin_m]

At Clapham Junction, trains for many destinations normally go from the same platform. But when there is disruption or engineering work this might change, so fixed signs would be most likely to be wrong when people needed them most. Most terminus and many large through stations are less predictable than Clapham Junction. Variable message displays have to be provided to handle disruption and to give necessary information like time and calling points of next train, so probably best just to use these to show platforms rather than confusing people with extra fixed signage.

 

[Deafdoggie]

It's what electronic displays are for! Smaller stations never had them so needed some indication for passengers. Nowadays even small stations have electronic displays so really it's not large stations needing signs, but small stations no longer needing them.

 

[jackot]

As others have pointed out, one issue is that services at major stations (E.g. Reading) are often subject to platform changes with very little warning. If these signs were put up at every platform it could lead to confusion and complacency, as less informed passengers may simply turn up to the first platform they see which says the destination - despite their desired train being served by another platform, or a train arriving sooner/getting to the destination faster being available on another platform. 5 different platforms could potentially display “Trains to London”, yet a passenger may wait at the first one they see with the sign.

 

[Bigman]

I can only really speak for my nearest large station which is Leeds.

There's no guarantee that a train to a certain destination will go from where the sign says. For example, Transpennine services tend to go from platforms 15 and 16 but plenty of times I have boarded one on platform 12.

As for local Northern stopper services: they can depart from a range of different platforms.

Of course smaller stations with 2 platforms on a two track line can guarantee which way a train will be heading and thus direct passengers to the appropriate platform.

Absolutely. I once had to go to 11D for an Ilkley service, and Platform 1C for a Manchester Victoria via Dewsbury.

 

[zwk500]

At small stations, the entrances clearly show the destinations of the train served, such as "Platform 1 for trains to London and Southampton", and "Platform 2 for trains to Weymouth". However, at large stations, such signs don't usually exist and it can be hard to find the appropriate platform for the train I want. An extreme case is Clapham Junction where there are 17 platforms, but unlike the London Underground, the routes and destinations aren't shown prominently in the directional signs, but instead, only a small board lists the destinations and the associated platform number.

What I'd like to see is TfL-like signage applied to National Rail stations, in the case of Clapham Junction, that means, at the sign pointing to Platform 1, it actually says:

As others have mentioned, Clapham Junction does have this, but because of the range of destinations there's no way to make it large, simple and clear. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Clapham_Junction_destinations_and_platforms_A-B.jpg

Such signs can be a great convenience for passengers navigating the National Rail network like taking the Tube. Can these be made uniform across the whole country, rather than only at small stations?

At Milton Keynes Central, for example, trains for Euston can leave from any of Platforms 1-5 (including 2A), and trains to Birmingham/Northampton can leave from any of platform 2-6 (not including 2A). Southbound trains regularly leave from Platforms 1,2, 4,5 and northbound via Northampton from 3/5, Northbound via Weedon 5/6 but as I've mentioned in disruption can go from any available platform. How would you set out that Platform Finder?

 

[Bletchleyite]

As others have mentioned, Clapham Junction does have this, but because of the range of destinations there's no way to make it large, simple and clear. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Clapham_Junction_destinations_and_platforms_A-B.jpg

At Milton Keynes Central, for example, trains for Euston can leave from any of Platforms 1-5 (including 2A), and trains to Birmingham/Northampton can leave from any of platform 2-6 (not including 2A). Southbound trains regularly leave from Platforms 1,2, 4,5 and northbound via Northampton from 3/5, Northbound via Weedon 5/6 but as I've mentioned in disruption can go from any available platform. How would you set out that Platform Finder?

Side question...has a Euston train ever used 2A? (It's certainly not usual, but never say never, I have taken a train from Bletchley P6 to Euston, quite possibly the only one to ever do so, at least in recent times!)

 

[stuu]

Do any of the ticketing apps send messages saying which platform your train is on? Obviously that only applies if you have a reservation, but non-regular customers are more likely to use advance tickets and need more information

 

[miklcct]

As others have mentioned, Clapham Junction does have this, but because of the range of destinations there's no way to make it large, simple and clear. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Clapham_Junction_destinations_and_platforms_A-B.jpg

Will it be better to group the destinations by region? i.e. show "Platform 9 for trains to Weymouth, Salisbury, Portsmouth, Exeter" in large, and list the intermediate stations such as Southampton, Bournemouth, Branksome, etc underneath in the group.

 

[duncombec]

Clapham Junction used to have such a platform finder in the subway. It listed destinations and then a range of platforms that trains might be leaving from. It wasn't comprehensive (e.g. a train to Basingstoke via East Putney), and it was very, very long.

Is it not still there?

It was definitely still there (albeit on the overbridge, rather than the subway) when I passed through in November.

 

[zwk500]

Will it be better to group the destinations by region? i.e. show "Platform 9 for trains to Weymouth, Salisbury, Portsmouth, Exeter" in large, and list the intermediate stations such as Southampton, Bournemouth, Branksome, etc underneath in the group.

Maybe, but how much value is it when 99% of people will simply look on their phones for a specific train then on the boards to find it's platform?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What the general opinion of the large electronic display above the main concourse at Manchester Piccadilly? See pic of same below...



Photo source: Infotec.

 

[SteveM70]

What the general opinion of the large electronic display above the main concourse at Manchester Piccadilly? See pic of same below...

View attachment 109012

Photo source: Infotec.

