Trivia: Simultaneous departures from multiple platforms

[Bigbru]

I hope this is in the right place?

I was at Abbey Wood yesterday and noticed there was simultaneously departures on 3 of the 4 platforms at 1847 (and actually quite regularly)

Realtime Trains | Departures from Abbey Wood around 1915 on 18/08/2024

Train departures from Abbey Wood around 1915 on 18/08/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Does anyone know if anywhere else has a higher ratio?

 

[Horizon22]

I hope this is in the right place?

I was at Abbey Wood yesterday and noticed there was simultaneously departures on 3 of the 4 platforms at 1847 (and actually quite regularly)

Realtime Trains | Departures from Abbey Wood around 1915 on 18/08/2024

Train departures from Abbey Wood around 1915 on 18/08/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Does anyone know if anywhere else has a higher ratio?

I'm sure there are quirks like this during the AM/PM peak at busy through stations around the country. Off the top of my head, somewhere like Farringdon, Reading or Birmingham New Street is likely to have similar.

 

[dazzler]

In the mid-90s, Birmingham New Street had simultaneous departures at 15:55.

Both departures were Cross Country services.

Both departures went to Edinburgh.

One via York and the ECML, the other via Carlisle and the WCML.

There were a number of instances of passengers getting the wrong one, especially for intermediate stations, so eventually the via York service was re-timed to 15:58.

 

[Sunil_P]

Today at Barking:

1209 to Gospel Oak
1209 to Fenchurch Street

 

[pompeyfan]

Waterloo has 3 trains departing at xx:20 and xx:50 each hour, there may even be some occasions when 4 depart at the same time.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Today at Manchester Piccadilly...

1258 to York (TPE) from Platform 1

1258 to Saltburn (TPE) from Platform 14.

Both trains call at Huddersfield and York.

 

[brad465]

London Victoria has two trains leaving at xx:42, one to Gillingham via Denmark Hill, one to Orpington via Herne Hill. In the peaks that also applies at xx:12.

 

[sycns]

TPE services from Sheffield often both leave at XX:11.

1 departure to Cleethorpes VIA Doncaster, the other to Liverpool Lime St VIA Manchester Piccadilly

 

[Gerard92]

London Bridge has 4 trains departing at 25 & 55 - London Cannon Street, London Charing X, Epsom & Oprington all day & also 4 trains at the same time during both am & pm peaks

 

[WelshBluebird]

Bristol Temple Meads has multiple departures at the same time fairly often. Usually around the o clock time. Just looking today and at 9pm there's a London and an Exeter service and at 10pm there's a London, an Exeter and a Birmingham service. Bound to be more too.

 

[Leyland155]

Today at Manchester Piccadilly...

1258 to York (TPE) from Platform 1

1258 to Saltburn (TPE) from Platform 14.

Both trains call at Huddersfield and York.

Also at Piccadilly are the xx:03 Northern Hadfield and xx:03 CrossCountry Bristol TM departures. Usually on the adjacent platforms 2 and 3 too, when the roof work isn't going on!

 

[renegademaster]

Looking at Clapham Junction today, counted at least 5 before 10am

 

[Trainguy34]

3 at London Victoria at 16:12, to Orpington, Gillingham and Dorking.

 

[Timmyd]

Not really surprising at these massive stations but an interesting one is Loughborough Junction where pretty much every departure is simultaneous with one from the opposite platform, all day mon-sat

 

[Bigbru]

I'm sure there are quirks like this during the AM/PM peak at busy through stations around the country. Off the top of my head, somewhere like Farringdon, Reading or Birmingham New Street is likely to have similar.

I guess it's just a quirk I'd expect more at bigger stations. However, with only 4 platforms that's trains leaving simultaneously on 75% of the platforms.

 

[Taunton]

Single line passing places with just half q dozen services each way a day might well occasionally have two trains departing in opposite directions together.

Back in steam days at Taunton the Minehead branch service on the Down Relief was commonly timed 5 minutes after a main Bristol/North service departed onto the Down Main, but if the latter was a bit late the Minehead would be held for the connection (old fashioned concept). Both would then get the right away together, and as the Bristol train was often remanned here both crews knew each other. Maximum full regulator effort from both, in parallel, the Minehead tank with a few coaches hopefully pulling ahead. Drivers both concentrating forward, firemen looking over the side at each other, with "appropriate" gestures. Marvellous!

 

[Sunil_P]

Liverpool Street today

1130 to Norwich
1130 to Enfield Town
1130 to Abbey Wood (from low level)

1133 to Chingford
1133 to Southend Victoria
1133 to Shenfield (from low level)

1148 to Chingford
1148 to Braintree
1148 to Shenfield (from low level)

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Looking at Clapham Junction today, counted at least 5 before 10am

There is one instance at least for Clapham Junction where there would have been a six had not one of them been cancelled... at 06.58.




Screenshot below from RTT showing six planned simultaneous departures at 06.58.

