Trivia > stations with "hidden" (but working) platforms?

[91104]

Platform 1 at Romford where the Upminster train departs is rather detached from the rest of the station.

 

[satisnek]

Worcester Shrub Hill platform 3 - hidden at the far end of platform 2.

And only used for departures - just as well, otherwise somebody alighting from the front of a two-car train would open the doors onto a brick wall!

Walsall is also a funny one. Since the present station was built when there was nothing more than a terminating service from New Street, access to Platform 1 is totally separate from the rest of the station.

 

[richard1976]

Platform 1A at Upminster

 

[Condor7]

Kings Cross 9¾

I think finding that platform is easier than typing three quarters numerically, how did you do that? :-?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Hold down ALT, type 0190 then let go of ALT. ¾

 

[ASharpe]

Not sure if this counts, but I once spent far too long trying to find my way between platforms 3 and 4 at York. It's hidden in plain sight.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Does platform 2 at Castleford count? Technically it's out of use and the footbridge has been blocked off but it's still intact.

 

[Crossover]

Mirfield has quite a trek between the island platform (1 and relatively unused 2) and platform 3 on the loop. You can just about see them from each other but the route between is not all that obvious.

They have at least put a sign in the middle of the mural as you come down off the island pointing out p3, but the other way is still pretty unsigned

 

[BigVince76]

Platform 2 at Exeter St. Davids is tucked away out of sight. I certainly remember trains leaving for Barnstaple from there in the past but don't know if it is ever used now. There used to be a siding with a sort of un-numbered platform behind platform 2. I remember an inspection coach being parked there for ages in the late 80's, it was not locked!

 

[BurtonM]

Fast line platforms at New Cross Gate?
P4 at Beckenham Jct - nothing except ECS seems to use it.
Also there's one platform that often comes up on information screens/displays, that could be literally anywhere in the vicinity of the station...
'Bus' :roll:

 

[southern442]

Mirfield has quite a trek between the island platform (1 and relatively unused 2) and platform 3 on the loop. You can just about see them from each other but the route between is not all that obvious.

They have at least put a sign in the middle of the mural as you come down off the island pointing out p3, but the other way is still pretty unsigned

I totally agree with you. I think trying to find Catford from Catford Bridge is easier!
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Fast line platforms at New Cross Gate?
P4 at Beckenham Jct - nothing except ECS seems to use it.
Also there's one platform that often comes up on information screens/displays, that could be literally anywhere in the vicinity of the station...
'Bus' :roll:

There are a few trains a day (I believe, could be just the one though) that leave to Charing X via the Hayes line from P4 at Beckenham Jn.


I also think Moorgate platfoms 9 and 10 are a bit isolated.

 

[Bushy]

The only conclusion to draw from this topic is that stations with hidden platforms are not that hard to find!

Regards

Bushy

 

[Kite159]

Mirfield has quite a trek between the island platform (1 and relatively unused 2) and platform 3 on the loop. You can just about see them from each other but the route between is not all that obvious.

They have at least put a sign in the middle of the mural as you come down off the island pointing out p3, but the other way is still pretty unsigned

I noticed that on the challenge when changing trains there, was platform 3 an after-thought?

Probably one of the hardest stations to get from one platform to the other in a hurry

 

[40129]

The second arrives on platform 1 as 2W00 from BHM at 0631, shunts and then departs as 2J03 at 0648. I can't see any obvious reason why it does that, and why it can't just sit on platform 1or 2 for 17 minutes, there is only one other train that uses platform 1 between those times, that's 1H13, the 0641 to MAN.

Agree with you on this. Must be very frustrating for passengers trying to get from BHM to the Shrewsbury line, especially when its wet

 

[Tomnick]

The second arrives on platform 1 as 2W00 from BHM at 0631, shunts and then departs as 2J03 at 0648. I can't see any obvious reason why it does that, and why it can't just sit on platform 1or 2 for 17 minutes, there is only one other train that uses platform 1 between those times, that's 1H13, the 0641 to MAN.

There are two or three trains on the Down quite close together, aren't there? I did look yesterday, but can't remember the details - other than that at least one pair looked too close together to use the same platform, hence the need for both 1 and 2 to be free.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Does platform 2 at Castleford count? Technically it's out of use and the footbridge has been blocked off but it's still intact.

