Retford Station Platform Bell

[ryan125hst]

Does Retford station still have a platform bell? I can remember standing on platform 1 as a child hearing (what I can only assume was) the platform bell alerting staff to a train calling at the platform imminently. I haven’t heard it in a long time, although it has been a few years now since I boarded a train on platform 1. I don’t suppose it ever sounded on any other platform as the staff offices are on platform 1.

So does the platform bell still exist or has it been replace with more modern technology?

 

[LowLevel]

Departure screens and station announcements have superseded it as they have in most places I would imagine!

 

[lincolnshire]

Does Retford station still have a platform bell? I can remember standing on platform 1 as a child hearing (what I can only assume was) the platform bell alerting staff to a train calling at the platform imminently. I haven’t heard it in a long time, although it has been a few years now since I boarded a train on platform 1. I don’t suppose it ever sounded on any other platform as the staff offices are on platform 1.

So does the platform bell still exist or has it been replace with more modern technology?

Station staff now have full details of where trains are on the VDU screens just like the signaller has so know exactly where it is, then they can announce its arrival in the platforms. They also know exactly where the low level trains are and make announcements for them platforms as well.

 

[Llama]

Bradford Interchange and Blackpool North both had platform bells until recent years too.

 

[Townsend Hook]

I understand Bognor Regis still has a platform bell in place, but it's very rarely used.

 

[ryan125hst]

Departure screens and station announcements have superseded it as they have in most places I would imagine!

Station staff now have full details of where trains are on the VDU screens just like the signaller has so know exactly where it is, then they can announce its arrival in the platforms. They also know exactly where the low level trains are and make announcements for them platforms as well.

I would imagine they had departure boards in Retford when I remember hearing the bell back in the early to mid 2000's, although I think they were CRT screens then (not sure when the current LED ones were installed?).

Presumably systems such as CCF (Control Centre of the Future) give far more detail than what would have been available previously and has therefore rendered the bell obsolete?

Does anyone know when the bell was removed?

 

[Oxfordblues]

There was a bell announcing train arrivals at Milford Junction in 1945, easily heard from the Refreshment Room (but not for the passing of the down Scotch express!)