Longest platform- platform interchange

[devon_belle]

If you're unlucky enough to be going from the country end of Platform 19 to the London end of Platform 1 at London Victoria that is about 600 meters by the shortest walking route.

 

[TheWierdOne]

Playing fast and loose with the question because it's not UK, but Platform 10 at Dublin Heuston is a long way from the rest of the station.

Is platform 10 ever actually in regular use?

 

[Zomboid]

Is platform 10 ever actually in regular use?

No idea, but it is there.

 

[Deepgreen]

Farnborough Main to Farnborough North is a designated interchange, at 0.8 miles

Likewise, Ash Vale to North Camp is a designated change, at 1.1 miles

I think the OP meant intra-station distances, rather than inter-station. I could be wrong, in which case, yes, and those are both familiar to me.

Historically, on the same platform - Manchester Exchange...!

 

[Sheridan]

Platform 3 to Platform 1 at Holyhead is quite a way - probably no reason to interchange in that way normally but I suppose it’s conceivable that a journey from, say, Valley may be quicker by travelling into Holyhead first (and I think doubling back is allowed where this is the case).

 

[kingston_toon]

Another one not in the UK - Platforms 1 and 2 (east) on the north side of Rome Termini, used for trains towards Perugia, are a long way from the concourse, starting beyond the entire core length of the main bank of platforms. The walk takes almost ten minutes, particularly when battling through an oncoming crowd from a terminating service.

Just re-acquainting myself with the location on Google Maps now, it seems there are also a few new bay platforms off the end of the main bank, so a walk interchanging between those and 1 / 2 (east) must be well over a kilometre!

 

[Taunton]

London Bridge became far worse with the rebuilding, from the through platforms it used to be straightforward from their west end down to the Jubilee Line entrance. Now it's a route march to the main concourse and through the shopping centre.

Canary Wharf, despite being our local shopping centre and focus, is sufficiently convoluted between the three separate stations that we deliberately send our visitors by different routes to change elsewhere, such is the ability of first-timers to get lost. It's not really an interchange, more three separate stations with the same name. Ironically the better DLR station to interchange to the Liz is one station north of Canary Wharf, and the better one to interchange to the Jubilee is one station south of there.

 

[geoffk]

Yeovil Junction to Pen Mill, at 2.1 miles. 50 minutes is allowed in the journey planners to make the link.

I wouldn't fancy walking it. A rural road partly without footways.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

An all too familiar pain is from right at the back of a double-set TGV at Paris Montparnasse to the Metro ('Montparnasse Bienvenue'). The main-line station was moved in the '60s without relocating the Metro. A lot of the Paris Metro 'interchange' stations are bad too, with long corridors between platforms and cranky staircases which are nuisance with luggage.

 

[MikeWM]

No-one has mentioned Cambridge yet, so I guess I'll do my usual thing of pointing out quite how far it is from the London end of platforms 7/8 to get to platforms 2/3. Or the London end of 1/2/3 to 7/8. And yet they are only 20m apart as the crow flies, just that no-one insisted on putting in a second bridge when 7/8 were built, which really ought to have been the case.

--

Ironically the better DLR station to interchange to the Liz is one station north of Canary Wharf, and the better one to interchange to the Jubilee is one station south of there.

...and in the usual joined-up way, they stopped trains from Bank from stopping at West India Quay a few years before the Liz opened.

--

I wouldn't fancy walking it. A rural road partly without footways.

100% agree - I've done quite a lot of footpath-less walking in my time and am fairly assertive, but I've looked at this road from both ends and there's no way I'd try it. The (significantly longer) alternatives via quieter roads and public footpaths are awful too.

 

[plugwash]

No-one has mentioned Cambridge yet, so I guess I'll do my usual thing of pointing out quite how far it is from the London end of platforms 7/8 to get to platforms 2/3. Or the London end of 1/2/3 to 7/8. And yet they are only 20m apart as the crow flies, just that no-one insisted on putting in a second bridge when 7/8 were built, which really ought to have been the case.

Yeah, My understanding is that the listed station building meant they couldn't easilly put a footbridge in the middle, and putting one at the south end would mean losing valuable length from platform 2. So the footbridge ended up at the north end of the station, taking space from platform 5 (platforms 5 and 6 tend to see much less use and much shorter trains than platforms 2/3).

It's can be right pain if you want to travel from say Cambridge North to Lethcworth, the layout at Cambridge north puts you on the south end of the train, maximising your walk when you interchange at cambridge and many of the trains to Letchworth go from 2/3.

