Derby Platform 7 - Why isn't it used? (and other unused platforms)

[II]

Worcester Shrub Hill platform 3

Yes, that's an interesting one.

You can only really fit a 2-car 20m unit in it. 23m units will just fit if you take the front of the train beyond the platform end so not ideal.

Also if any train is in it it blocks entry/exit from the 'Back Road' siding which is used for overnight stabling, but also sometimes during the day.

A good example of the sort of track layout that would never be contemplated now.

 

[Tracked]

I have seen Lincoln trains using Platform 2.

I've known them use it, but not seen it happen for some time; last time I can remember it was for the 10:24 on Lincoln Christmas Market weekend, but this would be maybe 2009 and since then when I've been to that it's been Platform 5 (and full to standing on leaving, last time I went in 2019 there was an unadvertised extra service earlier in the day, which was a lot quieter iirc).

Northern had a 331 parked in there a couple of years ago, and around 2018/19 during the week the 06:03 Doncaster-Sheffield-Lincoln would stable there overnight sometimes (that or platform 6/7).

 

[Lewisham2221]

Of course since the timetable change Crewe platform 2 now has the booked EMR services all day

It's been a while since I've been to Crewe tbh and I'd forgotten about the "extra" WMR/LNWR train since I last spent any real time there. Presumably the Crewe-Euston and Crewe-New Street via Stoke use 3 and 4, hence EMR using 2?

 

[LowLevel]

It's been a while since I've been to Crewe tbh and I'd forgotten about the "extra" WMR/LNWR train since I last spent any real time there. Presumably the Crewe-Euston and Crewe-New Street via Stoke use 3 and 4, hence EMR using 2?

The Birmingham trains use 3 and the EMR trains use 2, reducing conflicts to some degree and also reducing the risk of the lemmings getting off the train with the luggage and walking right along the white line of platform 5 towards the concourse and nearly getting wiped out by arriving and departing trains which is what happens if you use platform 4.

On one occasion I was literally stood with my arm out forcing people to walk to my side on the yellow line as a 390 bore down on them from behind with bags slung over shoulders hanging over the edge etc. I believe numerous complaints were made by drivers and platform staff about it.

 

[Starmill]

The Birmingham trains use 3 and the EMR trains use 2, reducing conflicts to some degree and also reducing the risk of the lemmings getting off the train with the luggage and walking right along the white line of platform 5 towards the concourse and nearly getting wiped out by arriving and departing trains which is what happens if you use platform 4.

On one occasion I was literally stood with my arm out forcing people to walk to my side on the yellow line as a 390 bore down on them from behind with bags slung over shoulders hanging over the edge etc. I believe numerous complaints were made by drivers and platform staff about it.

That is interesting indeed, because I'm sure before the pandemic Network Rail wanted to abolish platform 2 in order to extend 3 to eight coaches.

 

[OrangeJuice]

The Birmingham trains use 3 and the EMR trains use 2, reducing conflicts to some degree and also reducing the risk of the lemmings getting off the train with the luggage and walking right along the white line of platform 5 towards the concourse and nearly getting wiped out by arriving and departing trains which is what happens if you use platform 4.

On one occasion I was literally stood with my arm out forcing people to walk to my side on the yellow line as a 390 bore down on them from behind with bags slung over shoulders hanging over the edge etc. I believe numerous complaints were made by drivers and platform staff about it.

The timetable didn't help with the EMR arrival nearly always coinciding with the Euston via Birmingham pendolino and the limited space between platforms 4 and 5 for the entire EMR train to empty amongst the throng of people waiting to reboard in the tight turnaround

Maybe the WMT with a long turnaround would have been better on 4?

 

[The Planner]

It's been a while since I've been to Crewe tbh and I'd forgotten about the "extra" WMR/LNWR train since I last spent any real time there. Presumably the Crewe-Euston and Crewe-New Street via Stoke use 3 and 4, hence EMR using 2?

The Crewe Euston uses 7

That is interesting indeed, because I'm sure before the pandemic Network Rail wanted to abolish platform 2 in order to extend 3 to eight coaches.

That is part of the Crewe redevelopment plan.

 

[LRV3004]

Bushey - platform 3. Actually stopped there in the early hours of this morning while working 6X41 with my instructor; wish I’d hopped out now while I was stopped!!!

 

[Benjwri]

Two contenders have surely got to be Hayes & Harlington P5 and West Drayton P5?
Hayes and Harlington P5 arguably has a use for the 1 ECS service a day which uses it to reverse, although this could easily be done at P4 which is singled for that anyways.
West Drayton P5 is more of a mystery, since it is just a glorified passing loop, which for some reason an ungodly amount of money was spent on extending for XR trains, which never use it. In fact as far as I'm aware an Elizabeth Line train has never used it in passenger service, perhaps making it's extension one of the most useless projects in recent times.

