Chesterfield Platform 2 services heading north

[Intercity 225]

Hi,

A couple of weeks ago I was onboard an EMR service between Nottingham and Manchester - when we arrived at Chesterfield the train stopped on platform 2.

For those who are unfamiliar with Chesterfield station this is highly unusual and a special announcement was even made over the tannoy to inform boarding passengers that the train was heading to Manchester to help ensure people were getting on the correct train.

How common is this and why may have it happened on this occasion? I travel through Chesterfield regularly and never realised that platform 2 was even capable of taking northbound traffic. As far as I’m aware platform 3 wasn’t in use when we arrived either.

Many Thanks

 

[lammergeier]

Hi,

A couple of weeks ago I was onboard an EMR service between Nottingham and Manchester - when we arrived at Chesterfield the train stopped on platform 2.

For those who are unfamiliar with Chesterfield station this is highly unusual and a special announcement was even made over the tannoy to inform boarding passengers that the train was heading to Manchester to help ensure people were getting on the correct train.

How common is this and why may have it happened on this occasion? I travel through Chesterfield regularly and never realised that platform 2 was even capable of taking northbound traffic. As far as I’m aware platform 3 wasn’t in use when we arrived either.

Many Thanks

I sign through Chesterfield and have never stopped in P2 Northbound, although I have stopped at P3 in both directions. It is very unusual as you said but a useful move in case of problems in the usual platform such as a broken down train, points failure etc.

You may not be aware, but it is also possible to be signalled Southbound through P1, although trains routed via the Erewash can't get back across before Clay Cross so they must use P2 or P3. It's another move I've never done.

 

[LowLevel]

There used to be a Sunday morning Nottingham - Liverpool booked to use platform 2 but I've not done it for a while.

 

[Tomnick]

I've done it twice, once in passenger service and once ECS.

If I remember correctly (I'm not sure if I do), the former was because the preceding Northern unit was having an unplanned fester in platform 1, and perhaps something like a freight coming off the Erewash behind me to go straight through onto the Barrow Hill lines made 2 a better option to get around it than 3.

The other time, on the empties, was when booked to closely follow a Northern unit through platform 1. I can only assume the signaller was bored, as we were instead brought alongside it in 2 to wait for it to trundle off in front of us. It's always good to do unusual moves like that though, so I certainly appreciated it.