 

[swaldman]

Green Park is infamous for its lengthy tunnels, if changing between the Jubilee line and anything else. They're probably not as long as some of the surfaces interchanges in large stations that people have mentioned, though.

 

[MikeWM]

Yeah, My understanding is that the listed station building meant they couldn't easilly put a footbridge in the middle,

Unfortunately that doesn't seem to have prevented them from putting up an immensely ugly yellow barrier opposite the scissors crossover. A bridge would have been much more useful *and* in keeping with the station, if done properly.

and putting one at the south end would mean losing valuable length from platform 2. So the footbridge ended up at the north end of the station, taking space from platform 5 (platforms 5 and 6 tend to see much less use and much shorter trains than platforms 2/3).

Yes, and I'm not sure how you solve that. Nevertheless, it needs bridges at both ends (or one big one in the middle). Or a bridge and an underpass.

I note Cambridge South is going to have bridges at both ends (assuming the one at the London end is going to be for public use, I presume it will be).

 

[Russel]

I'd suggest Edinburgh Waverley, if you're not familiar with it...

The layout is so messy.

 

[GW43125]

An all too familiar pain is from right at the back of a double-set TGV at Paris Montparnasse to the Metro ('Montparnasse Bienvenue'). The main-line station was moved in the '60s without relocating the Metro. A lot of the Paris Metro 'interchange' stations are bad too, with long corridors between platforms and cranky staircases which are nuisance with luggage.

I have a burning hatred for Chatelet-Les Halles. The slog from the RER to line 11 is so long that it's two different stations on line 4! See for yourself with a diagram I've lifted off wikipedia.

 

[steamybrian]

When Ashford International was served by International trains a change from platform 5 to platform 4 was as follows-
Along platform 5, down stairs into subway, along subway to up side (International station entrance) up two flights of escalator/stairs to International departure lounge (passport/customs check) . Along the footbridge and down stairs/escalator to platform 4 or 3, If your seat on the train was coach 1 or 18 then be prepared for a long walk along the platform.
I am not saying it was the longest but it was l-o-n-g walk particularly with luggage.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I'd suggest Edinburgh Waverley, if you're not familiar with it...

The layout is so messy.

Possibly not the longest platform-platform interchange on the GB network, but platform 13 to platform 8 at Edinburgh Waverley does seem awkward. A change at Haymarket might be easier.

 

[GW43125]

Possibly not the longest platform-platform interchange on the network, but platform 13 to platform 8 at Edinburgh Waverley does seem awkward.

It's platform 10 that catches me out. Hidden away upstairs and a bit of a slog if you're at the back of a London that's just arrived in 2!

 

[Magdalia]

No-one has mentioned Cambridge yet, so I guess I'll do my usual thing of pointing out quite how far it is from the London end of platforms 7/8 to get to platforms 2/3. Or the London end of 1/2/3 to 7/8.

I didn't mention Cambridge because it is clearly not the longest. I'd say London Victoria, Clapham Junction and Glasgow Central are all longer.

My understanding is that the listed station building meant they couldn't easilly put a footbridge in the middle, and putting one at the south end would mean losing valuable length from platform 2. So the footbridge ended up at the north end of the station, taking space from platform 5 (platforms 5 and 6 tend to see much less use and much shorter trains than platforms 2/3).

The last EWR consultation included a south end footbridge at Cambridge with the western footprint inside the listed building where WH Smith is now. I'm not convinced that this will be allowed.

I note Cambridge South is going to have bridges at both ends (assuming the one at the London end is going to be for public use, I presume it will be).

I think that your assumption is incorrect. The south end bridge at Cambridge South is an emergency exit from the island platform which only goes to the Hobsons Park side. There is no south end bridge to the Biomedical Campus side.

 

[MikeWM]

I didn't mention Cambridge because it is clearly not the longest. I'd say London Victoria, Clapham Junction and Glasgow Central are all longer.

I'd agree it isn't the longest, but thought it worth a mention anyway

As to those examples, I'd say terminii are a bit different, as you don't expect to have a lot of interchanging passengers so need less accommodation for them. And CLJ is fairly unavoidable due to the shape of the station - it is a long way 'as the crow flies' from the low-numbered platforms to/from the high-numbered platforms at the country end.

The last EWR consultation included a south end footbridge at Cambridge with the western footprint inside the listed building where WH Smith is now. I'm not convinced that this will be allowed.

Seems it ought to be in this case, though who knows. Eg. they managed to reconfigure the booking hall some years back, thank goodness - I don't know what effect the listed status had on that work.