I was there last week, the footbridge is history now...

 

[theshillito]

Platform 3 at Northwich could be used if the wire fencing separating it from platform 2 was cut away, freight trains use the track adjacent to the platform and sometimes stop there due to a red signal at the end of platform 3 so presumably it could be used for passenger services without any re-signalling.

This is the platform proposed for the Middlewich-Sandbach-Crewe services, though the platform itself needs work doing to it before they can take that fence down.

 

[Crossover]

I noticed that on the challenge when changing trains there, was platform 3 an after-thought?

Probably one of the hardest stations to get from one platform to the other in a hurry

I'm sure there are harder, but yes, it is a tricky one to negotiate in a hurry

According to Wikipedia, platform 3 was added in the 80's as part of capacity improvements (the nature of the wooden structure ties in with this sort of time frame) - it means they now have a loop which allows fasts to pass the slows between the two junctions. It seems that Mirfield, as with Dewsbury, used to be 4 tracked, but that was rationalised also about 30-40 years ago

I was there last week, the footbridge is history now...

Has been for quite some time now

 

[Statto]

Platform 2 at Crewe is pretty remote!

You can say that about the other bay platforms at Crewe.

 

[CyrusWuff]

At a push, how about Platforms 5 and 6 at Marylebone, which involve a hike two thirds of the way along Platform 3 before you see them?

 

[theshillito]

You can say that about the other bay platforms at Crewe.

I wouldn't say they're hidden though. Platforms 3 and 4 were hidden when the building work was going on. Couldn't see if there was a train in them from platform 5 for a while.

Platform 2 is, indeed, remote and not immediately obvious it's there. Rarely used I think, though I believe some early London Midland services stop there now for some reason.

 

[Philip Elliott]

The Northampton north end bays are pretty hidden. No longer used, but the south end bays were the other side of the main road.

 

[martinsh]

Platform 2 is, indeed, remote and not immediately obvious it's there. Rarely used I think, though I believe some early London Midland services stop there now for some reason.

Platform 2 is often used when the Birmingham - Liverpools are terminated short. But not for arrivals from Liverpool, which this photo seems to indicate !

 

[ValleyLines142]

Platform 2 is often used when the Birmingham - Liverpools are terminated short. But not for arrivals from Liverpool, which this photo seems to indicate !

Crikey, look how late that service from Cardiff is!

 

[fishquinn]

Crikey, look how late that service from Cardiff is!

And the Glasgow!

 

[Busaholic]

I totally agree with you. I think trying to find Catford from Catford Bridge is easier!
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There are a few trains a day (I believe, could be just the one though) that leave to Charing X via the Hayes line from P4 at Beckenham Jn.


I also think Moorgate platfoms 9 and 10 are a bit isolated.

When I lived near Beckenham Junction decades ago there was at least one train in the rush hour from Platform 4 that went to Blackfriars, so you got the situation in SE6 of all trains to Blackfriars from Catford Station except the one from Catford Bridge!
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Us schoolboys in Catford managed to find an easier way between the two stations (and far from being no-smoking, smoking was compulsory)

 

[herschell]

Well I've found another station missing a platform, Stirling starts with Platform 2 and not a sign anywhere of Platform 1, is there any other stations apart from here and Temple Meads that skip platform numbers?

 

[table38]

Huddersfield has no Platform 3 or 7. There's an old thread about missing platforms here

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I cannot access that link (I assume therefore it's in the Quiz forum), but if the above poster's question isn't answered there, Stirling platform 1 is now a car park.

 

[Parallel]

Well I've found another station missing a platform, Stirling starts with Platform 2 and not a sign anywhere of Platform 1, is there any other stations apart from here and Temple Meads that skip platform numbers?

Cardiff Central no longer has a platform 5, so it's actually just 3 and 4 on the island platform although 5 is still present on old signage.

Personally, I think they should renumber the platforms at Cardiff renaming Platform 0 for Ebbw Vale Parkway Platform 1, the current Platform 1 would become Platform 2 and so on. The current abundance of a platform 5 means the valley lines will still be platforms 6 and 7 (and 8 when the new platform is built).