Longest platform- platform interchange

[Carbean]

Last year at St Leonard’s Warrior Square to get from one platform to another you had to walk out of station, up to a bridge over railway then down to the other side. Apparently the footbridge is/was unsafe.

 

[Harpo]

Could St Pancras International be a contender, especially if interchanging from the north end of a Eurostar platform to the EMR platforms? I've never used the station but if you factor in the terminal then surely you're walking a fair distance?

That horrible tunnel labyrinth from the tubes at KX to the main lines at St. Pancras feels like quite a route march.

Perhaps out of scope but whenever C2C diverts to Liverpool Street it alleges it’s ‘a short walk’ from Fenchurch Street. But a far from straightforward one.

 

[BankQuayLowLvl]

I think most of the answers here are not directly relevant to the question. Walking routes between different stations is not really platform-platform interchanges. Similarly, navigating from the far end of one platform to the far end of another is not particularly relevant.

Perhaps I could rephrase for the benefit of the thread.

What is the longest walking distance between platforms, within the same station, in the UK?

 

[Watershed]

I'm wondering how many people, whether knowing that or not, make that trek!

I've done it once before, as a fairly keen and quick walker. I wouldn't do it again if I could help it; it's really not very good. The problem is that there is barely a footpath to speak of, once you get outside the town. You also have to cross a busy A-road at a blind bend at one point.

Do any trains actually make that link, which looks possible 'on the map' (and I've seen it feature on amodel railway layout!); would it be worth extending the journey times of Westbury- Weymouth travellers to make a connection from Yeovil Jct to Penn Mill?

Yes, there are quite a few daily SWR services, including a train to London which is formed of two portions, both starting at Yeovil Pen Mill 13 minutes apart but taking different routes (via Yeovil Junction and via Westbury) to get to Salisbury, where they join. GWR's evening Barnstaple to Axminster service doubles back as far as Yeovil Pen Mill on its empty run back to Exeter, whilst the Night Riviera is also sometimes diverted this way.

 

[Llandudno]

Liverpool Central from the Wirral Line platform TO the Northern Line platforms

Liverpool South Parkway (platform 1?) to the Merseyrail platforms.

Chester platforms 5/6 when trying to make a tight connection onto a north Wales bound train departing from platform 3B - pretty certain the front of the train is actually in Wales!

Shrewsbury, sometimes you have to exit the station and ticket barriers to access the Chester bound trains. Similarly at Stockport if a train has been allocated platform 0!

Tamworth, only 4 platforms but I always seem to use the wrong staircase when changing trains!

 

[birchesgreen]

High Wycombe can be a decent walk if the train on the bay platform has stopped right down the far end.

 

[IanD]

I think most of the answers here are not directly relevant to the question. Walking routes between different stations is not really platform-platform interchanges. Similarly, navigating from the far end of one platform to the far end of another is not particularly relevant.

Perhaps I could rephrase for the benefit of the thread.

What is the longest walking distance between platforms, within the same station, in the UK?

Perhaps you should also clarify within the same station that is still open

 

[Gathursty]

Noones mentioned Retford yet.
Buckenham's platforms are spread out.

 

[BrianW]

I've done it once before, as a fairly keen and quick walker. I wouldn't do it again if I could help it; it's really not very good. The problem is that there is barely a footpath to speak of, once you get outside the town. You also have to cross a busy A-road at a blind bend at one point.


Yes, there are quite a few daily SWR services, including a train to London which is formed of two portions, both starting at Yeovil Pen Mill 13 minutes apart but taking different routes (via Yeovil Junction and via Westbury) to get to Salisbury, where they join. GWR's evening Barnstaple to Axminster service doubles back as far as Yeovil Pen Mill on its empty run back to Exeter, whilst the Night Riviera is also sometimes diverted this way.

Thank you, watershed. I used to consider myself a 'fairly keen and quick walker' too, 'back in the day'. I think I'll take that trek off my 'bucket list'.

Regarding the trains making that journey, that sounds rather like a 'parliamentary' 'service', perhaps promoted by one-time local MP Paddy Ashdown 'of fond remembrance' keeping the dream and the track alive

These were two stations, hence two names.

