Trivia: Stations with the worst numbered platforms

[DanTrain]

Following on from a thread about platfors trains never depart from, I noticed the platforms at Newcastle Central seemed to have no logic to their numbering. It's like they tried to go clockwise (as in Edinburgh Waverley) but failed with the through platforms (and one or two others too). What other stations are illogically numbered like this, and why?

 

[DanNCL]

Following on from a thread about platfors trains never depart from, I noticed the platforms at Newcastle Central seemed to have no logic to their numbering. It's like they tried to go clockwise (as in Edinburgh Waverley) but failed with the through platforms (and one or two others too). What other stations are illogically numbered like this, and why?

Sunderland has also numbered the various parts of its island platform in a clockwise fashion, as a result the Nothern Rail end is numbered platforms 1 and 4, with the Metro and GC end of the island platform being platforms 2 and 3. The ticket office and main entrance is at the platforms 2/3 end of the station, making the numbering seem even more illogical.

 

[matacaster]

Huddersfield is a bit strange.
There is a platform 1 = Bay Penistone (original 1 was where the Jackson children's centre coach now is); 2 = Through Manchester; No 3 (originally very short eastwards facing bay); 4 = Through Manchester / Leeds / Wakefield; 5, 6 both car bays Wakefield / Leeds / Bradford; No 7 (was very short westwards bay, now filled in); 8 = Through mainly TPE Eastbound to Leeds etc

 

[Jimini]

Stratford!

 

[DanTrain]

Stratford!

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stati...tions-made-easy/stratford-london-station-plan

What do you mean! Stratford is so logical. 2 Platform 3s, which are no-where near 1 and 2; 2 platform 10s and no platform 7. Perfect

 

[DarloRich]

What do we mean by worst? Do you noy just mean oddly arranged or poorly sequenced?

 

[fairysdad]

Stratford!

Thread closed!

 

[xotGD]

Following on from a thread about platfors trains never depart from, I noticed the platforms at Newcastle Central seemed to have no logic to their numbering. It's like they tried to go clockwise (as in Edinburgh Waverley) but failed with the through platforms (and one or two others too). What other stations are illogically numbered like this, and why?

At Newcastle, as long as you remember that 1 used to be 7 and 9 used to be 11, then it is straightforward! I still think in terms of the old numbers, where 8, 9 and 10 were the through platforms.

 

[Welly]

The reason why the platforms have weird numbering sequences at some stations is down to the signal interlocking circuits and signalbox panels. When the signals were first installed the wires/cables and relay contacts would have loads of labels referring to the platforms so any change to platform number would mean changing all those labels which would be a big job in itself. So the only way to tidy up the platform numbering to a more logical sequence is to resignal the whole station.

An example is Lincoln which had 8 platforms but closures whittled them down to 5 platforms starting with 3 on to 7. Resignalling during 2008 provided the opportunity to number the platforms logically from 1 to 5!

 

[jopsuk]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stati...tions-made-easy/stratford-london-station-plan

What do you mean! Stratford is so logical. 2 Platform 3s, which are no-where near 1 and 2; 2 platform 10s and no platform 7. Perfect

Quite.

At most stations, a letter would be a sector of a platform. Eg Cambridge has 1/1a and 4/4a. In both cases the a is the outer part of the platform.

Stratford is a more creative place, which is why 10 faces 10a across a pair of tracks, 3 faces 3a across a single track with trains using that track opening doors both sides, and platforms 4A and 4B are opposite sides of a single island/pier. Variety!

 

[Dr_Paul]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stati...tions-made-easy/stratford-london-station-planWhat do you mean! Stratford is so logical. 2 Platform 3s, which are no-where near 1 and 2; 2 platform 10s and no platform 7. Perfect

No wonder I get lost whenever I go there.

 

[physics34]

Waterloo East

 

[delticdave]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stati...tions-made-easy/stratford-london-station-plan

What do you mean! Stratford is so logical. 2 Platform 3s, which are no-where near 1 and 2; 2 platform 10s and no platform 7. Perfect

Platforms 4 & 7 were the west-facing bays for the planned Liv. St. - Fenchurch St. electric shuttles that never happened.

BR never laid the tracks, but platforms were signed at the subway level.

The original DLR platform at Stratford was the previously unused 4. now replaced with their own island platforms.

1 & 2 were the original up & down North Woolwich low-level platforms now used by the new DLR branch.

10a was platform 10, situated on the down main loop, 9 was the up main loop, before it became a much wider island platform utilizing the down main alignment.

There have been many changes to the railways in the Stratford area, even before the Olympic / Stratford East developments. Most of the routes in the area still exist, but are virtually unrecognizeable.

DC

 

[king_walnut]

Redhill has a platform 0

 

[Wirewiper]

At Stratford the platform numbering may not be logical today. However most of the services are pretty self-contained and many passengers will navigate their way around the station by looking for signs for London Overground, Central Line etc. rather than a platform number. I wonder how many travellers at Stratford are actually aware of the number of the platform they are using?

 

[Wirewiper]

Portsmouth & Southsea is another numbering oddity in that the platforms are numbered 2, 1, 3, 4 in that order (east to west).

The explanation is that platforms 2 and 1 are the high-level platforms (or rather an island platform with two faces), so this sequence allows the main departure platform to be platform 1 with platform 2 for Portsmouth Harbour only.

 

[Grimsby town]

York managed to confuse my friend who is in the transportartion industry. I can see why though with platform 3 and 4 being practically the same platform but being classed separately, while platform 5 which is a similar length is split into platform a and b.

Again down the road in Doncaster platform 3 is simply split into a and b.

