Stations with Opposite Numbering on Platforms

[Sultan]

I did search the forum, so apologise if this has been asked before, but too many results to wade through.

I was wondering why Basingstoke seems to be the only station on the Waterloo to Weymouth line where the platforms are numbered #1 from the downside (away from Waterloo) whereas all the others I can see start from the upside (so Platform 1 leads to Waterloo). At Basingstoke, it's platforms 3 & 4 where you would get a (fast) train to London (usually 3). I know there is a stopping service that leaves platform 1 but I suspect that is more for stabling reasons since that is where the stopping service from London terminates (and it is possibly easier to return from there rather than swap tracks further west to start from 3 or 4).

What (if any) is the reason for this and are there any other examples on other lines? I haven't checked the line from Basingstoke to Exeter (Open train times map doesn't show the platform numbers when I looked).

 

[swt_passenger]

I did search the forum, so apologise if this has been asked before, but too many results to wade through.

I was wondering why Basingstoke seems to be the only station on the Waterloo to Weymouth line where the platforms are numbered #1 from the downside (away from Waterloo) whereas all the others I can see start from the upside (so Platform 1 leads to Waterloo). At Basingstoke, it's platforms 3 & 4 where you would get a (fast) train to London (usually 3). I know there is a stopping service that leaves platform 1 but I suspect that is more for stabling reasons since that is where the stopping service from London terminates (and it is possibly easier to return from there rather than swap tracks further west to start from 3 or 4).

What (if any) is the reason for this and are there any other examples on other lines? I haven't checked the line from Basingstoke to Exeter (Open train times map doesn't show the platform numbers when I looked).

The numbering on the SWML is generally from the side with the original main or only station building. Many started out when it was only a 2 track railway. Some stations such as Woking have been renumbered a couple of times.

I think there has been a thread about this line specifically, so I’ll try and find it, ah it’s slightly earlier than I thought:

Platform numbering on SW Main Line

I have always wondered why the platforms at Southampton Central are numbered:

www.railforums.co.uk

But one thing is for sure, there is no standardisation or rule about it.

Also, this link should help you find a few previous discussions, it’s a search on “platform numbering“ thread titles in the infrastructure sub-forum. You’ll see your question came up over 10 years ago:

Search results for query: Platform numbering

 

[Sultan]

Thanks for this. Must have missed last year's thread.

And as for the 10-year old one - i wonder if the Opening Poster 'TheGrew' still has their 'HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2'!

So the concensus appears to be Platform #1 is the side where predominantly the station served (when opened). Although if the SWML is anything to go by, the railway always went to the right of towns / villages when travelling towards Waterloo. Except................!!!

 

[Flying Claret]

Portsmouth and Southsea is numbered 2-1,4-3. I think from memory. High, low level split.

 

[Trainguy34]

Traksy has platforms & numbers.

 

[Magdalia]

But one thing is for sure, there is no standardisation or rule about it.

In the NSE era there was a move towards standardisation, with platform 1 going towards London. On the GN both Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin had their platforms renumbered to conform with this, but not St Neots.

 

[Class 170101]

Since the thread title seems to be non-specfic about regions

Wickford is numbered from 1 to 4 starting on the downside as where as Billericay for instance is Platform 1 on the upside.

Liverpool Street and Euston (until a couple of years ago) both had 18 platforms yet Liverpool Street is left to right on departure as where as Euston is right to left for the same number sequence.

 

[mrcheek]

People still get confused at Weston-super-Mare.

The main platform is 2. Opposite is Platform 1. about 80% of trains use Platform 2 only. But so often people look at the board, see the board showing "Platform 2" for their train, and start to head to the other side......

 

[Sly Sloth]

Balham is the wrong way

 

[DelW]

Portsmouth and Southsea is numbered 2-1,4-3. I think from memory. High, low level split.

Not quite: south to north is 2 - 1 (both high level) - 3 - 4 (low level). I assume the reversal of the high level platforms is to stay with the general rule for the Portsmouth Direct that platform 1 is the up Waterloo line, though Haslemere and Guildford are exceptions to that. In both those cases, numbering starts from the town-side main building, and the other platforms are islands. (At Guildford 1 is a bay so 1 and 2 are both town-side platforms).

