Trivia: Platforms you cannot freely 'roam'

[MrJeeves]

Bordesley is kept locked (I can recall one time someone forgot to unlock the exit, trapping a couple of station visitors on the island platform until control got another train to make a special stop to collect them.

I've also heard about two of my friends being shouted at by some track worker for daring to be on the platform watching the one train per week leave after alighting from it. Seemingly under the impression they were trying to cause mischief and were (albeit emptily) threatened with a BTP appearance...!

 

[yorkie]

Lympstone Commando is definitely a private station. The gate may be open but there is no right of use except on military business. Even national railway enquiry site says the same.
Platforms 5/6 Queens Park London.

That's out of date. It definitely can be used now:

https://x.com/bens2477/status/1768630892208021865

The MoD have confirmed to me in a FOI request that the station is open for the public to use and the signs are incorrect and are being changed. If you're visiting Lympstone Commando soon I'd recommend you save their response (attached) to your phone to show if needed."In response to your request for information relating to Lympstone Commando Station, I can confirm that it is open for public use andany member of [the] public is able to use the station. I am also able to confirm that the signs displayed throughout the station are incorrect and are currently [4 March 2024] in the process of being changed"

https://x.com/JacksonMacmanus/status/1768698725180887478

...there is a footpath alongside the military camp now that means the public can use it without trespassing on MoD land

 

[Ashley Hill]

That's out of date. It definitely can be used now:

https://x.com/bens2477/status/1768630892208021865

https://x.com/JacksonMacmanus/status/1768698725180887478

Thank you for your insight. It’s a shame this hasn’t been briefed out locally.

 

[steamybrian]

High Rocks station on the Spa Valley Railway.
The access gate to the platform is only opened by the guard when the train arrives for passengers to get on and off and is then locked before departure. The only time there is free access is on the rare occasions the station is staffed.

 

[renegademaster]

Blackpool North always puzzled me. It's no Euston, hardly heaving crowds outside the summer and even then it's mostly quiet. Is it a revenue thing?

 

[stadler]

Blackpool North always puzzled me. It's no Euston, hardly heaving crowds outside the summer and even then it's mostly quiet. Is it a revenue thing?

Blackpool North has ticket barriers so it can not be revenue related. I too have always been baffled by this one. We have dozens of other similar seaside town terminus stations and they allow anyone to freely walk on to the platforms. It makes it a very unpleasant station to visit. Blackpool South is nicer to use.

 

[flitwickbeds]

Barlaston (and I assume Wedgwood, but not visited personally).

Not sure what exactly would happen if you jumped the wooden gate at Barlaston, but presumably you'd be pretty quickly spotted on CCTV, and BTP or local police called.

 

[stadler]

Barlaston (and I assume Wedgwood, but not visited personally).

Not sure what exactly would happen if you jumped the wooden gate at Barlaston, but presumably you'd be pretty quickly spotted on CCTV, and BTP or local police called.

Yes at both Barlaston and Wedgwood stations they have gated off the platforms. To be honest i doubt anyone would notice someone walking on to the platforms. It is highly unlikely that they have someone constantly watching the CCTV cameras for two closed stations.

I presume that other similar ones like, Angel Road, IBM Halt, Manchester United Football Ground, Norton Bridge, Redcar British Steel, Sampford Courtenay, Stanlow & Thornton, Teesside Airport, etc, are also fenced off like Barlaston and Wedgwood are.

Newhaven Marine was an interesting one. I am not sure what it is like now but for a couple years around 2016 or 2017 or 2018 they had removed all the fencing and you could walk on to the platform. I visited four times around then and was able to walk the full length of the platform and get photos. I even went when and stood on the platform when the parliamentary ECS train came. It is one that you would always expect to be restricted but it was not. I presume now it is officially closed they have probably fenced it up again.

 

[cool110]

Blackpool North always puzzled me.