 

[waverley47]

Two contenders have surely got to be Hayes & Harlington P5 and West Drayton P5?
Hayes and Harlington P5 arguably has a use for the 1 ECS service a day which uses it to reverse, although this could easily be done at P4 which is singled for that anyways.
West Drayton P5 is more of a mystery, since it is just a glorified passing loop, which for some reason an ungodly amount of money was spent on extending for XR trains, which never use it. In fact as far as I'm aware an Elizabeth Line train has never used it in passenger service, perhaps making it's extension one of the most useless projects in recent times.

The Hayes and Drayton platforms are there as "platforms of last resort" and we're put in specifically not to be used in regular running. They are both in the plan to be used if for some reason the Heathrow tunnels are non useable, for example scheduled or emergency engineering work, or anything more sinister.

 

[Benjwri]

The Hayes and Drayton platforms are there as "platforms of last resort" and we're put in specifically not to be used in regular running. They are both in the plan to be used if for some reason the Heathrow tunnels are non useable, for example scheduled or emergency engineering work, or anything more sinister.

I would agree that I can see the use of the Hayes platform, but West Drayton seems unnecessary, particularly given the amount they had to extend it beyond the other platforms. West Drayton is 3km away from Hayes, and past Heathrow Junction, so the frequency is less than half that of at Hayes. Trains could be turned around on the relief lines without too much issue. The only situation where I can see having the platforms at both being remotely useful is if some kind of issue occurred in that specific 3km section blocking the lines.

 

[Kite159]

Wasn't the 5th platform at West Drayton put in due to a plan at the time to run some services to West Drayton which got changed along the way.

 

[gazr]

Two contenders have surely got to be Hayes & Harlington P5 and West Drayton P5?
Hayes and Harlington P5 arguably has a use for the 1 ECS service a day which uses it to reverse, although this could easily be done at P4 which is singled for that anyways.
West Drayton P5 is more of a mystery, since it is just a glorified passing loop, which for some reason an ungodly amount of money was spent on extending for XR trains, which never use it. In fact as far as I'm aware an Elizabeth Line train has never used it in passenger service, perhaps making it's extension one of the most useless projects in recent times.

West Drayton P5 has been used in service, as I could have been on it but flagged it at Reading thinking they must only advertise to West Drayton to stop people getting on the all stopper (I was also about to check in to a hotel). I think it was only one service and a couple more shunted from P5 to P4 to start back towards Reading. It was the day before a BLS 50 railtour to somewhere a year or two back now.

Have used Bushey P3 a couple of times on weekend engineering. If you're a passenger be in the front 4 carriages and be quick getting any photos as the guard can not dispatch until all passengers have left through the security door.

 

[Intercity110]

Northampton’s platform 8 and MK central‘s platform either 7 or 2 (don’t know where P1 is)

 

[zwk500]

Northampton’s platform 8 and MK central‘s platform either 7 or 2 (don’t know where P1 is)

What? Unless you've got a very long memory Northampton only has 5 platforms, and MKC has never had a platform 7, Platform 2 is in daily use and P1 is on Up Slow. (MKC does have 7 platforms, but they're numbered 1, 2A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). 2A isn't in daily use but has had services in the place and I believe is the intended platform for EWR services in a couple of years.

 

[py_megapixel]

Is anything timetabled into P1 or P3 at Manchester Oxford Road? In my experience P3 only seems to be used during minor disruption and P1 during major disruption.

I believe they don't like running anything into P1 as it's not served by the lifts (which is obviously an issue for people with restricted mobility or heavy luggage).

P3 is where they seem to put through trains if their booked platform is blocked. (Of course, this often means the platform change is only announced as the train is arriving, which isn't ideal). That redundancy is extremely useful - it seems to happen fairly often that a train sits around for a while waiting for crew members who have been held up elsewhere, and it would be utter chaos if everything just stacked up behind them.

 

[Intercity110]

What? Unless you've got a very long memory Northampton only has 5 platforms, and MKC has never had a platform 7, Platform 2 is in daily use and P1 is on Up Slow. (MKC does have 7 platforms, but they're numbered 1, 2A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). 2A isn't in daily use but has had services in the place and I believe is the intended platform for EWR services in a couple of years.

i mean the 4th bay platform, and I’ve never seen a train leaving from MK’s bay platform, and EWR will Probably be delayed and cut back

 

[zwk500]

i mean the 4th bay platform

I still don't really know where you mean at Northampton

and I’ve never seen a train leaving from MK’s bay platform

They did for a bit, but it's not got a canopy and only 5 cars so TOCs prefer to use 2.

and EWR will Probably be delayed and cut back

Maybe, but MK-Oxford gives Winslow and Bicester 2 big commuter flows so I expect that section to run.