 

[PGAT]

Balham is the wrong way

That’s because there are two island platforms so the up platforms are on the right instead of the left, but they are still numbered accordingly. Platform 1 and 3 are the down lines, just like how they are at Streatham Common and Wandsworth Common

 

[A0wen]

In the NSE era there was a move towards standardisation, with platform 1 going towards London. On the GN both Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin had their platforms renumbered to conform with this, but not St Neots.

Of course the oddity with WGC is the fact you have the two loop platforms, so it used to be:

P1 - west side loop, mainly Moorgate terminators / departures.

P2 - west side slow, northbound to Stevenage & beyond

P3 - east side slow, outer suburban to Kings X.

P4 - east side loop - in the 80s and 90s saw little use.

Now it's been reversed, P1 still isn't used much and the London services go from P2 (Kings X) or P4 (Moorgate). The renumbering has probably resulted in *fewer* trains to London from P1 than before !

 

[London Trains]

Epsom is also numbered the "wrong" way around.

 

[TUC]

This is thr kind of issue that is irrelevant to most passengers. They will follow wherever the signs say are Platforms 1, 2, 3 etc. Having different approaches in different stations is in no way confusing.

 

[TheGrew]

And as for the 10-year old one - i wonder if the Opening Poster 'TheGrew' still has their 'HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2'!

Not for a very long time These days I just use Chrome on my Pixel 7a. I suspect it was a question I pondered during my many trips between Eastleigh and Hertfordshire visiting my now wife before we were married. I very infrequently go through Basingstoke but I wonder if the numbering might be in part due to the two different but adjacent stations and some GWR-LSWR rivalry.

 

[plymothian]

You can follow the GWML all the way from Paddington to Penzance and find the lower numbered platforms are always on the down side, with 4 exceptions: Swindon, Bristol Temple Meads, Lostwithiel and Penzance.

 

[zero]

Wandsworth Town is the wrong way and OTT shows this correctly, while Traksy is incorrect.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

You can follow the GWML all the way from Paddington to Penzance and find the lower numbered platforms are always on the down side, with 4 exceptions: Swindon, Bristol Temple Meads, Lostwithiel and Penzance.

This always confused me at Taunton, as P1&2 are on the side nearest the town but the main ticket office is over on the far side. Presumably in the distant past the buildings on the down side were the "main" entrance?

Between Huddersfield and Leeds the numbering starts from the down side, except Huddersfield itself which is numbered from the up side. This confuses people at Dewsbury on occasion, with P1 being over the bridge from the ticket office and main entrance. No idea what the order will be at White Rose.

 

[peter.owen]

On the Merseyrail Northern Line all the two-platform stations have platform 1 on the southbound track and platform 2 on the northern - except for Brunswick which is the other way round.

 

[D6975]

You can follow the GWML all the way from Paddington to Penzance and find the lower numbered platforms are always on the down side, with 4 exceptions: Swindon, Bristol Temple Meads, Lostwithiel and Penzance.

Temple Meads used to be the other way around, the numbering was reversed when the last but one resignalling took place (1970s?) The current P15 used to be P1.

 

[D6130]

Salisbury bucks the trend on the L&SWR....Its main (now only) entrance on the city centre side opens onto platforms 4 (Down Main) and 5 & 6 (bay platforms), while 2 & 3....the Up & Down Reversible and UP main are on the central island and the former platform 1 (ex-Up Slow....now Depot exit line) is on the far side from the entrance.

Nearer to home - for me at least - at Hebden Bridge the platform accessed directly from the only entrance is No. 2 (Down) and you need to pass under the subway to reach No. 1 (Up).

 

[AY1975]

Wandsworth Town is the wrong way and OTT shows this correctly, while Traksy is incorrect.

Correct, Wandsworth Town has the Down platform on the outer side as Platform 1, the Down side of the central island platform as number 2, the Up side of the island platform as 3 and the outer Up platform as 4, the opposite way round from Putney and Barnes. Not sure if Wandsworth Town has always had its platforms numbered the wrong way round, although in BR days the two outer platforms at Wandsworth Town, Putney and Barnes saw very little use.