List of stations with one track but platforms either side

[61653 HTAFC]

Platform 7 at Sheffield is a bay which works as well.

I think that allowing bays opens a lot of possibilities.

Back when the 101s were the regular stock on the Hope Valley stoppers, you'd get people boarding and alighting both sides at Sheffield. No juice rail obviously, so not quite as problematic as Guildford or Ascot... but was probably still a pain in the proverbial for guards and dispatchers!

 

[Topological]

Back when the 101s were the regular stock on the Hope Valley stoppers, you'd get people boarding and alighting both sides at Sheffield. No juice rail obviously, so not quite as problematic as Guildford or Ascot... but was probably still a pain in the proverbial for guards and dispatchers!

Thinking about it, the Midland liked to build such bays.

Nottingham still has one at the Eastern end, Derby did have one prior to the recent renewal... Leicester never did though.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Yes and before they built the fence doors were activated on both sides at Ascot

Was it? I certainly never saw this on any sliding door stock (predominantly 458/0s in my days of regular use on the Reading line). Of course with the slam door stock there was nothing crews could do to stop it.

I don't think it 'just' the 3rd rail. That trains don't officially call on the wrong side doesn't prevent passengers on the platform waiting for trains from other faces falling from it onto the live rail when there's no train there. Closing doors on both sides after a station dwell can take longer and may be be more risky. In unlocked slam door days there was little staff could do about people getting off on the 'wrong' side. I don't think anywhere on the mainline in UK has this design explicitly for capacity management, but elsewhere and on metros particularly two faces are employed at extremely busy stops where there's a lot of passenger turnover, often using one face for arrivals and the other for departures with phased door operation so the exit side doors open prior to the entry side. It is sometimes referred to as the 'Spanish solution'.

The "Spanish Solution" (of sorts) is used at Canary Wharf and Tower Gateway DLR, and on the Central Line at Stratford, but as you say not on the mainline.

 

[Gloster]

I don't think it 'just' the 3rd rail. That trains don't officially call on the wrong side doesn't prevent passengers on the platform waiting for trains from other faces falling from it onto the live rail when there's no train there. Closing doors on both sides after a station dwell can take longer and may be be more risky. In unlocked slam door days there was little staff could do about people getting off on the 'wrong' side. I don't think anywhere on the mainline in UK has this design explicitly for capacity management, but elsewhere and on metros particularly two faces are employed at extremely busy stops where there's a lot of passenger turnover, often using one face for arrivals and the other for departures with phased door operation so the exit side doors open prior to the entry side. It is sometimes referred to as the 'Spanish solution'.

Back in 1978 the member of staff on duty on Platform 7/8 would not bother with people getting off trains on 7, but if they were conscientious and not busy with tanking up/sweeping out the Aldershot, would check the doors and keep an eye on the train when departure time came. Not much used it outside the peaks other than the Tadpoles heading for Reading.

 

[bramling]

Morden, trains have doors opening both sides as well i think

Yes definitely at Morden.

Most locations on LU don’t open both sides at the same time, largely to make dispatch easier. I think it’s occasionally possible to see both sides open at Arnos Grove and White City, but most drivers tend to close up on one side then open the other. At Golders Green the rule book specifically mandates the latter.

The arrangements at Morden, whilst convenient for the passenger, operationally leave something to be desired.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Ulverston has a platform face on both sides, this for trains travelling in the direction of Barrow-in-Furness. However, only platform 1 is used, the former platform 2 on the island platform at Ulverston is no longer in use.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Others will know better but I've definitely seen a photo of an LU train with doors open onto platforms both sides.

I've seen it in person at Stratford

And while on the subject of non-mainline, Metrolink has a line with platforms both sides at Manchester Victoria, but I think they are not opened simultaneously.

They are, as far as I recall. The central platform is usually used to turn around trams to/from from the Airport. I think the doors were released on both sides simultaneously last time I travelled that way.

Yep, both sides are unlocked at the same time.
Platform B and C both are for that middle track

 

[Pompey00]

I don't think it 'just' the 3rd rail. That trains don't officially call on the wrong side doesn't prevent passengers on the platform waiting for trains from other faces falling from it onto the live rail when there's no train there. Closing doors on both sides after a station dwell can take longer and may be be more risky. In unlocked slam door days there was little staff could do about people getting off on the 'wrong' side. I don't think anywhere on the mainline in UK has this design explicitly for capacity management, but elsewhere and on metros particularly two faces are employed at extremely busy stops where there's a lot of passenger turnover, often using one face for arrivals and the other for departures with phased door operation so the exit side doors open prior to the entry side. It is sometimes referred to as the 'Spanish solution'.

I mean Guildford for example is not safe but true

 

[BeijingDave]

Llandudno Junction platform 2, although I don't know if the doors still open on both sides.

 

[starlight73]

This was mentioned on District Dave’s forum:

Doors on both sides | District Dave's London Underground Site

Why don't drivers open the doors on both sides at Loughton and White City? It would be useful it they did

districtdavesforum.co.uk

and some other possible reasons discussed were - there might not be CCTV or platform mirrors on one side (in the right place), or some mainline trains can’t close one side of doors independently (they can only do both)

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Llandudno Junction platform 2, although I don't know if the doors still open on both sides.

They cant open both sides as there is a huge gap where there used to be another track.

 

[DJ_K666]

Arnos Grove, Uxbridge and Cockfosters all have a central track with platforms both sides.
Scarborough has two bays of that type, I definitely remember getting on a class 101 to Filey from one of them. .

 

[Tester]

I think it's more a case of different rules rather than a real safety issue.

National Rail has, as far as I know, no examples of both sides opening, whereas LUL (100% conductor rail) has several examples day to day.