A similar example now is Hackney Downs and Hackney Central, which have a connecting walking route that is within the barrier lines.

Why is that Hackney example, which is a good one, not ONE station, with one name? Would that make it more obvious that interchange was possible there; would more folk use it? And Hammersmith has two stations called Hammersmith, as Dynamic Spirit notes

 

[Haywain]

Regarding the trains making that journey, that sounds rather like a 'parliamentary' 'service',

It is far too frequent to be considered a parliamentary service.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Regarding the trains making that journey, that sounds rather like a 'parliamentary' 'service', perhaps promoted by one-time local MP Paddy Ashdown 'of fond remembrance' keeping the dream and the track alive

Yeovil Junction to Pen Mill isn't a Parliamentary service. As I recall it was a deliberate decision by what was then SWT a few years ago to expand their service by sending a few trains a day to Westbury/Frome/Yeovil Pen Mill. Before that, I'm fairly sure there was no regular Yeovil Pen Mill to Junction service.

 

[Magdalia]

Why is that Hackney example, which is a good one, not ONE station, with one name? Would that make it more obvious that interchange was possible there; would more folk use it?

History!

Hackney Downs was GER then LNER. The LNWR then LMS had a station called Hackney, roughly where Hackney Central is now, but it closed in 1944. At Nationalisation BR only had Hackney Downs.

The current Hackney Central station opened in 1980. At that time there was no link between the two stations.

The walkway between Hackney Central and Hackney Downs only dates back to 2015. It is a useful way of interchanging between the Mildmay and Weaver lines.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Quite within 'the spirit'. I'm wondering how many people, whether knowing that or not, make that trek! Do any trains actually make that link, which looks possible 'on the map' (and I've seen it feature on amodel railway layout!); would it be worth extending the journey times of Westbury- Weymouth travellers to make a connection from Yeovil Jct to Penn Mill? I guess not;

Probably not. The only way you could do that would be for trains to run Bristol/etc. -> Yeovil Pen Mill -> Yeovil Junction (reverse) -> Yeovil Pen Mill (reverse again)->Weymouth. That would involve a very long extension to journey times! Maybe if the South->West chord still existed allowing you to avoid the 2nd reverse, it would be worth doing. But you'd still have to make sure you can work around the conflicting moves and single track sections.

 

[Travelmonkey]

Platform 13/14 to the low numbers at Manchester picadilly is a hike,

New Street A end is a contender too,

 

[BrianW]

It is far too frequent to be considered a parliamentary service.

Yeovil Junction to Pen Mill isn't a Parliamentary service. As I recall it was a deliberate decision by what was then SWT a few years ago to expand their service by sending a few trains a day to Westbury/Frome/Yeovil Pen Mill. Before that, I'm fairly sure there was no regular Yeovil Pen Mill to Junction service.

Thank you both. You have prompted me to look up the elctronic National Rail Timetable, Table 153a!
file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/ca739aeb-7382-4199-85a7-690779a2b672_01.%20December%202024%20timetable%20-%20separate%20PDFs.zip.672/Seperate%20PDFs/153a%20Yeovil%20Junction%20to%20Yeovil%20Pen%20Mill.pdf
I see it's more than just an 'occasional'/ one-day-a-week service, though it's rather sporadic/ far from frequent or regular. I imagine it's designed to fit operational and passenger requirements as best can be achieved without major cost.
Is there a definition anywhere of what might qualify as a Parliamentary service?
Every day a learning day.

 

[Haywain]

Is there a definition anywhere of what might qualify as a Parliamentary service?
Every day a learning day.

A Parliamentary service is generally regarded as something that runs an extremely limited service just to keep a line legally open. Examples are the once a week, one way service between Stalybridge and Stockport, and the service from West Ealing to West Ruislip which is actually a once a week rail replacement bus service. Retford to Barnetby, via Brigg is a little more regular but still in the same category.

