Stations with "platforms" which could in principle be used but (almost) never are

[Amlag]

Okehampton platforms 1 and 2 whilst still having track are no longer connected to the now (since Nov 2021)
mothballed Okehampton to Meldon Viaduct Halt single line.

 

[Horizon22]

I've got it in my head it may have been Taplow?

It is.

 

[richard1976]

Rock Ferry,
Don't think there are any regular timetabled services to use platforms 3 or 4 there, just used for stabling trains i think

 

[td97]

Bolton P2 is used once per week late on a Saturday, where the last service from Manchester Airport terminates.
Sunday night sees the unit move as ECS to Manchester Victoria sidings (i.e. no timetabled passenger departures)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Rock Ferry,
Don't think there are any regular timetabled services to use platforms 3 or 4 there, just used for stabling trains i think

Possibly one or two Sunday morning services do actually use Rock Ferry platform 3, but obviously not that many.

 

[43OO4]

I've got it in my head it may have been Taplow?

That sounds right, actually, and the Sectional Appendix would agree!

 

[RUK]

The platform on the National Rail line at East Putney Tube Station

Your post prompted thoughts of the District line, and hence of the local stations which are still served by the District line but are no longer served by National Rail/c2c on the Eastern end of the District line/London end of the London, Tilbury, and Southend line, which all have very old platforms which closed in 1962 when the LT&S line got over-head line electrification, and are fenced off: Bromley-by-Bow, Plaistow, Upton Park, East Ham, Becontree, Dagenham East, and Hornchurch.

 

[43OO4]

Your post prompted thoughts of the District line, and hence of the local stations which are still served by the District line but are no longer served by National Rail/c2c on the Eastern end of the District line/London end of the London, Tilbury, and Southend line, which all have very old platforms which closed in 1962 when the LT&S line got over-head line electrification, and are fenced off: Bromley-by-Bow, Plaistow, Upton Park, East Ham, Becontree, Dagenham East, and Hornchurch.

And now completely tangentially, I'm now thinking of when the District ran firmly into Great Western land..!

 

[RUK]

And now completely tangentially, I'm now thinking of when the District ran firmly into Great Western land..!

On the Eastern end, it used to run far past Upminster, all the way to the end of the LT&SR at Shoeburyness!

 

[sk688]

Platform 10 at Dublin Heuston exists but due to it being nearly a kilometer from Heuston's concourse, never sees use anymore

It could technically be put in as a stop on the Phoenix Park services but I don't think it's signalled for it

They only put the platform in when Heuston was redeveloped around 2002

 

[Rescars]

Wolverhampton P6 (bay N end of P1), Signalling for passenger trains to leave, but only possible to enter by a shunt move.
Back in the 70s & 80s Shrewsbury line trains departed from there (presumably having terminated P2B & then shunted across), but nothing timetabled for decades AFAIK.

IIRC, the up Shrewsburys did terminate at P2B, apart from the through trains to Euston, which came into P3, where they changed their locos from diesel to electric.

 

[43OO4]

Wolverhampton's a bit of a sticky one, as 390/1s are too long for the circuits/counters and can prohibit movement across certain junctions around the station when berthed.

 

[Pigeon]

Worcester Shrub Hill platform 3. I did catch a train from there once but it was years and years ago and it was a bit unusual even then.

Similarly, I suppose, platform 4, or whatever you call the counterpart of platform 3 at the north end, which I don't remember ever seeing numbered. I remember it being used once to park some kind of exhibition train for people to visit, though I can't remember what the exhibition was about. I've half an idea I once knew a service train to use it for some kind of disruption-recovery reason, but I'm not sure about that.

 

[plugwash]

platform 3A at stockport doesn't seem to see any booked passenger calls in the current timetable. The parlimentary train from stalybridge used to terminate/restart there but now it seems to be booked to use platform 1. It seems to see one empty coaching stock move (from Manchester pic to stockport carriage maintainance depot) per day on weekdays. It also sees use during dispruption.

