Station rationalisation - those where a platform or two could easily be removed

[BeijingDave]

This thread may have been done before, but not for a while.

Stabling aside, which stations could easily lose a platform or two without negatively impacting services?

Penrith is an obvious one (is platform 3 even booked for anything?) and so is Stirling (9 platforms, and the morning starters from little used platforms could easily be shifted to other platforms).

 

[D6975]

Penrith P3 is used mostly for freights to be overtaken. The apparent surfeit of platforms at Stirling are used for stabling units.

 

[Purple Train]

Lincoln Central could lose at least one of the east-facing bays (if they haven't been removed already).

 

[OxtedL]

This thread may have been done before

Yes, a few times before, including by you about 18 months ago!

Trivia: Stations with more platforms than they need for regular service

Sorry if this has been done before but... Stirling (I appreciate some may be used for stabling) - 9 last time I counted.

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Railsigns]

and so is Stirling (9 platforms,

That number includes the two north bays which are unusable by passenger trains in service, so really the station only has seven platforms.

 

[The exile]

I think history has taught us that, unless there is an extremely pressing need (and that doesn’t include housing, retail or car parking), the answer should be “none”.

 

[Trainguy34]

Margate P2 Doesn't get any service, the services from P1 could be moved over so that there isn't just a strip of land in the middle of a station, it would be on the outside!

 

[devon_belle]

Most fast line platforms on quadruple track lines could be removed with the only impact being during engineering works or infrastructure problems on the slows.

 

[Townsend Hook]

Most fast line platforms on quadruple track lines could be removed with the only impact being during engineering works or infrastructure problems on the slows.

So all in all, probably best to keep them.

 

[devon_belle]

So all in all, probably best to keep them.

Yeah, which is my thoughts for any 'redundant' platforms really. Except extreme cases maybe.

 

[The Planner]

Removing them isnt free. So unless the long term maintenance costs are outweighing the capital costs, or they are unsafe etc... no one is going to do much.

 

[dosxuk]

Altnabreac?

 

[steamybrian]

Norwood Junction platform 7- When was it last used? Any trains booked to use it ?
Norwood Junction platform 6- Is this regularly used?

 

[Christmas]

Stirling needs all of its available platforms as they are all used daily. Stirling is an operational depot, not just a station. Trains are stabled in all of the buffered platforms. Where would you suggest they put the trains at night when there are still services that need to get to and from Alloa? Where will they be cleaned and serviced when the through platforms are still in use? Just because you think that there is an over provision of platforms doesn't make it true.

 

[PGAT]

Norwood Junction platform 7- When was it last used? Any trains booked to use it ?
Norwood Junction platform 6- Is this regularly used?

Platform 7 is isolated and unelectrified. Platform 6 is regularly used by Victoria - West Croydon services because an Overground train is booked to overtake it

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Altnabreac?

Can Network Rail staff get access to this location to easily remove the platform?

 

[robert thomas]

The west facing bay platform 5 at Cardiff which was filled in 50 years ago would be very useful now

 

[The Planner]

Can Network Rail staff get access to this location to easily remove the platform?

Why would anyone remove it. You would just leave it there, possibly removing any coping stones.

 

[Western 52]

The west facing bay platform 5 at Cardiff which was filled in 50 years ago would be very useful now

Very true! It's a capacity reduction lesson from the past. If we want growth in the industry, we need to retain platforms unless removal is essential for some reason.

 

[Brush 4]

Indeed, the title of this thread is oddly negative, a common trait on here. So, lets reverse this.

From memory, platforms that have or are being reinstated.
Swindon down, Taunton middle, Newquay, Axminster, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Barry Island?. More I'm sure.

 

[steamybrian]

Indeed, the title of this thread is oddly negative, a common trait on here. So, lets reverse this.

From memory, platforms that have or are being reinstated.
Swindon down, Taunton middle, Newquay, Axminster, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Barry Island?. More I'm sure.

Many heritage railways have reopened lines to NR stations which BR had abandoned platforms such as Keighley & Worth Valley (Keighley), North York Moors (Grosmont), Spa Valley Railway (Eridge) and Dean Forest (Lydney)

Princes Risborough (down platform) was reopened for NR services and subsequently the down bay was rebuilt for Chinnor & PR services.
Clapham Junction platform 2 (plus additional new platform1 ) was reopened for new WLL services also Kensington Olympia a new southbound platform (adjacent to old one).

Many stations have been reopened at minimal cost because the platforms were left in situ after closure with prime examples being the Settle- Carlisle stations closed in 1970.

 

[D6975]

Indeed, the title of this thread is oddly negative, a common trait on here. So, lets reverse this.

From memory, platforms that have or are being reinstated.
Swindon down, Taunton middle, Newquay, Axminster, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Barry Island?. More I'm sure.

Bristol 13/15. 13 used to be parcels only while 15 was the depot access line and the track didn't even line up with the platform in places. And don't forget Waterloo, the Eurostar platforms were OOU for quite a while before being reinstated for SWT use.

 

[The exile]

Bristol 13/15. 13 used to be parcels only while 15 was the depot access line and the track didn't even line up with the platform in places.

Newport 4 (and effectively 1 - it was always there but spent a long time effectively unused, I think - or have I got the numbering the wrong way round.) Lots of the eastern end bays at Edinburgh Waverley. Time was when there was only the short bay platform 2 for the North Berwick trains.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It doesn't seem to have been disastrous to Euston's operation to remove 17 and 18, though it has already happened.

 

[The Planner]

It doesn't seem to have been disastrous to Euston's operation to remove 17 and 18, though it has already happened.

They were removed to enable HS2, not because they were redundant. Performance will have dipped, but to a manageable extent.

 

[Cach17]

Bromley North could surely survive with just one platform.

 

[PGAT]

Bromley North could surely survive with just one platform.

It's an island platform so you would have to go out of your way to make things worse

 

[Iskra]

Mirfield could lose a platform without any issue.

 

[D6130]

Mirfield could lose a platform without any issue.

I believe that is going to happen very soon under the TRU Dewsbury-Huddersfield quadrupling plan.

 

[brad465]

Taunton P1 (the west-facing bay) gets no real use, and even P6 (the east facing bay) can only be accessed through a reversing move outside the station, so is only used a handful of times; most terminating services from the east thus use P2 or P3. I suspect P6 will be even more redundant if the proposed reopening of Wellington and Cullompton leads to more terminating trains being extended to at least Exeter.

Margate P2 Doesn't get any service, the services from P1 could be moved over so that there isn't just a strip of land in the middle of a station, it would be on the outside!

One of the North Kent specials called in that platform last year, where another Ramsgate train was scheduled to pass (not sure why it was necessary), but other than that yes it's rarely used.