Trivia: Platforms where you can only alight or only board.

[busestrains]

I am looking for some examples of platforms where you can only alight (ie all trains that call at that platform terminate there with no through calls and no originating trains) and examples of platforms where you can only board (ie all trains that call at that platform originate there with no through calls and no terminating trains) anywhere on the railway network.

So far i can only think of these ones:

ALIGHT ONLY:
• Bank (Platform 10)
• Chathill (Platform 2)
• Heathrow T5 (Platform 5)

BOARD ONLY:
• Bank (Platform 9)
• Chathill (Platform 1)
• Heathrow T5 (Platform 6)

I am sure there must be some other examples of some little used platforms elsewhere on our railway network which only sees terminating trains or only sees originating trains so i would be interested if anyone knows of any others.

 

[Lewlew]

Waterloo (Waterloo and City line) although I forget which number is which.

 

[busestrains]

Waterloo (Waterloo and City line) although I forget which number is which.

Ah yes i forgot about that one. Many thanks. I believe that Platform 25 is board only and Platform 26 is alight only.

 

[Springs Branch]

A couple on the Tube:-

• Seven Sisters: Victoria Line Platform 4. Alight only - all trains proceed into reversing lines or to Northumberland Park depot. (Although you can board there if you're LU staff heading for the depot)
• East Finchley: Northern Line Platforms 2 & 3. The two middle platforms only access Highgate Depot in the southbound direction, so one is Alight Only, the other Board Only for any short workings coming from Finchley Central.

- Heathrow T5 on the Piccadilly has already been mentioned.
- Before the extension to Battersea P.S., Kennington on the Northern Line may have been a shout for the Charing Cross trains terminating before proceeding around the loop. But I suspect it was never 100% of CX-branch trains terminating at Kennington, with some going in service to/from Morden.
- I'm not sure of the situation at White City on the Central with two central platforms (serving one track). Does one platform get used as Alight Only for terminating trains, the other as Boarding Only for departures?? (Of course, the platforms are 'the wrong way round' at White City)

 

[busestrains]

A couple on the Tube:-

• Seven Sisters: Victoria Line Platform 4. Alight only - all trains proceed into reversing lines or to Northumberland Park depot. (Although you can board there if you're LU staff heading for the depot)
• East Finchley: Northern Line Platforms 2 & 3. The two middle platforms only access Highgate Depot in the southbound direction, so one is Alight Only, the other Board Only for any short workings coming from Finchley Central.

- Heathrow T5 on the Piccadilly has already been mentioned.
- Before the extension to Battersea P.S., Kennington on the Northern Line may have been a shout for the Charing Cross trains terminating before proceeding around the loop. But I suspect it was never 100% of CX-branch trains terminating at Kennington, with some going in service to/from Morden.
- I'm not sure of the situation at White City on the Central with two central platforms (serving one track). Does one platform get used as Alight Only for terminating trains, the other as Boarding Only for departures?? (Of course, the platforms are 'the wrong way round' at White City)

Many thanks for the information. I forgot about the East Finchley platforms. Those are definitely ones to add to the list.

There are three trains a day in the early morning that come from the depot in to Platform 4 at Seven Sisters and then operate in passenger service to Walthamstow Central from there. So you can both board and alight on Platform 4 at Seven Sisters although the vast majority are alight only. But there are a few where you can board.

 

[duncanp]

And there are exceptional circumstances, such as a broken down train or signal failure, where a train will be routed into platform 4 at Seven Sisters and then continue in service to Walthamstow Central.

 

[busestrains]

And there are exceptional circumstances, such as a broken down train or signal failure, where a train will be routed into platform 4 at Seven Sisters and then continue in service to Walthamstow Central.

Yes a through train from Brixton to Walthamstow Central can certainly use Platform 4 instead of Platform 3 if necessary. There are not any trains booked to do this but it is possible if necessary. For example if there was a broken down train in Platform 3 blocking it than Platform 4 could indeed be used instead.

 

[Springs Branch]

There are three trains a day in the early morning that come from the depot in to Platform 4 at Seven Sisters and then operate in passenger service to Walthamstow Central from there. So you can both board and alight on Platform 4 at Seven Sisters although the vast majority are alight only. But there are a few where you can board.

Ah yes. It makes sense that has to happen at the start of service, given location of the Victoria Line's depot.


On the full-size trains, for a number of years the bay platform 3A at Stockport was only used in public service by the Stockport - Stalybridge parliamentary. This meant 3A was by necessity normally a once-a-week 'Board Only' platform - until the Denton Flyer started to run in both directions a couple of years ago.

Having said that, in some previous manifestations of the timetable, the empty stock for the Stalybridge train arrived from somewhere further south (e.g. Alderley Edge) and departed Stockport from through platform 3. According to RTT, the current service seems to arrive and depart Stockport from platform 1, and 3A is only used for the odd empty stock manoeuvre.