Blackpool North has ticket barriers so it can not be revenue related. I too have always been baffled by this one.

Not sure if it's still the case now, but certainly before electrification trains had their toilet tanks serviced there. So they would have wanted to keep the space clear for the staff to work, along with the hoses being a trip hazard.

 

[tram21]

We have dozens of other similar seaside town terminus stations and they allow anyone to freely walk on to the platforms.

One that doesn't let you is Skegness. It's a similar thing to Blackpool North, although on a smaller scale with there being only 1tph (but 4 platforms!). There can be long queuing systems in the summer months.

 

[Russel]

One that doesn't let you is Skegness. It's a similar thing to Blackpool North, although on a smaller scale with there being only 1tph (but 4 platforms!). There can be long queuing systems in the summer months.

Is this the case in winter too, regarding platform access?

 

[tram21]

Is this the case in winter too, regarding platform access?

I'm afraid I've only been in Summer, so I don't know! I would assume so, but am happy to be corrected if someone knows otherwise!

 

[Russel]

I'm afraid I've only been in Summer, so I don't know! I would assume so, but am happy to be corrected if someone knows otherwise!

Would seem an odd station to staff, year round.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

While this was a long time ago so I don't remember if it's still the case, but I think St Ives during the peak of summer cloesd the platform until everyone was off the train, then let everyone flood on.

 

[tram21]

Would seem an odd station to staff, year round.

I think the ticket office staff open up the platform when they're there, and the guard does it at all other times?

If anyone has further details it'd be appreciated!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Romford fast line platforms are controlled in a similar manner to Wembley Central (though perhaps not quite as strictly).

Only the down platform - the gates are opened only a couple of minutes before a train calling there and closed again immediately everyone is off the platform; the up platform is ungated and open normally.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

...the gates are opened only a couple of minutes before a train calling there and closed again immediately everyone is off the platform...

Similar situation with platforms 6 and 7 (fast lines) at Wimbledon.

 

[rmHawk765]

Indeed. It’s certainly the only one I’ve seen. The approach always puzzles me to be honest!

Many stations have their fast lines bordered off with actual locked gates - take the many smaller stations between KGX and SVG on the ECML that are only served by GN stoppers to Welywn, for example. But Wembley is certainly the most 'secure' approach I know of, shall we say.

 

[Grecian 1998]

My understand is that Lympstone Commando station was only for access to the commando centre until 2014, when the Exe Estuary Trail cycle path opened. Before then the only place you could access from the station was the camp (complete with sentry), so access was indeed limited. The trail runs between the camp and the station, so it would be quite feasible for walkers or cyclists to head along the trail and then use Commando station to get back to their starting point.

The FOI request above suggests this would be a legitimate use of the station by the general public.

Whilst Weymouth station is generally open, the last Bristol bound service on a Saturday is a dry train, so staff and or the police tend to block off the platform as all intending passengers have to submit any luggage for searches. At least this is what happened the last time I used it around 10 years ago.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

They certainly used to close off the platform used by the NYMR at Whitby until everyone had alighted from an arriving train, before letting departing passengers onto the platform.
I haven't been there for about ten years so don't know if that's still the case.

I seem to recall the Snowdon Mountain Railway controlled access to its platforms at Llanberis as well, presumably to make sure people were on the right departure.

 

[saismee]

Only the down platform - the gates are opened only a couple of minutes before a train calling there and closed again immediately everyone is off the platform; the up platform is ungated and open normally.

That's odd, might it have something to do with access to the ROC? Seems a bit counterproductive but most people probably use the Elizabeth Line from Romford.

 

[PigScroll]

This is on my local line. Last time I passed, the signs still read "persons alighting here must have business with the camp" but I don't know anyone who has tested the arrangement!

I was in the area last autumn and alighted there with a friend for a bit of fun, and we were challenged by a ticket inspector (?) who was on the platform. We quickly apologised, moved on and that was it. The guard on the train had no issue with our tickets to the station though despite us clearly not being military personnel!

