Can train trains through Gatwick Airport, heading north, use platforms other than 4?

[infobleep]

Is it possible for fast trains heading north through Gatwick Airport to pass through without going through platform 4?

Today the 6.29 from Littlehampton to London Bridge via Hove got delayed due to a stopping train being delayed due to a level crossing problem

This train should leave Haywards Heath at 7.30 but it ended up leaving at 7.37. Like the 7.40, which goes to Victoria and also starts from Littlehampton, it doesn't stop at Gatwick Airport but does stop at East Croydon. The 7.34 Gatwick Express left Haywards Heath first today and so the 6.29 got stuck behind it outside Gatwick Airport.

Would it have been possible to route the 6.29 through Gatwick Airport so it could overtake it? I appreciate it would then delay the Gatwick Express at East Croydon as it's running in front of it, so there might be no point but that aside would it technically be possible?

Can trains from the south pass through platform 3 or 5 non stop to head north, if a train is in platform 4?

I know fast trains heading south towards Haywards Heath and beyond occasionally use platform 5 each day and mostly 7 but I never see trains heading north use any platform other than 4, save when they are being routed via Redhill and they might use platforms 1 or 2.

 

[Ianno87]

You can go through Platforms 1-3, but that involves crossing one signal section back at Tinsley Green, so the signaller would have to have decent prior knowledge of a delay to a train in P4.

You can run Up through Platforms 5-6 from the home signal, provided a Down train or terminating GatEx isn't in the way. It is quite a slow approach controlled route.

However, last minute footbridge-crossing platform alterations are highly undesirable, due to the limited footbridge/escalator/staircase capacity with a large volume of passengers.

 

[Sunset route]

The next alternative quickest route through Gatwick Airport in the up direction (London bound) is up fast to up passing loop through platform 1 and then back to up fast, after that the next best option is up fast to up passing loop then back over to platform 3 and back to the up fast. Of course using these routes will mean that you’ve got to cross the down traffic twice. The routes through platforms 2, 5 and 6 suffer time penalties because of restrictive signals.

The other problem with Gatwick Airport and Tinsley Green Junction is the new signalling is more restrictive and is less user friendly than what it replaced and to cancel a routes to use an alternative takes 3 minutes and train can travel a good distance in that time so your looking at Balcombe Tunnel Junction Up direction or Redhill Tunnel Down direction as the cut off points for any regulating plans at Gatwick, if the train has passed them then there is no point in attempting to regulate. If you need to do something in the up direction and there is space to do it then it’s done at Three Bridges.

 

[RichardN]

What I don't understand (speaking as a layman here) is why is the up passing loop (assume this is the signal labelled 262 on the OTT map) is so often used for up trains running via P3? When travelling up the up slow, the train slows for the loop, then slows again to come off the loop and move across to P3. If there any reason why the route via signal 260 is disfavoured?

 

[RichardN]

PS reading the Original Post. That 7:34 GX from Haywards Heath stops at Gatwick Airport and normally gets overtaken by the 1C05 (from Bognor Regis), which doesn't stop at Gatwick. Something already overtakes that train!

 

[Sunset route]

What I don't understand (speaking as a layman here) is why is the up passing loop (assume this is the signal labelled 262 on the OTT map) is so often used for up trains running via P3? When travelling up the up slow, the train slows for the loop, then slows again to come off the loop and move across to P3. If there any reason why the route via signal 260 is disfavoured?

Because T260 the either plats 1 or 3 has signalling restrictions while T262 is to plat 3 has none.

What do I mean when I say signalling restrictions.

When you set a route through a i diverging set of points/Junction that have a significantly slower speed than the main route, the signalling will hold that signal at danger until it has determined that the train is at a stand or nearly at a stand before it will release the signal to a proceed. This is done as so the train will take the diverging route at the correct safe speed. Depending where and when you were taught signalling, it will either be called approached controlled or approach released.

 

[RichardN]

So because presumably you could theoretically power through P2 from T260 at high speed, but are already checked by the loop, so approach control is not needed?

 

[Sunset route]

So because presumably you could theoretically power through P2 from T260 at high speed, but are already checked by the loop, so approach control is not needed?

That’s about the gist of it, yes.

 

[infobleep]

What I don't understand (speaking as a layman here) is why is the up passing loop (assume this is the signal labelled 262 on the OTT map) is so often used for up trains running via P3? When travelling up the up slow, the train slows for the loop, then slows again to come off the loop and move across to P3. If there any reason why the route via signal 260 is disfavoured?

How interesting. I hadn't noticed that. I wonder if that becomes the 8am from East Croydon to Victoria. That can sometimes be up to 8 minutes delayed once it reaches East Croydon.

 

[tsr]

How interesting. I hadn't noticed that. I wonder if that becomes the 8am from East Croydon to Victoria. That can sometimes be up to 8 minutes delayed once it reaches East Croydon.

The platform numbering on this page might interest you... (this service was on time today, too!)

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L01349/2017/11/23/advanced

 

[bengley]

It's also possible to go from the Up Fast into Platform 5 (Down Fast) and back onto the Up Fast north of the station. The speeds go 90-40-90-25-90 so it's not the fastest, but I've done it once to get around a train being delayed in Platform 4.

The same can be done into Platform 6 - 90-40-30-25-90

 

[Sunset route]

It's also possible to go from the Up Fast into Platform 5 (Down Fast) and back onto the Up Fast north of the station. The speeds go 90-40-90-25-90 so it's not the fastest, but I've done it once to get around a train being delayed in Platform 4.

The same can be done into Platform 6 - 90-40-30-25-90

I’ve already mentioned you can use platforms 5 and 6 and also why they are not use that often in my post #3 and #6