 

[jfollows]

Having said that, in some previous manifestations of the timetable, the empty stock for the Stalybridge train arrived from somewhere further south (e.g. Alderley Edge) and departed Stockport from through platform 3. According to RTT, the current service seems to arrive and depart Stockport from platform 1, and 3A is only used for the odd empty stock manoeuvre.

Before the 2018 timetable it ran as an ECS Piccadilly to Newton Heath every week day, using the Styal line to Wilmslow reversing siding, then to Stockport, where one day a week it ran to Stalybridge in passenger service, otherwise it continued as ECS.
5J05 FSX 08:33 Piccadilly-Newton Heath, 5J45 FO 08:33 Piccadilly-Stockport, 2J45 FO 09:22 Stockport-Stalybridge, 5J45 FO 09:53 Stalybridge-Newton Heath

 

[JonathanH]

Platform 6 at Taunton can only be used for departure as a shunt is required to access it.

 

[pompeyfan]

Does Clapham junctions platform 7 and 9 count? Although there is nothing stopping people, all trains on the up loop are unadvertised at Clapham, and platform 9 are all pick up only?

The above mentioned Taunton platform 6 is a great example though!

 

[zwk500]

IIRC Paignton has a platform that is arrival only for signalling reasons, and Wolverhampton P5 (I think) is similarly departure only.

Currently mothballed, but Ebbsfleet and Ashford Internationals' international platforms are pick-up or set-down only to and from France, although all lines are bi-directionally signalled.

Are there any platforms at stations such as Polesworth where access is one-directional for reasons to do with buildings or safety rather than the specific signalling setups?

 

[plugwash]

On the full-size trains, for a number of years the bay platform 3A at Stockport was only used in public service by the Stockport - Stalybridge parliamentary. This meant 3A was by necessity normally a once-a-week 'Board Only' platform - until the Denton Flyer started to run in both directions a couple of years ago.

Having said that, in some previous manifestations of the timetable, the empty stock for the Stalybridge train arrived from somewhere further south (e.g. Alderley Edge) and departed Stockport from through platform 3. According to RTT, the current service seems to arrive and depart Stockport from platform 1, and 3A is only used for the odd empty stock manoeuvre.

While not part of the regular timetable, I've also alighted at 3A on trains from Manchester during engineering works.

Piccadilly on the Manchester Metrolink had an arrivals only platform and a departures only platform for a number of years.

 

[pelli]

Two slightly different questionable TfL examples of a single track between two platforms with one platform used for arrivals and the other for departures:

At Golders Green (Northern Line), there are two island platforms (northbound and southbound) serving three tracks. The outer tracks are the main running lines (platform 2 northbound, platform 5 southbound), while the centre track is used to short-turn trains coming from the south. Such a train would pull in and only open the doors on the left (platform 3) to the northbound island, allowing passengers to cross over to continue northbound. Later, when the train is ready to depart southbound again, only the doors on the other left (platform 4) would be open, for passengers to board from the southbound island. (I don't know whether the train is fully emptied in between, preventing a passenger from boarding from the northbound island and sitting through the turnaround procedures and then departing southbound, and preventing an arriving passenger from sitting through the turnaround procedures and then alighting onto the southbound island. Also, in principle trains could run through on the centre track if necessary, resulting in passengers both boarding and alighting from the same platform.)

At Tower Gateway (DLR), there is one terminating track served by two platforms. Signage on the platforms indicates that platform 2 (the south side) should be used for boarding (and consequently platform 1 used for alighting). But I believe the trains open doors on both sides simultaneously, and I'm not sure if there are any announcements on board regarding which side to alight on, so in principle a passenger could use either platform for either purpose.

(By the way, a few years ago I took an early-morning DLR train into Bank which crossed over to the eastbound track above ground and ran westbound through the eastbound tunnel arriving at the departure platform (before presumably going the same way back out). If I recall correctly this happened to me twice in the span of a few weeks. I would guess there might have been a blockage, i.e. engineering works or broken down train, in the other platform/tunnel. Clearly single-tunnel operation would not be able to handle more than around one train per 10 minutes, so could only be done very early morning or late evening.)

 

[Sean Emmett]

Neilston P2 is alight only, P1 is join only. Arriving trains in P2 proceed to a single line headshunt to reverse, before entering P1.

 

[nr758123]

Stretching a point slightly to qualify, but part of platform 2 at Mossley is alight only

 

[tbtc]

I’m not 100% confident but think I recall that Platform 1 at Buxton was used for the first departures of the morning only (with all subsequent departures and all arrivals using Platform 2) - due to the track layout

 

[Taunton]

The GWR in their main stations sometimes had bays on the outside of the main through platforms, which at the approach end were only used for arrivals, and at the other end of the main platforms only for departures, trains being shunted across the running lines between the two. Taunton was a typical one, but there were others; it was commonly not possible, because of the pointwork layout and signalling, to run incoming trains directly into the departure platform.