 

[kraiken]

Platform 13/14 to the low numbers at Manchester Piccadilly is a hike

Only when they didn't want you to use the overbridge or if you alight at the extreme ends - though 13/14 to platform 12 if the lift is broken is a pain

 

[Travelmonkey]

A Parliamentary service is generally regarded as something that runs an extremely limited service just to keep a line legally open. Examples are the once a week, one way service between Stalybridge and Stockport, and the service from West Ealing to West Ruislip which is actually a once a week rail replacement bus service. Retford to Barnetby, via Brigg is a little more regular but still in the same category.

Similar vain to rail tickets being allowed on the D&G bus through Wedgewood and Barleston, it is a shame them ones have been left neglected.

 

[IanD]

Examples are the once a week, one way service between Stalybridge and Stockport

Runs both ways but still once a week

 

[Recessio]

Changing from Great Northern to the Central line at Moorgate-Liverpool Street is quite a trek. Was wondering if it was quicker to exit and do it at street level.

 

[Zomboid]

Playing fast and loose with the question because it's not UK, but Platform 10 at Dublin Heuston is a long way from the rest of the station.

 

[Dr Hoo]

....especially since the mid-platform subway [at Glasgow Central] was closed.

Glasgow Central was comprehensively re-modelled and enlarged in around 1909. The original mid-platform subway (that did have a link to the easternmost island) dated from the 1870s but the Edwardian version never did.

 

[urbophile]

I Would have thought Stratford (London) posed some challenges depending on your journey combination. But perhaps more confusing than long distance.

 

[gingerheid]

I Would have thought Stratford (London) posed some challenges depending on your journey combination. But perhaps more confusing than long distance.

Came here to give Stratford (London) a mention too! Platform 12 to the Jubilee line or either of the DLRs is quite a trek! 500m or so?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Changing from Great Northern to the Central line at Moorgate-Liverpool Street is quite a trek. Was wondering if it was quicker to exit and do it at street level.

I would expect that one would be quickest to just take the Circle/Met/H&C one stop from Moorgate to Liverpool Street rather than walking the the distance along the Lizzie line platforms (which is what I assume you're doing). Or take the Northern line to Bank and Central line from there if you're heading West, but I think that's a longer walk at Bank.

 

[Recessio]

I would expect that one would be quickest to just take the Circle/Met/H&C one stop from Moorgate to Liverpool Street rather than walking the the distance along the Lizzie line platforms (which is what I assume you're doing). Or take the Northern line to Bank and Central line from there if you're heading West, but I think that's a longer walk at Bank.

Yes that walk along the Elizabeth line is what I ended up doing, naively following the signs.

Citymapper says it's the same journey times either way, but I don't know how accurate the transfer times are. If I ever find myself making the same journey again, I'll time it and report back.

 

[BeijingDave]

Could St Pancras International be a contender, especially if interchanging from the north end of a Eurostar platform to the EMR platforms? I've never used the station but if you factor in the terminal then surely you're walking a fair distance?

St Pancras Thameslink is a long walk from Kings Cross outer platforms and this is part of the same station complex (for transfer purposes).

 

[Magdalia]

St Pancras Thameslink is a long walk from Kings Cross outer platforms and this is part of the same station complex (for transfer purposes).

Platform 10 at Kings Cross to the Thameslink platforms at St Pancras a a short walk across Pancras Road. In practical terms it isn't much different from walking between platform 10 and platform 0.

 

[BeijingDave]

Platform 10 at Kings Cross to the Thameslink platforms at St Pancras a a short walk across Pancras Road. In practical terms it isn't much different from walking between platform 10 and platform 0.

Sorry, when I said 'outer' I should have written 'easternmost'.

It has always seemed a slog to me when doing it, but that's usually with bags.

 

[Magdalia]

Sorry, when I said 'outer' I should have written 'easternmost'.

It has always seemed a slog to me when doing it, but that's usually with bags.

I think of outer as meaning the (outer) suburban platforms.

From any of the platforms in the main trainshed at Kings Cross to any of the domestic platforms at St Pancras the key is to use the footbridge and not go up to the buffer stops.