 

[The Planner]

i mean the 4th bay platform, and I’ve never seen a train leaving from MK’s bay platform, and EWR will Probably be delayed and cut back

It only has two bay platforms at Northampton. It clearly had two more at some point, as part of the horse dock from Castle Yard, but not for years.

 

[bigfoote]

This is probably cheating, but I'm going to say it anyway.

Plat. 2 at Portsmouth Harbour, fenced off and track lifted now. Due I believe to structural concerns about the underlying pier, was taken out of use a fair number of years back now.

 

[jfollows]

I believe they don't like running anything into P1 as it's not served by the lifts (which is obviously an issue for people with restricted mobility or heavy luggage).

Yes, I'm sure that's the reason.
Interestingly (to me) there were booked trains in platform 1 before the 2018 timetable anyway, there was 2N55 06:48 Buxton-Clitheroe which I used once because I wanted to go to Deansgate, but it stopped in platform 1 as booked and allowed 1F92 07:35 Manchester Airport to Liverpool Lime Street to overtake it in platform 2 as booked.

In the dim and distant past of my youth there were Buxton/Hazel Grove rush-hour terminators which ran to Oxford Road platform 1, two in the morning and two in the evening.
I was recently at Oxford Road when things had gone wrong (not unusual!) and caught a Southport-Alderley Edge service from platform 1 because all the other platforms were blocked. As usual the platform change announcement was late and it was only because I was looking towards Deansgate and saw "my" train moving that I was able to work out where it had to be going so I was mid-way en route to platform 1 when it was finally announced.

EDIT 2O72 08:05 Southport-Oxford Road used platform 1 this morning because its booked platform 5 was being used by the Warrington CLC stopper at the time. So it's still not never used, just not favoured or with any booked passenger calls.

 

[Spartacus]

Mirfield platform 2 always comes up in these lists, being on the Up Huddersfield/Fast it doesn't normally see any scheduled stops, though it can do during disruption. A few years ago a planning error meant all the stoppers that use platform 3 were showing booked to use platform 2 though. Once the line's restored to 4 track through there though it'll see a whole lot more when it becomes the Up Slow.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Regarding Northampton, "Know Your Station" shows there being an un-numbered far bay which is disused:

Find a Station | National Rail

You can find information about every single National Rail served station in Great Britain – and there are 2,589 of them! From facilities to access information, ticket buying and collection, onward travel and more helpful knowledge.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

However I've never seen 5 used either other than for stabling.

The reason Oxford Road P1 is not used is threefold - no lift, very narrow and short. It was sometimes used instead of 5 for terminating the Irlam local, though.

 

[DarloRich]

2A isn't in daily use but has had services in the place and I believe is the intended platform for EWR services in a couple of years.

It was used regularly when the southern services were 4 car.

 

[Efini92]

The current signalling system makes it difficult to have a train in 0 and 1 at the same time (the quickest I’ve seen is one departing as the other is arriving) even if one train is right behind the other.

I wouldn’t say it was difficult, just pointless having a train from the up fast into platform 1 as the crossover is only 15 mph.

 

[BarryD]

However I've never seen 5 used either other than for stabling.

Realtime Trains shows a couple of early starts from Northampton platform 5.

 

[MacCookie]

Very little,

The only 2 services I can find are the LNER 1W22 Kings Cross to Stirling at 20:12 and Scotrail 2N70 from Alloa at 23:55

Also 2N73 2351 Glasgow Queen Street to Stirling Mondays to Saturdays, plus an hourly service to/from Edinburgh on Sundays.

I didn't see a mention of Haymarket Plt0, which is only used reversing ECS moves in and out of Haymarket Depot at the moment, although has previously been used to stable sets. Otherwise only required during disruption or amended timetables.

There's also Inverness Plt7 which only has one arrival and one departure per day.

Kyle of Lochalsh Plt2 is in the timetable to be used by one arrival and one departure per day, but might also have the Royal Scotsman. Mallaig is similar.

Huntly Plt2 only has a couple of uses per day, only being used when trains cross there, otherwise services always use Plt1.

Largs, Larkhall, and Wemyss Bay all have more platforms than required, with the second platform only used a handful of times per day.

Cheers,
Ewan

 

[richard1976]

Are all 3 platforms at Portrush (in northern Ireland) used station only has one train and hour for most of the day

 

[noddingdonkey]

Marsden Platform 3 isn't seeing any services at the moment, until Northern see fit to reinstate the services they dropped during the pandemic.

 

[Kite159]

.

Marsden Platform 3 isn't seeing any services at the moment, until Northern see fit to reinstate the services they dropped during the pandemic.

Didn't Northern drop the remaining peak time stoppers before Covid with TPE putting in extra calls to give those stations 2tph?