Two slightly different questionable TfL examples of a single track between two platforms with one platform used for arrivals and the other for departures:

At Golders Green (Northern Line), there are two island platforms (northbound and southbound) serving three tracks. The outer tracks are the main running lines (platform 2 northbound, platform 5 southbound), while the centre track is used to short-turn trains coming from the south. Such a train would pull in and only open the doors on the left (platform 3) to the northbound island, allowing passengers to cross over to continue northbound. Later, when the train is ready to depart southbound again, only the doors on the other left (platform 4) would be open, for passengers to board from the southbound island. (I don't know whether the train is fully emptied in between, preventing a passenger from boarding from the northbound island and sitting through the turnaround procedures and then departing southbound, and preventing an arriving passenger from sitting through the turnaround procedures and then alighting onto the southbound island. Also, in principle trains could run through on the centre track if necessary, resulting in passengers both boarding and alighting from the same platform.)

At Tower Gateway (DLR), there is one terminating track served by two platforms. Signage on the platforms indicates that platform 2 (the south side) should be used for boarding (and consequently platform 1 used for alighting). But I believe the trains open doors on both sides simultaneously, and I'm not sure if there are any announcements on board regarding which side to alight on, so in principle a passenger could use either platform for either purpose.

(By the way, a few years ago I took an early-morning DLR train into Bank which crossed over to the eastbound track above ground and ran westbound through the eastbound tunnel arriving at the departure platform (before presumably going the same way back out). If I recall correctly this happened to me twice in the span of a few weeks. I would guess there might have been a blockage, i.e. engineering works or broken down train, in the other platform/tunnel. Clearly single-tunnel operation would not be able to handle more than around one train per 10 minutes, so could only be done very early morning or late evening.)

From one locality I am familiar with to another ... DLR trains are occasionally run 'wrong line' through the tunnel to Bank station, notably if running late, to recover time by not having to make the headshunt move beyond the platforms; they can reverse in a moment, as soon as passenger moves are completed, and pick up a couple of minutes. It can create a bit of a crush on the departure platform between opposing passenger flows.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Does Clapham junctions platform 7 and 9 count? Although there is nothing stopping people, all trains on the up loop are unadvertised at Clapham, and platform 9 are all pick up only?

Up Main departures on platform 7 are open stops.

Not all stops on platform 9 are pick up early at the start and end of the day, trains like the 05.45 Waterloo to Portsmouth have open stops.

 

[themiller]

Many years ago when returning to Rosyth after leave, I boarded a train in Edinburgh which saved me the cost of a taxi from Inverkeithing. It reversed into the dockyard platform at Rosyth. I don’t know of any train which originated there carrying passengers, though.

 

[zero]

Clitheroe except on Sundays

 

[Revilo]

I think this used to be true of Bedwyn’s down platform, which only saw stopping trains terminating. They went back to London from the other platform after shunting. However, there are now 2 weekday trains that stop and go onto the south west, both within 20 mins of each other.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I think this used to be true of Bedwyn’s down platform, which only saw stopping trains terminating. They went back to London from the other platform after shunting. However, there are now 2 weekday trains that stop and go onto the south west, both within 20 mins of each other.

The long standing NSE Westbury Loco Hauled service I believe used to call at Bedwyn too so depends how far back you are going?

 

[Steve Harris]

Platform 6 at Taunton can only be used for departure as a shunt is required to access it.

Ditto with Platform 1 at Huntingdon. Although nothing is now scheduled to start from it.

 

[Kite159]

Platform 1 at Leamington Spa, platform 6 at Wolverhampton, the bay at Oxted. Board only due to the signalling

Bushey platform 3, alight only?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

I am guessing that both Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International possess a pair of platform faces that (pre-Covid) were either set down only (towards London) or pick up only (towards France) due to it being prohibited to travel domestically within the U.K. on Eurostar services?

 

[Jrocks]

Platform 1 at Paignton you can only alight onto, the signalling and track layout doesn't allow for any in service train to depart from Platform 1. Trains have to either shunt via the north end or via goodrington sidings to get back to Platform 2 when they can commence their return working.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Wolverhampton P5 (I think) is similarly departure only.

Platform 5 at Wolverhampton is used for the stopper to/from Walsall.

Platform 6 (north-facing bay) is typically only ever used for early morning Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury services or in times of disruption (i.e. if the Aberystwyth to Birmingham service is curtailed there and the through platforms aren't available).

Basically, in theory, all platforms at Wolves are available for both arriving and departing.

 

[Basil Jet]

As discussed recently, Bushey has a platform on the northbound fast which is rarely used for set down, and bears signs that say you are not allowed to wait on it.

 

[zwk500]

Platform 5 at Wolverhampton is used for the stopper to/from Walsall.

Platform 6 (north-facing bay) is typically only ever used for early morning Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury services or in times of disruption (i.e. if the Aberystwyth to Birmingham service is curtailed there and the through platforms aren't available.

Basically, in theory, all platforms at Wolves are available for both arriving and departing.

No, it was the North facing bay I was thinking of, which categorically cannot be used by arriving passenger traffic as there is no signalled route into it. I dont know how you've seen trains routed into it, there isn't a crossover to allow that move.