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Do underground platforms normally have numbers? if so are they normally displayed to the public?

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plugwash

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In the discussion of platform 8's in another section of this forum the subject of London Underground came up.

I'm not a huge user of the underground, I probablly use it once or twice a year but when I have used it I don't recall seeing platform numbers. I recall platforms being reffered to by the line, direction and if necessary route e.g. "northern line southbound via bank". Do London Underground platforms typically have numbers? if so did I simply miss them or are they not typically displayed to the public?
 
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bramling

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In the discussion of platform 8's in another section of this forum the subject of London Underground came up.

I'm not a huge user of the underground, I probablly use it once or twice a year but when I have used it I don't recall seeing platform numbers. I recall platforms being reffered to by the line, direction and if necessary route e.g. "northern line southbound via bank". Do London Underground platforms typically have numbers? if so did I simply miss them or are they not typically displayed to the public?

Yes they do have numbers, and they are displayed to passengers. The numbers tended not to be used much for internal purposes, though in recent years have tended to be more so.
 

Chris Butler

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Underground-Platform-Sign.jpg

I think you just didn't notice them being displayed because they are in the main superfluous as most platforms serve only one line in one direction and, conversely, each line/direction uses only one platform. There are obvious exceptions at places where services terminate though, but, even then, passengers are conditioned to follow arrows, not numbers.

And for more than you could ever possibly have wanted to know, try http://www.metadyne.co.uk/platforms.html
 

PeterC

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View attachment 86707

I think you just didn't notice them being displayed because they are in the main superfluous as most platforms serve only one line in one direction and, conversely, each line/direction uses only one platform. There are obvious exceptions at places where services terminate though, but, even then, passengers are conditioned to follow arrows, not numbers.

And for more than you could ever possibly have wanted to know, try http://www.metadyne.co.uk/platforms.html
I just spent several minutes composing a reply and just before I hit enter Chris phrased it much better than I had done.
 

philjo

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Platform numbers at Camden Town and Euston are included in the northern line announcements when advising passengers to change trains at the next station (e.g. Mill Hill East and High Barnet, platform 3) etc.
 

Ianno87

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Platform numbers at Camden Town and Euston are included in the northern line announcements when advising passengers to change trains at the next station (e.g. Mill Hill East and High Barnet, platform 3) etc.

Baker Street (Metropolitan Line) is one of the other locations where Platform numbers are relevant (for the departure boards), and to some extend Edgware Road (sub-surface line station)
 

TFN

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Platform numbers on the Underground are most useful at terminus stations, like Morden where it's crucial to know the first train heading North.
 

philthetube

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they do get used in communications between drivers and other staff, maybe less so by signalling and control staff

North South, Inner Outer or other things tend to be used a two platform stations with through running.
 

bluegoblin7

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they do get used in communications between drivers and other staff, maybe less so by signalling and control staff

North South, Inner Outer or other things tend to be used a two platform stations with through running.
Plenty of use of platform numbers by signalling and control staff at multi-platform stations. At somewhere like Harrow or Edgware Road, putting a reversing train in the wrong platform can have huge consequences.
 

su31

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One that bugs me (mainly because I work at the station) is Kentish Town.
The station is served by Thameslink who have platforms 1-4 in the following order:
  1. Up Thameslink
  2. Down Thameslink
  3. Bi-directional - Up to St Pancras High Level / Thameslink Core or Up Thameslink
  4. Rarely Used Down Main
(Then there are the through fast lines without platforms)

The Underground station also has platforms 1 & 2 in traditional order:
  1. Northbound
  2. Southbound
I realise the National Rail platforms were renumbered at some point, possibly in the 80s when the Barking services ceased; and that the National Rail station was there before the Underground, but since the separate National Rail station was demolished in the 80s, I wonder why the combined station was never renumbered.

It's confusing to tell customers that platform 1 is northbound for the Tube, but southbound for the mainline etc.
 

jopsuk

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Platform numbers are generally found at Underground stations:
On signs to platforms
On line diagrams at the entrance to platforms
On line diagrams on the trackside wall facing the platform
On "next train" indicators in station entrance halls

It's a somewhat rarer (compared to mainline stations) to have signs that are JUST the platform number.
 

urbophile

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Am I right in thinking that the Hammersmith and City platforms at Paddington are numbered in sequence with those of the mainline station? And if so, do the District and Bakerloo platforms follow suit or do they have a sequence of their own?
 

Mojo

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Am I right in thinking that the Hammersmith and City platforms at Paddington are numbered in sequence with those of the mainline station? And if so, do the District and Bakerloo platforms follow suit or do they have a sequence of their own?
Yes, the platforms for the Hammersmith branch, at the station also known as Paddington (Suburban) are numbered 15 and 16 in line with the Mainline station. The other LU station at Paddington has its own numbering scheme, with the Sub surface lines platforms being 1 and 2 and the Bakerloo 3 and 4.

It’s similar to Waterloo where The Drain is numbered 25 and 26 in line with the Mainline station, but the Northern, Bakerloo and Jubilee have their own numbers (1 to 6 respectively).
 

David Goddard

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That's interesting re Paddington as the highly respected Trackmaps has the sub surface as 1 and 2, and the Bakerloo as another 1 and 2!