I was going to mention that - I think its great (and from memory there's a similar one at Manchester Piccadilly too). For occasional travellers its a lot more useful than the usual displays of upcoming trains in chronological order, because the traveller may well not know the destination of the train they need to get, so they end up frantically looking across all the services listed for the train they need, and of course for trains with more than maybe 8 calling points they don't all fit on one page, so they information they need isn't visible at all some of the time.

The only alteration I'd make tho this sort of sign somewhere like Clapham Junction is to have one of these, plus separate displays showing the next few departures to the most frequently used destinations

 

[swt_passenger]

On the footbridge, there’s already a fixed sign at the top of the stairs down to each platform listing its main destinations. But they cannot be in too large a font size, because they’d take up too much room. As you come in from the Brighton Yard entrance there’s a sign listing most destinations alphabetically, and their usual platforms.

The biggest problem is that with through services to almost every station in the Sussex and Wessex route areas any full list alphabetic LED display (like at Man Picc a couple of posts ago) becomes bigger than any space you have available to fit it in.

I think though that neutral signage throughout the station has a possible disbenefit compared to when much of the signage was in TOC colours. What’s wrong with having 3 different service groups with their own platform identity - eg if you already know you want a Southern service, that would help focus you towards the 6 obvious platforms.

 

[Starmill]

It was definitely still there (albeit on the overbridge, rather than the subway) when I passed through in November.

Thank you, interesting.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If I rightly recall, the one at Manchester Piccadilly has to scroll between three different variant displays (first it's all the A->F stations, then the G->M stations and finally the N->Y stations) as there's potentially so many to display at any one time.

 

[D6975]

If I rightly recall, the one at Manchester Piccadilly has to scroll between three different variant displays (first it's all the A->F stations, then the G->M stations and finally the N->Y stations) as there's potentially so many to display at any one time.

Take a look at the photo....
First entry is Abergavenny
Last entry is York

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Take a look at the photo....
First entry is Abergavenny
Last entry is York

Might depend on the time of day.

At least I didn't suggest an A-Z list of stations.

 

[The exile]

At small stations, the entrances clearly show the destinations of the train served, such as "Platform 1 for trains to London and Southampton", and "Platform 2 for trains to Weymouth". However, at large stations, such signs don't usually exist and it can be hard to find the appropriate platform for the train I want. An extreme case is Clapham Junction where there are 17 platforms, but unlike the London Underground, the routes and destinations aren't shown prominently in the directional signs, but instead, only a small board lists the destinations and the associated platform number.

What I'd like to see is TfL-like signage applied to National Rail stations, in the case of Clapham Junction, that means, at the sign pointing to Platform 1, it actually says:

← Trains to Stratford
Platform 1

and on the platform, the Overground line diagram to Stratford. Similarly, the sign pointing to Platform 9 should say:

← Trains to Basingstoke, Weymouth, Portsmouth and Exeter
Platform 9

and on the platform, the South Western Railway intercity line diagram.

At the entrance, there should be a sign listing the main destinations of all 17 platforms as well, i.e.

Platform 1 for trains to Stratford
Platform 2 for trains to Dalston Junction
Platform 3, 4, 7 & 10 for trains to London Waterloo
Platform 5 & 6 for trains to Richmond, Shepperton, Windsor & Reading
etc.

Such signs can be a great convenience for passengers navigating the National Rail network like taking the Tube. Can these be made uniform across the whole country, rather than only at small stations?

What use would a sign be at (say) Bristol Temple Meads, saying “Trains for Gloucester leave from platforms 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 & 15”. Fairly sure they both can and do. For those who do not know Temple Meads, that is every usable platform as 2 is not available for passenger trains and 14 does not exist.

 

[Starmill]

Might depend on the time of day.

At least I didn't suggest an A-Z list of stations.

It used to do what you described. The new one is slightly clearer and no longer does.

 

[DarloRich]

Side question...has a Euston train ever used 2A? (It's certainly not usual, but never say never, I have taken a train from Bletchley P6 to Euston, quite possibly the only one to ever do so, at least in recent times!)

I am sure I have been on one. I will have a look at my records. If I have it was certainly at a time of massive disruption. ( same as going north out of platform 1 at MKC)

 

[zwk500]

I am sure I have been on one. I will have a look at my records. If I have it was certainly at a time of massive disruption. ( same as going north out of platform 1 at MKC)

Not possible to depart north out of Platform 1 as it's a fixed red. there's no crossover either, so you'd have to talk the train past the signal and then shunt to Platform 2/3

 

[DarloRich]

Not possible to depart north out of Platform 1 as it's a fixed red. there's no crossover either, so you'd have to talk the train past the signal and then shunt to Platform 2/3

thanks - I have certainly seen things go north of P1 but I haven't travelled on them. Perhaps they were ECS.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It used to do what you described. The new one is slightly clearer and no longer does.

Thanks for clarifying. Waiting for the screens to scroll round used to only take a few seconds but seemed to take an eternity.

 

[TheDavibob]

Does, for example, Nuneaton have dedicated (fixed) platform signage? I can't recall it doing so, despite being relatively unique in having 7 platforms, each with very well-defined service groups.

That said, I have vague recollections of something on platforms 6/7 to Birmingham and Leicester/Peterborough respectively.

 

[Howardh]

What the general opinion of the large electronic display above the main concourse at Manchester Piccadilly? See pic of same below...

View attachment 109012

Photo source: Infotec.

I find that very useful, wondering if the train company names could be shortened to abbreviations to reduce the clutter?