Doncaster Platform 0?

[theblackwatch]

That W designation at Leeds caused some confusion when they also opened a temporary platform on Whitehall triangle to provide capacity during the remodel. People often thought that W on the departures list meant Leeds (Whitehall)

It also caused amusement when they first did announcements "Platform Wa for the...." etc. "Platform Wc" very quickly became "The front of platform Wb".

 

[IanXC]

The ITT for the South Western Franchise 21 of the Class 185 trains are suggested for bidders to use as part of a bid, no other class is specificslly mentioned. This is for 2019/2020.
[Rail Magazine issue 807, page 33]

The evening rush hour train from Sheffield requires a change at Doncaster, and another in the other direction. Or it was last time I travelled at those times.

These are the 21 185s not being retained! It's a fleet of 51, and the other 30 will be retained for Hull to Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds to Manchester Piccadilly and Cleethorpes to Manchester Piccadilly. This is all as per the franchise announcement.

 

[ainsworth74]

It's also not strictly relevant to Doncaster Platform 0 so could I ask that further speculation on the future of the 185s is carried out in the existing threads for that purpose. Many thanks!

 

[brompton rail]

Platform 0 looks to be un-needed, but when planned, it was proposed that Cleethorpes trains to Sheffield and Manchester be scrapped.
They claimed they wouldn't do that, but already there's Cleethorpes trains starting and ending at Doncaster. It will become more common when the 185s leave the franchise to go South.

The 15.55 from Manchester Airport has been restored as a through train to Cleethorpes and so the previous situation where it terminated at Doncaster Platform 4 and returned to Manchester has ended. It used to be a very full double class 170 working, so now presumably is a class 185 ( is it 6 cars between Manchester and Sheffield?). It is a service to avoid if you want a comfortable journey!

 

[Kirk Sandall]

it looks like that on real time trains, Doncaster platform 0 will open on monday.

 

[mm333]

Yup, according to http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/virgintrains/summary.aspx?T=DON&R=1. The 1901 Scunthorpe-Doncaster stopper is down to arrive on platform 0.

 

[snowball]

Three NR press releases about Doncaster, one from last week giving today as the opening date and two from today:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/media-event-opening-of-platform-0-at-doncaster-station

Network Rail will be holding a media event on Monday, 12 December at Doncaster station to mark the opening of the newly installed platform 0.

All media are invited to the station to film the event as well as conduct interviews with representatives from Network Rail, Department for Transport, Virgin Trains East Coast and Northern.

Please arrive at 11:00 prompt.

There will be a speech from Rob McIntosh, route managing director at Network Rail, at 11:30 and interview opportunities with all representatives from 11:45.

The event will finish at approximately 12:00.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...re-reliable-journeys-for-doncaster-passengers

A new platform which will allow more trains to run through Doncaster and improve reliability of journeys for passengers has been officially opened.

Transport Minister, Andrew Jones, joined Network Rail who own the station and built the new platform; Virgin Trains East Coast who operate Doncaster station; and Northern who’s trains will use the new platform; for the event.

The new bay platform, platform zero, is part of the Railway Upgrade Plan and will reduce congestion around what is a key junction on the East Coast Main Line for both passenger and freight services, as well as allowing both long distance and local train services more flexibility.

Platform zero is the first part of a £21million programme of improvements at Doncaster which includes track adjustments and new ‘bi-directional’ signals, the traffic lights of the railway, which will allow trains to run in either direction on a single piece of track.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “It is a pleasure to be here in Doncaster, officially opening this new platform.

“The government is investing £40 billion in our railways, the biggest amount since the Victorian era, to modernise the service and improve routes. Here in Doncaster, the improvements form part of a wider investment in the East Coast Main Line, which will see £247 million spent on enhancements between now and 2024 to improve capacity and journey times for passengers.”

The Doncaster improvements form part of a wider investment in the East Coast Main Line which will see £247million spent on enhancements between now and 2024 at places including Werrington, Huntingdon and King’s Cross to provide more frequent, faster services and to help respond to the tremendous growth which has seen passengers numbers double on Britain's railways in the past 20 years.

The improvement work, which will continue on the track and signals at Doncaster over Christmas, will also prepare the railway for the arrival of the new Virgin Trains East Coast ‘Azuma’ trains which will enter service in 2018.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...milies-to-deliver-vital-upgrades-in-doncaster

Network Rail workers will be giving up Christmas Day with their families to carry out vital upgrades to the railway in Doncaster.

The improvements, part of the Railway Upgrade Plan, begin after the last service on Christmas Eve and will be completed before the first service on Tuesday, 27 December. The upgrade will see the installation of new signals, the traffic lights of the railway, which will be ‘bi-directional’ meaning trains will be able to run in either direction on a piece of track.

Once completed the upgrade will allow more flexibility for train services, which in turn will increase will increase the reliability of services passing through Doncaster station, which can become a bottleneck due to the high number of services which use it. The upgrade will complement the opening of platform 0 at Doncaster station, a new platform which also provides greater flexibility for train services.

 

[robbeech]

Looks like the Bridlington trains are due to use it too.

I looked last Wednesday and thought it looked almost complete, which as it turns out it was.

Rob

 

[YorkshireBear]

Looks like the Bridlington trains are due to use it too.

I looked last Wednesday and thought it looked almost complete, which as it turns out it was.

Rob

But they go through to Sheffield?

 

[lincolnshire]

But they go through to Sheffield?

well if they are going out of platform 0 they best do some reverseing as there is a very large red buffer stop at the south end now and the points have been removed that was there.

 

[YorkshireBear]

well if they are going out of platform 0 they best do some reverseing as there is a very large red buffer stop at the south end now and the points have been removed that was there.

That is what i was getting at! Definitely think the platform is just for the Hull Stoppers as a general rule to stop them terminating and starting services in P1. Some other services that terminate at Doncaster from Scunthorpe may also use it of course, but many of them carry on through to Sheffield too.

 

[unlevel42]

Sheffield to Goole
Sunday depart 0800 arrive platform 8 at 0838
Walk down the stairs, up the stairs, up some stairs again and down some stairs to platform O
Here wait for the 0907 to Goole.

If the train looks familiar -it is. It went to Marshgate Junction and back ECS.

It didn't even bother doing this last Sunday (11th ) and went to platform 1.

The only platform in use between those times was of course platform 1 with a Leeds to Kings Cross in the opposite direction.

Scenarios:
Forgot about platform 0 - its first ever use?
Too far for staff to walk to 0- no they could stay on the train
Really inconvenience that family with a pram by making them get off and on the same train.
Really inconvenience that family with a pram by making them use SIX lifts