Over at Kings Cross St Pancras they have 1/2 on Sub surface, 3/4 for Victoria, 5/6 for Piccadilly and 7/8 for Northern

Ealing Broadway, Richmond and Wimbledon, with underground platforms parallel to NR are all numbered as one with the NR, as is Stratford with its multiple sections.
 

bluegoblin7

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That's interesting re Paddington as the highly respected Trackmaps has the sub surface as 1 and 2, and the Bakerloo as another 1 and 2!
The accuracy of the LUL maps in the latest edition of the Southern TrackMaps, no. 5, leaves a lot to be desired. Certainly in LUL circles “highly respected” are not recognised words.
 

Mikey C

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Over at Kings Cross St Pancras they have 1/2 on Sub surface, 3/4 for Victoria, 5/6 for Piccadilly and 7/8 for Northern
Which suggests that the platform numbering is relatively recent, seeing that the Victoria Line platforms are 50 years (or whatever) younger than the Piccadilly and Northern Line ones, and thus you'd expect them to be the highest numbered
 

bramling

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Which suggests that the platform numbering is relatively recent, seeing that the Victoria Line platforms are 50 years (or whatever) younger than the Piccadilly and Northern Line ones, and thus you'd expect them to be the highest numbered

I have a feeling that there is a specific reason for this.

Remember that the Met Line originally had a bay road between the two platforms at the western end. This would have made the Met platforms 1,2,3 and 4. With the bay falling by the wayside, it was possible to make the Met platforms 1 and 2, which then conveniently released numbers 3 and 4 for the Vic Line.
 

D365

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Moorgate's platforms numbers appear to be well-known/well-used.
 

Rogmi

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The accuracy of the LUL maps in the latest edition of the Southern TrackMaps, no. 5, leaves a lot to be desired. Certainly in LUL circles “highly respected” are not recognised words.
As far as I'm aware, the CartoMetro map shows all the LU (and many DLR and NR) platform numbers (i checked them all as part of the initial map checking). If a platform no. could not be confirmed, then it was normally left out rather than taking a guess. An example being disused platforms / stations. The platform numbers shown on the CM map should be correct, although typos can creep in. Also, even on official documents, there can sometimes be discrepancies. If there are any errors or omissions, please let Franklin know.

The current version of the map is here:
It is best to download the PDF version as that allows for a very high zoom rate which allows the smaller details to be clearly seen.
 

Bedpan

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Its odd that some but not all have share the numbering with National Rail platforms and some don't, Kentish Town for example being at odds with Moorgate which for a while had two separate National Rail lines running into it. Imagine if the underground platforms at Waterloo followed on from the main line ones. There would he 24 at the man station, two each for Northern, Jubilee Bakerloo and (as far as I can recall) the W & C Line gives 32. Then you could include platforms ABC and D at Waterloo East and that makes 36, although there would have needed to have been renumbering after the Eurostar platforms were added in the 90s. Just imagine, "The next train from Platform 36 is for Stanmore"!
 

Deerfold

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Its odd that some but not all have share the numbering with National Rail platforms and some don't, Kentish Town for example being at odds with Moorgate which for a while had two separate National Rail lines running into it. Imagine if the underground platforms at Waterloo followed on from the main line ones. There would he 24 at the man station, two each for Northern, Jubilee Bakerloo and (as far as I can recall) the W & C Line gives 32. Then you could include platforms ABC and D at Waterloo East and that makes 36, although there would have needed to have been renumbering after the Eurostar platforms were added in the 90s. Just imagine, "The next train from Platform 36 is for Stanmore"!
Grand Central in New York has 44 platforms. Though far fewer trains or passengers.
 

Anvil1984

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One that bugs me (mainly because I work at the station) is Kentish Town.
The station is served by Thameslink who have platforms 1-4 in the following order:
  1. Up Thameslink
  2. Down Thameslink
  3. Bi-directional - Up to St Pancras High Level / Thameslink Core or Up Thameslink
  4. Rarely Used Down Main
(Then there are the through fast lines without platforms)

The Underground station also has platforms 1 & 2 in traditional order:
  1. Northbound
  2. Southbound
I realise the National Rail platforms were renumbered at some point, possibly in the 80s when the Barking services ceased; and that the National Rail station was there before the Underground, but since the separate National Rail station was demolished in the 80s, I wonder why the combined station was never renumbered.

It's confusing to tell customers that platform 1 is northbound for the Tube, but southbound for the mainline etc.

On the mainline (on 2 platform stations). Number 1 is usually the UP platform so towards London. Note the predominance of platform 1 on this service especially North of the River

Realtime Trains - 9O43 1252 St Albans to Sutton (Surrey)
 

Abpj17

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Yeah - but they rarely matter, with a few collected exceptions such as
- Camden because two northern line branches; ditto Euston
- Moorgate as the third terminating platform is used as well
 

bluegoblin7

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There’s plenty of stations, particularly large interchanges and junction points, where platform numbers are frequently used and of great help; many of these have already been listed.

For reference also, Moorgate has two operational bay platforms on the SSR at present (3 & 4).
 

eoff

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Note that platform numbers are useful when giving directions to people who find it difficult to read signs to find the nugget of information that identifies the correct platform for their service (they would typically be looking for a single station in a long list).
 
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