Inverness, mysterious platform 7

[Sox]

Inverness railway station forms quite a large and integrated transport hub.

So how come platform 7 is so remote and detached, i.e. did it ever extend to the canopy of the main station building?

 

[Prairie_5542]

Inverness railway station forms quite a large and integrated transport hub.

So how come platform 7 is so remote and detached, i.e. did it ever extend to the canopy of the main station building?

This may be of some help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverness_railway_station

 

[Sox]

This may be of some help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverness_railway_station

Good start but the site raises a further question in that it does not fully explain the issues concerning platform 5 and its connection to lines to the east?

 

[PaulLothian]

Inverness railway station forms quite a large and integrated transport hub.

So how come platform 7 is so remote and detached, i.e. did it ever extend to the canopy of the main station building?

Don't think it ever made it inside the main station canopy, but I seem to remember (possibly incorrectly) that it was cut back to increase car parking.

Interestingly, the current Platform 5, with its connection eastwards halfway along the platform is not a modern innovation - the zoomable map from the 1870s on this page (http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/item/item_maps.jsp?item_id=43857 ) shows that the previous Platform 3 had the same layout!

 

[30907]

Google images of Inverness station confirm that P7 originally extended as far as the station buildings (but not under the roof). My hunch is that the outermost section is an extension since the platform was cut back - look at an aerial photo to see what I mean.

 

[barrykas]

Don't think it ever made it inside the main station canopy, but I seem to remember (possibly incorrectly) that it was cut back to increase car parking.

Interestingly, the current Platform 5, with its connection eastwards halfway along the platform is not a modern innovation - the zoomable map from the 1870s on this page (http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/item/item_maps.jsp?item_id=43857 ) shows that the previous Platform 3 had the same layout!

Looking at the map and an aerial view of the station, I'd be inclined to suggest that the current Platform 5 is the previous Platform 3, and the car park is on the previous Platform 4.

 

[PaulLothian]

Looking at the map and an aerial view of the station, I'd be inclined to suggest that the current Platform 5 is the previous Platform 3, and the car park is on the previous Platform 4.

That was what I reckoned, based on the alignment of old and new tracks in relation to the station hotel.

 

[Sox]

Out of curiosity, are there any services that arrive at Inverness platform 5* from the east and then depart from the same platform to the north (and/or vice versa)?

*I think it's 5, the one that forms the platform sided apex of the "turning triangle".

 

[Tomnick]

No - the connection from the east is worked by a ground frame and not to passenger standards. There's not much room between the connection and the buffer stops either.

 

[Eng274]

Out of curiosity, are there any services that arrive at Inverness platform 5* from the east and then depart from the same platform to the north (and/or vice versa)?

*I think it's 5, the one that forms the platform sided apex of the "turning triangle".

You can *just* fit a 158 and no more to clear the points, as stated above it is very tight and introduces performance (ie punctuality) and safety risks that outweigh the operational benefits. AFAIK these points are more or less permanently set for the Dingwall line from platform 5.

Was there not a once a day direct service from Edinburgh Waverley to Wick circa 2003 or did I imagine it?

 

[Eagle]

There is currently one service a day from Kyle to Elgin, but that uses the avoiding curve and then reverses into the eastern half of the station (usually platform 2).

 

[cf111]

You can *just* fit a 158 and no more to clear the points, as stated above it is very tight and introduces performance (ie punctuality) and safety risks that outweigh the operational benefits. AFAIK these points are more or less permanently set for the Dingwall line from platform 5.

Was there not a once a day direct service from Edinburgh Waverley to Wick circa 2003 or did I imagine it?

The last northbound train of the day ran Edinburgh-Wick, yes. The toilets were disgusting .

I've got it in my head that at the same time, the first southbound train in the morning ran to Aberdeen.

 

[Eng274]

The last northbound train of the day ran Edinburgh-Wick, yes. The toilets were disgusting .

I've got it in my head that at the same time, the first southbound train in the morning ran to Aberdeen.

Yes, the 04:53 Inverness - Edinburgh goes via Aberdeen, taking 4 hours 38 minutes

 

[cf111]

Yes, the 04:53 Inverness - Edinburgh goes via Aberdeen, taking 4 hours 38 minutes

Sorry, I meant the first train from Wick was timetabled like that [WIC - INV - ABD] about 10 years ago. Should have been clearer

 

[Eng274]

Sorry, I meant the first train from Wick was timetabled like that [WIC - INV - ABD] about 10 years ago. Should have been clearer

No worries! First Wick departure (06:20) doesnt go beyond Inverness at present.

 

[Sox]

You can *just* fit a 158 and no more to clear the points, as stated above it is very tight and introduces performance (ie punctuality) and safety risks that outweigh the operational benefits. AFAIK these points are more or less permanently set for the Dingwall line from platform 5.

Was there not a once a day direct service from Edinburgh Waverley to Wick circa 2003 or did I imagine it?

Thanks for your response, interesting to say that getting a pair of 158s round would be "do-able" but the amount of careful driving required would, operationally, take up too much time. It looks like the triangle facility is therefore "plenty generous" to turn around a single engine but "too tight" for general passenger use.

A bit skew whiff on topic but I was at the Rawtenstall end of the ELR the other day (they were running pairs of diesel engines) and it seemed that the run around arrangement was fine for a single engine (distance between points and buffers) but I don't think they would have got a pair around.

 

[Tomnick]

As I said, it's also not signalled to passenger standards if my observations are correct. By the time you've stopped to operate the ground frame, you might as well have gone via a reversal anyway!

 

[Sox]

As I said, it's also not signalled to passenger standards if my observations are correct. By the time you've stopped to operate the ground frame, you might as well have gone via a reversal anyway!

Yes, I didn't twig the significance of that palaver!

 

[Sox]

Been meaning to post this for a while, taken at Inverness station, somewhat diagrammatic but shows the limited headroom available for shunting at platform 5.

Also, relevant to my initial posting, looks like platforms 2, 3, 4 and 5 have also been truncated at some stage. Truncating at 5 would have considerably reduced the shunting headroom and maybe this was retained to the bare minimum.

 

[Railsigns]

Been meaning to post this for a while, taken at Inverness station, somewhat diagrammatic but shows the limited headroom available for shunting at platform 5.

Also, relevant to my initial posting, looks like platforms 2, 3, 4 and 5 have also been truncated at some stage. Truncating at 5 would have considerably reduced the shunting headroom and maybe this was retained to the bare minimum.

I would suggest that the map is misleading as it omits the portions of Platforms 2, 3, 4 and 5 that are underneath the station roof. It's my recollection that these platforms' tracks go right up to the concourse.

 

[Ben.A.98]

I would suggest that the map is misleading as it omits the portions of Platforms 2, 3, 4 and 5 that are underneath the station roof. It's my recollection that these platforms' tracks go right up to the concourse.

You are correct, they do go right up to the concourse, unless they have dramatically changed it in the past month.

 

[Railsigns]

You are correct, they do go right up to the concourse, unless they have dramatically changed it in the past month.

Thanks. It's been a few months since I was last at Inverness station but I certainly don't remember there being a long walk between concourse and train when using these platforms!