 

[Pompey00]

Doesn’t have be both sides but has platforms either side or any other stations with 3rd rail on other side

 

[baz962]

Barking. I believe it's P2 and P3. I used to drive Overground into P1 and would use a LUL train to cross and get a coffee rather than walk up the stairs as they would open doors both sides.

 

[Tester]

Opening both sides is a common feature in Japan, for two reasons.

At some terminal stations one side is used for arrivals; the other for departures. This leads to some impressively short turnarounds.

At some through stations a three train cross-platform interchange is provided by means of the middle train having both sides open. Passengers can change between the side trains by walking through the middle one.

Both examples are very impressive to watch!

 

[Rescars]

I think the Bluebell has one at Horsted Keynes. In steam days there was one at Ventnor, with access to the second (island) platform across a marine-style gang plank.

 

[Dstock7080]

Barking. I believe it's P2 and P3. I used to drive Overground into P1 and would use a LUL train to cross and get a coffee rather than walk up the stairs as they would open doors both sides.

Barking platform 3 is the bay.
It’s unnumbered side of platform 1 and 2.

 

[D365]

Platform 2a(?) at Sheffield Midland

Platform 7 at Sheffield is a bay which works as well.

Back when the 101s were the regular stock on the Hope Valley stoppers, you'd get people boarding and alighting both sides at Sheffield. No juice rail obviously, so not quite as problematic as Guildford or Ascot... but was probably still a pain in the proverbial for guards and dispatchers!

Platforms 2a and 7 yes. But one of the edges is ’hatched’ off. Drivers will not normally release doors on that side.

 

[m0ffy]

I’m not sure if it counts, but the Eurotunnel terminals have platforms either side of each road for loading and unloading.

 

[WAB]

Yes definitely at Morden.

Most locations on LU don’t open both sides at the same time, largely to make dispatch easier. I think it’s occasionally possible to see both sides open at Arnos Grove and White City, but most drivers tend to close up on one side then open the other. At Golders Green the rule book specifically mandates the latter.

The arrangements at Morden, whilst convenient for the passenger, operationally leave something to be desired.

Both doors open at Arnos is standard practice, although with a short delay in opening the 'departure' side to ensure people wait at the right platform for a through train. Whilst it is usual to close the 'arrival' side first, followed by the 'departure' side, some of the more cavalier operators do them almost simultaneously.

 

[43096]

Yes and before they built the fence doors were activated on both sides at Ascot

Not in my experience since the advent of the 458s and, later, 450s. It certainly was the case with the slam door units - must have been a nightmare for the guard dispatching both sides with an 8-VEP!

 

[Taunton]

Old home town, Taunton, Platform 1, the west end down bay. It was always like this, in the 1960s this was always the Barnstaple line bay, where the bay further alongside was for Minehead. Being on the old station side it may well have had this oddball arrangement before the big 1930 station rebuild. The guard always checked both sides before departure.

New home town, Canary Wharf DLR station, all three tracks are like this, platforms numbered separately 1-6. It does facilitate some interchanges and access to adjacent premises. Similar elsewhere on the DLR. Tower Gateway is one track, platform both sides. There is an attempt with announcements to have one side for incoming passengers and the other for outgoing, quite widely ignored and takes no account of alighting passengers wanting to use the east end exit, only accessible from the other side.

Numbering the platform sides either the same of differently each side forms a subgroup of this sort of track arrangement.

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Was it? I certainly never saw this on any sliding door stock (predominantly 458/0s in my days of regular use on the Reading line). Of course with the slam door stock there was nothing crews could do to stop it.

The "Spanish Solution" (of sorts) is used at Canary Wharf and Tower Gateway DLR, and on the Central Line at Stratford, but as you say not on the mainline.

It was 450s in my time computing counter flow, so it was pm into Waterloo where I saw it regularly. Was around 2008 2011 era

Maybe it was different in the morning when things were busier travelling into London,?

 

[Strathclyder]

Three stations on the Glasgow Subway (Hillhead, Ibrox and Buchanan Street) retained their original island platforms during the 1977-80 refurbishment, but had a additional side platform built for use by Outer Circle/clockwise trains. Need to double-check my copy of the Circles Under Glasgow book, but I don't think both sides ever opened on these trains at these stations in normal service hours prior to the addition of a glass wall on the outer circle side at all three.

This is what it looked like well into the mid/late 2000s (from railwaymedia.co.uk):

Glasgow Subway - Railwaymedia

114, 124 and 113, Ibrox 26/4/2006

www.railwaymedia.co.uk

 

[Gathursty]

Noones mentioned Ulverston yet?

Think Sellafield used to but there's a fence preventing access now.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Platforms 2a and 7 yes. But one of the edges is ’hatched’ off. Drivers will not normally release doors on that side.

Which is only an option with stock with powered doors or Central Door Locking- which the 101s lacked. Had they survived long enough that it was deemed worthwhile fitting CDL, the doors would only be released on the non "hatched" side. Without CDL though, there's nothing staff could do to stop it other than shouting.

It was 450s in my time computing counter flow, so it was pm into Waterloo where I saw it regularly. Was around 2008 2011 era

Maybe it was different in the morning when things were busier travelling into London,?

That's after my time, I'm thinking 2002-2004. Still plenty of slammers on the Reading line back then, including the peak-only Waterloo to Guildford via Ascot runs.

 

[12LDA28C]

Sorry Should have said Greenford Road (working on too many projects!!!!)

Just plain Greenford, surely?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

No-ones mentioned Ulverston yet?

See post #36, upthread.

 

[CAF397]

Wigan Wallgate Bay.