 

[cool110]

Manchester Airport doesn't use the 2nd Metrolink platform since it's the opposite face to Platform 4 and therefore inside the NR gateline.

 

[Magdalia]

The south end of the ECML has lots of stations where the fast line platforms are not used except in emergencies. Hadley Wood has been like that for a very long time, having a central island between the fast lines. Many of the "double island" stations now have gated fences, as far out as Knebworth.

 

[The exile]

Interestingly both sides were used in the days of slammers and mail trains.

Hard to stop with non-locked train doors except by removing the platform. Can remember using a DMU ar a similar platform somewhere (Reading?) as a shortcut when changing trains - sure it wasn’t an approved route!

 

[ACBest]

I don’t think the bay platform, platform 3, at Grantham has any booked use anymore.

 

[Western 52]

There was a bay platform at the north end of Stafford Station, used in 1985 for a dmu shuttle to Crewe when the Crewe rebuild was on. Is it still there?

 

[The Planner]

There was a bay platform at the north end of Stafford Station, used in 1985 for a dmu shuttle to Crewe when the Crewe rebuild was on. Is it still there?

No

 

[Kite159]

I don’t think the bay platform, platform 3, at Grantham has any booked use anymore.

Isn't there a booked train to use it on a Sunday where a LNER service is overtaken by another train? Or has that ended in the current timetable

 

[Old Yard Dog]

The Rock Ferry bays get used quite frequently when there is disruption further up the line and services have to turn back.

An extra platform could be brought into use at Birkenhead Central if they took down the metal fence separating the siding from the southbound platform.

 

[Donny Dave]

Isn't there a booked train to use it on a Sunday where a LNER service is overtaken by another train? Or has that ended in the current timetable

AIUI, the only time the bay is used at Grantham is when the line is shut between there and Peterborough, when EMR turn their Liverpool to Norwich services. But even then, I believe the bay can only take a 2 car 158 or 170.

 

[Jessicas Dad]

Is platform 8 at Stirling used for anything other than stabling stock nowadays?

I know there is the odd departure from 7 but couldn't find anything from 8.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I know they're not used, but can platforms 5 and 6 at Queen's Park (London) actually be used if needed?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I know they're not used, but can platforms 5 and 6 at Queen's Park (London) actually be used if needed?

The slow-line ones? They are in a poor state and appear to be being in part dug up at the moment!

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Does the bay platform at Hereford get used?

Not much these days. There was a thread about it last year. I caught a handful of London Midland services from it in the years when it was used more often.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Queens Park (London) P5/6. That on the down slow looks particularly derelict but still technically usable in emergencies.

There's a bay platform at Weston-super-Mare, but I don't think its track layout or signalling allows passenger use.

No,only accessible via a shunt through a ground frame. Occasionally used for stabling track machines.

 

[Red Onion]

Aberdeen has platforms 1 & 2 which are not in passenger use but do store empty stock. Platforms 8 & 9 exist but have no track (there is a single track running through the centre of the trackbed) but are still maintained and could be brought back into use after track and signal work.

Keith has a platform on the old branch line which still sees occasional use for charter services.

Arbroath has the old platform 3 which is still tracked but exceptionally overgrown. I believe there was talk of this being reinstated for local Dundee services but I’m not sure at what stage it is at.

Montrose has a tracked south facing bay platform and a north facing bay with no track, which would require a fair degree of work to bring back into use.

Stonehaven also has what appears to be a short north facing bay platform, albeit I’m not sure how easily it could be brought back into service or even how easily it could hold a two car unit. There is track leading to it and it appears to have seen use as a small siding at one time or other.

 

[Western 52]

Bedminster and Parson Street each have 4 platforms, but the track through the outside faces of the down islands is overgrown and long out of use. Also, at Parson Street the track on the outside of the up island is for the branch only, but maybe used again if they ever actually reopen Portishead.