 

[Wirewiper]

Reading also had an oddity for a while.

As part of the Reading Remodelling Project, all platforms from 4 upwards were renumbered from December 2011 to take into account the future layout. However what had been platform 8 became the new platform 16, located between the new platforms 8 and 9.

The reason for this was because platform 16 was only due to be in use for another two years, and would shut once new platforms 12-15 came on stream in April 2013. Numbering it 16 would enable it to close without leaving a gap in the final numbering sequence.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Redhill has a platform 0

As does Stockport, Cardiff Central, Haymarket and Kings Cross, amongst others I am sure. Who remembers the proposals for 0 and -1 at Man Picc a few years ago? I cannot recall how serioua the idea was!

Portsmouth & Southsea is another numbering oddity in that the platforms are numbered 2, 1, 3, 4 in that order (east to west).

The explanation is that platforms 2 and 1 are the high-level platforms (or rather an island platform with two faces), so this sequence allows London-bound trains to call at platform 1.

The sequence being broken once an hour when the slow Waterloo via Guildford train starts from downstairs Or is it advertised as a different destination - I honestly can't recall...

 

[Spoorslag '70]

Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is also pretty interesting.
2-7 are quite OK, but further down it gets complicated:
8&10, 11&16, 18&20, 21&23, 26&31.

Zwolle seems wierd at frist but is pretty logical: The platform closest to the main entrance (nowadays) is 16. So when entering the station you go past platforms 16, 15, 14 and than get to 1. This is not mentioning that 12&13 are at the very different end of the station and a further bay just has the regular number (4) So the bays near the station building are numberd from 11 and the main platforms are numberd pretty straightforward (by track so including through lines). Map

 

[Jonny]

Platforms 9-12 at Newcastle might be rather odd compared to where 7 and 8 are.

 

[700007]

Stratford as aforementioned is obviously one but Euston's numbering annoys me because it is right to left (when facing the platforms from the concourse) when traditionally it is left to right. It has caught me off guard multiple times now.

 

[700007]

As does Stockport, Cardiff Central, Haymarket and Kings Cross, amongst others I am sure. Who remembers the proposals for 0 and -1 at Man Picc a few years ago? I cannot recall how serioua the idea was!



The sequence being broken once an hour when the slow Waterloo via Guildford train starts from downstairs Or is it advertised as a different destination - I honestly can't recall...

It is advertised as London Waterloo via Guildford even on the slows. I think Worplesdon would be what they would use if it wasn't advertised as London Waterloo.

 

[davetheguard]

Reading also had an oddity for a while.

As part of the Reading Remodelling Project, all platforms from 4 upwards were renumbered from December 2011 to take into account the future layout. However what had been platform 8 became the new platform 16, located between the new platforms 8 and 9.

The reason for this was because platform 16 was only due to be in use for another two years, and would shut once new platforms 12-15 came on stream in April 2013. Numbering it 16 would enable it to close without leaving a gap in the final numbering sequence.

The old Reading layout, before rebuilding, used to confuse some as there was a platform 4 (the Down Main line), a platform 4a, & a platform 4b (both east facing bays) - all three separate. People used to walk up & down platform 4 looking for the "a" and "b" ends, which didn't exist. Since the rebuild, and associated renumbering, this particular problem has gone away.

 

[hexagon789]

Oban's only two platforns are numbered 3 and 4, not 1 and 2. 1 and 2 served the Ballachulish branch and were removed in the early 70s I think.

 

[Harbornite]

Penhelig

 

[Mike99]

Platforms 4 & 7 were the west-facing bays for the planned Liv. St. - Fenchurch St. electric shuttles that never happened.

BR never laid the tracks, but platforms were signed at the subway level.

The original DLR platform at Stratford was the previously unused 4. now replaced with their own island platforms.

1 & 2 were the original up & down North Woolwich low-level platforms now used by the new DLR branch.

10a was platform 10, situated on the down main loop, 9 was the up main loop, before it became a much wider island platform utilizing the down main alignment.

There have been many changes to the railways in the Stratford area, even before the Olympic / Stratford East developments. Most of the routes in the area still exist, but are virtually unrecognizeable.

DC

Thanks for explaining

 

[greyman42]

York managed to confuse my friend who is in the transportartion industry. I can see why though with platform 3 and 4 being practically the same platform but being classed separately, while platform 5 which is a similar length is split into platform a and b.

Again down the road in Doncaster platform 3 is simply split into a and b.

At York 3 and 4 have always been separate platforms. Platform 5 became 5a and 5b relatively recently when southbound London trains started using it to provide easy access to the London stoppers on platform 6.

 

[DanTrain]

The old Reading layout, before rebuilding, used to confuse some as there was a platform 4 (the Down Main line), a platform 4a, & a platform 4b (both east facing bays) - all three separate. People used to walk up & down platform 4 looking for the "a" and "b" ends, which didn't exist. Since the rebuild, and associated renumbering, this particular problem has gone away.

Sheffield has that same sort of thing, with the south-facing bay at the end of platform 2 being called 2c (with 2a and 2b both part of the main platform 2). However the other south-facing bay is just platform 7. Logic

 

[GW43125]

Following on from a thread about platfors trains never depart from, I noticed the platforms at Newcastle Central seemed to have no logic to their numbering. It's like they tried to go clockwise (as in Edinburgh Waverley) but failed with the through platforms (and one or two others too). What other stations are illogically numbered like this, and why?

All platforms at Waverley are numbered logically clockwise. 1, cross to 2, bays 3,4,5,6, 7 through, 8 &9 round the back, turn round on yourself, through 10, cross to 11, bays 12-18, then 19 through, cross to 20. Perfectly logical.