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I seem to recall the Snowdon Mountain Railway controlled access to its platforms at Llanberis as well, presumably to make sure people were on the right departure.

Yes, they do.

 

[stadler]

I think a lot of heritage railways do this. I seem to remember the Volks Electric Railway in Brighton only lets you on the platforms when the train is about to leave. They make you queue up outside the platform like what Blackpool North does. This applies to both terminus stations (Aquarium and Black Rock) but the one intermediate station (Halfway) normally lets you on the platforms unrestricted.

 

[zwk500]

Newhaven Marine was an interesting one. I am not sure what it is like now but for a couple years around 2016 or 2017 or 2018 they had removed all the fencing and you could walk on to the platform. I visited four times around then and was able to walk the full length of the platform and get photos. I even went when and stood on the platform when the parliamentary ECS train came. It is one that you would always expect to be restricted but it was not. I presume now it is officially closed they have probably fenced it up again.

Newhaven Marine is within the port security boundary, access to it would require passing a security checkpoint at Beach Road. It looks like the platform just about exists but to get to it it looks like you'd have to go over beach rd and all the way down to the quay access and back up, which is likely to get you challenges as that's all within the secure perimeter. Going back on GSV it looks like the security hut was upgraded in about 2017 but the fencing wasn't upgraded until 2019.
Given the presence of McKinlay Way over the line now and the new security checkpoint off that roundabout, I wonder how much longer the Beach Road access has left, and whether NR might persuade NPP (the port's owners) to fence off the railway completely at that point and redevelop the area of land for new industrial units outside the security perimeter.

 

[Pete 1981]

Denton/Reddish South are both accessible at all times,despite there only being one return service on a Saturday.

 

[800001]

I’ve never had an issue at St Pancras. Whilst they certainly keep the gateline closed to incoming at certain times, if you slip through and find somewhere quiet to wait on a platform I’ve never had anyone bat an eyelid.

King’s Cross seem to be occasionally closing the gates to incoming for the suburban platforms recently, and I have even been pestered by staff there whilst waiting on platform 10. This is an unfortunate development as King’s Cross has always been quite chilled especially since the new concourse opened.

As far as the original question goes, Skegness can be added to the list. Exmouth used to be as well, but not sure if this is still the case. Totally don’t understand why Exmouth ever worked like that.

I think Bordesley and perhaps Polesworth are kept locked.

Then there’s Acton Bridge where a local resident didn’t like certain types of people using the station, though we don’t seem to have heard of trouble here for a while now, so perhaps the troublesome couple have moved away now.

Another old one was Lelant Saltings, where they at times seemed to operate a queuing system, which involved having the platform cordoned off with a tensa barrier. I remember bemusing the staff there when to circumvent this arrangement in order to take some photos of the station we arrived by train and remained on the platform - the member of staff wasn’t bothered, but couldn’t understand how we’d managed to get on the platform! This is all history now as the park & ride has moved, but there may still be queueing systems at St Ives and possibly St Erth at very busy times. St Ives seems to have gained some shouty staff in respect of the yellow line, which is rather daft at a small station where trains approach at crawling speed.

Recently spent a full day at Acton Bridge.

Several other enthusiasts also there, some encouraging drivers to toot there horns, no issues with anyone coming from any houses.

 

[kacper]

Bordesley station too. Not open on most days

 

[M28361M]

For the final few years as a terminus/interchange station, the Wigan platform at Kirkby had a gate across the access path which was locked evenings/Sundays when the Wigan services didn’t run.

I believe a similar arrangement now exists at Headbolt Lane.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That's odd, might it have something to do with access to the ROC? Seems a bit counterproductive but most people probably use the Elizabeth Line from Romford.

I wondered about that; certainly the up fast platform is the only access for the Rominster shuttle, but that doesn't need more than a small part of the platform at the country end which could feasibly be fenced off.