One of the bays at Northampton are normally used by the hourly Northampton - Birmingham service
P5 is unused currently due to Casvegas being served by a bus, peak only. It only takes a single 150 so isn't the most useful.
Yes, when there's a GC in the station.
Depots don't "need" platforms.
Norwood Junction needs another up direction platform. All platforms at Norwood Junction are defintley very much needed.
All these platforms are needed. Unless you want a situation when there are engineering works on the slows, no trains can stop at any of these stations as there are no platforms on the fasts.
The suburban side of London Waterloo handles (or did pre-covid) 18 departures per hour from 5 platforms over a 2 track railway. Although not always reliably!
When was the last time the island platforms at N Malden or Esher were used? As far as I know, the platforms at New Malden are locked out of service and not even maintained any more.
But surely would still only need 3 max?
The thread title says "need for regular service", so platforms that are not needed for regular service would seem to count, even if they are very useful during times of (planned or unplanned) disruption.
Also a slight difference in that most of the stock there can interwork, so the turnarounds can be shorter and during disruption you can easily change what works what. Whereas obviously you can't interwork a Pendolino and 150!
still is very useful for turning trains if there is a severe delay on the single line.
Absolutely, busy has no booked trains.
No, one Northern westbound, one Northern eastbound, one Northern terminator and one GC equals 4.
Not to mention that the GC can only fit in two of the four (the pair nearest the bus station) due to being 5-car sets.
Wigan North Western now only has 5 platforms since platform 2 was closed to allow platform 3 to be lengthened.
| 16:39 | Chester | On time |
| 16:40 | London Euston | On time |
Yes, but what I'm saying is that it would still work with fewer platforms. It without just require things to be juggled around a little. The same can't be said for Wigan.
All passenger services (except the Sleepers) stop at Warrington so I'm not quite sure what you mean?
They're certainly not all needed at the same time, but you would have to limit it to having services to either Leeds or Selby/Hull (like Ulleskelf) to reduce the number of platforms.
Unless there is engineering works closing the line via platforms 7 & 8 so the suburban trains from Wimbledon use P5/6.