 

[Bigbru]

There is one instance at least for Clapham Junction where there would have been a six had not one of them been cancelled... at 06.58.




Screenshot below from RTT showing six planned simultaneous departures at 06.58.

View attachment 163942

Wow, 3 trains all booked to be going to the same place at the same time. The peculiarities of our railway never cease to amaze me.

 

[Purple Train]

Does anyone know if anywhere else has a higher ratio?

Pedantically, any two-platform station with simultaneous departures will have a higher ratio, as all of the platforms will have a departure! It used to be the case at my local station, but annoyingly they've offset them by three or four minutes now, which makes the timetable less easy to memorise!

I doubt there will be a higher number of simultaneous departures than the six at Clapham Junction - some of the termini may have more platforms, but won't have as many lines leading out. I wonder how many simultaneous departures there are at the likes of Leeds, where there are two sets of operations back-to-back along with through services (i.e. bay platforms at both ends that are, in a railway sense, separate)? And if there are any stations with all the platforms departed from simultaneously that have more than two?

 

[Western Sunset]

A single platform station would have 100% departures with one train departing.

 

[mrcheek]

This could easily be confusing for someone in a hurry and not paying attention.
But even worse is when there are departures at times very close together, to the same destination, but on different routes

For example, I once had to catch a service to Cheam, from London Victoria.
I knew that I had to catch a Horsham service, at approx 20 minutes past the hour. But I think it was something like one service to Horsham at 19 minutes past, and another at 21 minutes past, but both going different ways, and only one going to Cheam.

In a rush, I boarded the wrong train at first, but luckily there were multiple announcements, so I was able to change. The toughest part was negotiating the ticket gates, in, out and back in again, with an All Line Rover!

 

[greatkingrat]

Canonbury has 4 simultaneous departures from 4 platforms

P1 - 0749 to Highbury & Islington
P2 - 0749 to West Croydon
P3 - 0749 to Clapham Junction (via Willesden)
P4 - 0749 to Stratford

 

[brad465]

Canonbury has 4 simultaneous departures from 4 platforms

P1 - 0749 to Highbury & Islington
P2 - 0749 to West Croydon
P3 - 0749 to Clapham Junction (via Willesden)
P4 - 0749 to Stratford

Can we close this thread now?

 

[Par]

I noticed today that two Manchester services departed Euston at 12.53, one on time (1H21) from P3 and the 12.33, (1H67) from P7, 20 down. I note that the on time departure used Line X and the diveunder to gain the down fast, whilst the late runner used Line B and then followed behind (appropriately 5 behind) to Colwich, where the services went their separate ways. Wouldn’t a P7 departure normally use the diveunder?

I’m interested in the protocols for deciding which service takes which line (presumably both were originally routed on Line X).

How does this work in practice?

 

[Tramfan]

Monument on the Tyne & Wear Metro occasionally has departures at the same time both to South Shields or St James from the upper and lower platforms, and thus one of which travels around the North Tyne coast first.

 

[60159]

In the mid-90s, Birmingham New Street had simultaneous departures at 15:55.

Both departures were Cross Country services.

Both departures went to Edinburgh.

One via York and the ECML, the other via Carlisle and the WCML.

There were a number of instances of passengers getting the wrong one, especially for intermediate stations, so eventually the via York service was re-timed to 15:58.

Years ago I believe there were 10.15 departures to London at Haymarket from platforms1 and 4. I knew I was west coast (4) but asked anyway as I was fairly sure they’d say 1 which they did.
Going in opposite directions.

 

[mm333]

My favourite was one of the days when the ECML was closed south of St Neots. LNER had, at least once, the Newcastle train leaving at the same time as the Leeds train. The Newcastle train was on the fast lines to Peterborough and the Leeds train was on the slow lines.

 

[Nippy]

I noticed today that two Manchester services departed Euston at 12.53, one on time (1H21) from P3 and the 12.33, (1H67) from P7, 20 down. I note that the on time departure used Line X and the diveunder to gain the down fast, whilst the late runner used Line B and then followed behind (appropriately 5 behind) to Colwich, where the services went their separate ways. Wouldn’t a P7 departure normally use the diveunder?

I’m interested in the protocols for deciding which service takes which line (presumably both were originally routed on Line X).

How does this work in practice?

We, as signallers, work to the booked timetabled routes as far as possible. That said we can, and do, use other lines when trains depart Euston to free up the platform a bit quicker if we can. The problem with the move today though is that the 12:54 Tring departure might get a slight tickle if that is on time.

 

[norbitonflyer]

This could easily be confusing for someone in a hurry and not paying attention.

Frantic phone call one morning from Best Beloved who had done just that. Supposed to be on 0912 Waterloo to Bournemouth but had taken a Basinbgtsoke (I think) stopper leaving at the same time (there was also a Windsor departure at the ame time). Compounded the problem by baling out at the first stop, Surbiton - understandable , but unhelpful, as it was impossible to get to Bournemouth from there without getting the next Woking service half an hor later and changing again.