I think that your assumption is incorrect. The south end bridge at Cambridge South is an emergency exit from the island platform which only goes to the Hobsons Park side. There is no south end bridge to the Biomedical Campus side.

I haven't looked closely enough at it other than noticing it from passing trains, and naively assumed South would have emergency 'pens' like Cambridge North. If this bridge is really just for emergencies, that's quite disappointing, given the station buildings are skewed considerably to the country end. Then again, maybe South won't be used all that much for interchanging. To be fair, I don't see any particular need to build a bridge at the country end of North, even with the irritating recent changes to the stop boards.

 

[johnr57]

I'd suggest Edinburgh Waverley, if you're not familiar with it...

The layout is so messy.

That might be just a function of the size of the station, the central bridge provides excellent access to all the platforms and once you realise the circular nature of the platform numbering its a doddle!

At the other end of the scale, Garsdale, not necessarily the longest trek between platforms but when i last did platform 2 to 1 , in a gale force wind and torrential wind it seemed much further than I had imagined!

 

[DynamicSpirit]

At the other end of the scale, Garsdale, not necessarily the longest trek between platforms but when i last did platform 2 to 1 , in a gale force wind and torrential wind it seemed much further than I had imagined!

What interchange would make you want to walk from platform 2 to 1 at Garsdale?

 

[johnr57]

What interchange would make you want to walk from platform 2 to 1 at Garsdale?

Went to photograph Tangmere on the curve from the west, then back to my car at Horton in Ribblesdale. I really dont think in your wildest dreams you could describe Garsdale (in any weather) an "interchange", though there is some very interesting information presented in both "waiting rooms". Google Ruswarp,

Just to clarify, the road up from ribblehead to dent and Garsdale was shut for roadworks so the “regular” northern service from Horton to garsdale was easy and quick plus codex the views ( through the inclement weather) from ribblehead viaduct

 

[D6130]

What interchange would make you want to walk from platform 2 to 1 at Garsdale?

To or from the Dalesbus service to or from Hawes.

 

[Farnborough]

Quite within 'the spirit'. I'm wondering how many people, whether knowing that or not, make that trek! Do any trains actually make that link, which looks possible 'on the map' (and I've seen it feature on a model railway layout!); would it be worth extending the journey times of Westbury- Weymouth travellers to make a connection from Yeovil Jct to Penn Mill? I guess not; imagining most folk exiting at either station are heading to the town- anyone with insight on this one- or for that matter any of the others, eg Farnborough, or Dorking. I don't imagine timetable planners taking such 'connections' into account- it's hard enough without that!

I can't comment about Yeovil, but the walks between North Camp to Ash Vale, and between Farnborough Main to Farnborough North are announced on the trains "Change here for..."

Dorking to Dorking Deepdene (and vice versa) is quite a crocodile of passengers, every time I've done it (which is quite a few!)

 

[Russel]

At the other end of the scale, Garsdale, not necessarily the longest trek between platforms but when i last did platform 2 to 1 , in a gale force wind and torrential wind it seemed much further than I had imagined!

Garsdale hadn't crossed my mind, but yes, I agree... It's certainly a decent walk between the two, not that many normal people would have much of a reason to do it!

 

[Tester]

I've done it once before, as a fairly keen and quick walker. I wouldn't do it again if I could help it; it's really not very good. The problem is that there is barely a footpath to speak of, once you get outside the town. You also have to cross a busy A-road at a blind bend at one point.

Trespassing away from the OP's question I know, but.....

There is a much more pleasant walking route between the Yeovil stations, largely off road and even including part of a disused railway, which still comes in within the allowed time.

[Photo shows screenshot of said route]

 

[cjw714]

Trespassing away from the OP's question I know, but.....

There is a much more pleasant walking route between the Yeovil stations, largely off road and even including part of a disused railway, which still comes in within the allowed time.

[Photo shows screenshot of said route]

View attachment 178488

Station to station – Yeovil Junction to Pen Mill - Fi Darby

A new and unique way to explore Yeovil's hidden secrets. Discover a stunning green lane and Jack the Treacle Eater on this station to station walk

fidarby.co.uk

 

[Allwinter_Kit]

Surely a better name for "Yeovil Junction" would be "Stoford' and then no one would even think that a transfer was plausible without a nice / muddy donder along the country lanes?

 

[Falcon1200]

I'd say London Victoria, Clapham Junction and Glasgow Central are all longer.

At Glasgow Central, from the rear of a Pendolino in Platform 1 to the front train in Platform 15, or down to the Low Level, is a fair way, but it is possible (although awkward) to walk though the train to the front before arriving at Central; Which I have done, and made a connection I would otherwise have missed.