Route/Platform indicators

[Scott M]

Hello all,

On approach to main stations such as New Street, route indicators may say “2”, telling the driver they are being routed into platform 2.

I am wondering, how do drivers of smaller trains know whether they need to stop at platform 2a or 2b? Also, sometimes trains at New Street will stop at the “extreme end of platform 2a” - how would the driver know to stop at the extreme end of 2a instead of just the normal part of 2a?

Finally, is there a list anywhere of all the possible route indicators from various signals? Eg a website that tells you from York southbound, a green with no route indicator routes you towards Doncaster, whereas a green with route indicator “L” routes you to Leeds.

Thanks in advance.

 

[142Pilot]

Platform staff will indicate to you where they want you to stop. As will local knowledge of what services come in behind/Infront of you.

As for a list of route indications - not that I am aware. I get them on route packs and maps. I don't think there is a centralised list available in public. Network rail would have a copy but it's unlikely they would provide them unless you had a business need for them.

 

[sw1ller]

At New street, you drive to the signals. Every platform has an intermediary signal so you focus on that. As you approach a signal halfway down a platform, it will either be single yellow (so proceed onwards) stay red (stop, of corse) or you’ll get the “cats eyes” which means proceed to the back of the train in front.

As far as stopping at places goes, the end of the platform is good at proofhouse end and the stairs are good at the other.

The one thing a driver of a smaller train needs to think about when coming into p5 from arena is if they’ve had single yellows or not. Only a 2 car train will fit into the platform. (To the mid platform red)

 

[swt_passenger]

Finally, is there a list anywhere of all the possible route indicators from various signals? Eg a website that tells you from York southbound, a green with no route indicator routes you towards Doncaster, whereas a green with route indicator “L” routes you to Leeds.

The question about a decode list for route indications has been asked a few times before, and there was no such list.

 

[edwin_m]

The meaning of route indicators would be on various signalling plans and documents prepared by TOCs for their crews, but none of these are available to the public.

Nottingham has platforms split into A, B and C berths (fewer for the shorter platforms) and no mid-platform signals. There is an instruction in the Sectional Appendix to stop a short train in the B berth unless otherwise indicated by platform staff. It's worth checking the SA for local instructions at other stations where this may happen.

 

[Dieseldriver]

Platform staff will indicate to you where they want you to stop. As will local knowledge of what services come in behind/Infront of you.

As for a list of route indications - not that I am aware. I get them on route packs and maps. I don't think there is a centralised list available in public. Network rail would have a copy but it's unlikely they would provide them unless you had a business need for them.

Also at some TOCs the Driver's diagram will tell them where to stop ('stop at B end of platform' for example).

 

[tsr]

There are some interesting variations on this procedure around the UK.

For example, at Tonbridge (and possibly a couple of other places now), platform staff are equipped with a stop board baton, which is like a yellow and blue version of the dispatch bat, for the permissive working (platform sharing) on the through platforms. On liaison with the signaller and control point (as necessary), the platform staff will await a train's arrival and then display the bat clearly at the place where the driver must stop to allow room for a train entering later at the opposite end. This system works extremely well in practice. If no baton is shown, the driver will proceed to the appropriate marker or end of the platform. (There are also local exceptions for positioning of 6 coach trains on Tonbridge Platform 2 due to the AWS magnet locations.)

There are also some locations where mid-platform signals are provided, but have no practical use in many cases, and for the most part only serve to cause confusion. An example of this would be Horsham Platform 4, where the mid-platform signals typically only stop passenger trains half-way into the platform on very rare occasions, and cause the driver to do a double-take when they realise they don't usually have enough room to release the doors on their formation.