Platforms of Last Resort

[Class800]

I remember 10A being commonly where I boarded Norwich trains at Stratford during my student days there as a postgrad in 2010-2013 with Platform 10 tending to be more for trains up to as a far as Ipswich. In a curiosity, on New Years Day, when I was at Stratford to take the Central line to Epping, I saw an Ipswich service depart from the TFL Rail eastbound platform! number 8

 

[Mikey C]

How did it end up being numbered 10A rather than being numbered in the general run?

It was originally going to be numbered 21C but someone complained that even with Stratford's random platform numbering, that was TOO random

 

[73128]

the fast line island platform at New Malden

Kingston:- for many years had one train per day starting or terminating in the Platform 1 bay.
Usually the last train from Waterloo via Strawberry Hill, which stabled overnight, then started out from there the following morning. At present it looks like Kingston's bay is only booked to reverse some Rail Head Treatment Trains.
Presumably Platform 1 would be available "as a last resort" for a defective train, or to turn passenger trains back to the Strawberry Hill direction in event of problems on SWML.

Kingston (pre Covid) bay had a regular Sunday service. Longer ago Shepperton services used it on Sundays.

Platforms 1 and 3 at Tattenham Corner are rarely used. Mostly used for stabling and a couple of departure and arrivals each day.

Except for race days when 6 trains an hour mean all three get used.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

the fast line island platform at New Malden

Is now out of use and treated in the same way as the out of use island at Ester (emergency evacuation only).

 

[AC47461]

I’m surprised platform 10A hasn’t been mentioned on the GEML at Stratford. I’ve only ever seen it used during disruptions (usually as a last minute platform change) which results in everyone running down the stairs to the subway and back up again!
Are there any booked workings to use platform 10A?

9, 10 and 10A are (or perhaps were, given current reductions) what you might describe as tidal. In the morning peaks some up trains call alternately at 9 and 10 as this allows a train to arrive in 10 whilst the one in 9 is just leaving. Some down trains will then use 10A. In the evening peaks down trains can call alternately between 10 and 10A and up trains use 9. This was certainly happening pre-Covid as I caught plenty of trains for Southend Vic from 10A if I'd been to our work's Stratford office, and RTT seems to suggest it still is, several trains in the morning and evenings are booked for 10A. Off peak this doesn't happen, in general down freight off North London uses 10A, up uses 10, and none runs through in the peaks at all.

How did it end up being numbered 10A rather than being numbered in the general run?

Before they put the island platform in (which is the current 9 & 10), there were two platforms 9 & 10 and two fast lines between those and 5-8 (what is now the TfL side), anything that stopped at Stratford generally used 5 & 8 and very little stopped at 9 or 10. When the new island was built to cater for the growing Docklands traffic, 11 & 12 (Cambridge line) either did or were due to come back into more regular use too, so it made sense to just renumber 10 to 10A and 9 to 10. I think that makes sense...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Is now out of use and treated in the same way as the out of use island at Ester (emergency evacuation only).

One key difference between the two (unless things have changed in the last decade or so) being that if you find yourself on the island at Esher it might be tricky exiting the station as there's no staircase from the footbridge!

 

[Smod]

These platforms of last resort can be invaluable. Today the rarely if ever used terminal platform at Mudchute DLR has seen plenty of use. The Woolwich Arsenal to Bank service has been operating as Woolwich Arsenal to Mudchute instead. (Power supply problems at the London end I believe).

On another subject, I recall alighting from a class 159 at the island platform at New Malden on a Waterloo-bound train. I think it had developed a fuel leak. The platform was far from suitable for regular use and has probably deteriorated a lot more since.

 

[childwallblues]

Platform at the east end of Rochdale?

 

[gazr]

Platform at the east end of Rochdale?

That would be platform 2. I believe it will be seeing some use in the very near future due to engineering. Think I got it in once when Northern were striking.

 

[D6130]

That would be platform 2. I believe it will be seeing some use in the very near future due to engineering. Think I got it in once when Northern were striking.

Yes....it's used quite frequently when there are engineering works between Rochdale and Manchester Victoria.

 

[Killingworth]

For whatever reason it has lifts that are only in service when the station is manned, which is only part time, despite the technology to allow remotely monitored lifts having been about for ages. Consequently no staff = lift out of service.

However with the heavy volumes of freight around nowadays that doesn't necessarily always run to schedule, platform 2 can be useful to keep the passenger train out of the way. The signaller will usually ring the driver to ask the guard if there's anyone who needs step free access on board before committing to that.

Came upon this post by accident today. Spalding is a fabulous old junction station that once had 7 platforms but now reduced to 2, with only the 17.30 from Peterborough to Lincoln scheduled to stop Monday - Saturday at newly refurbished Platform 2. Only used when conflicting movements prevent use of Platform 1. Lift towers match the old building very well. Pigeons make the stairs undesirable!

 

[LowLevel]

Came upon this post by accident today. A fabulous old junction station that once had 7 platforms but now reduced to 2, with only the 17.30 from Peterborough to Lincoln scheduled to stop Monday - Saturday at newly refurbished Platform 2. Lift towers match the old building very well. Pigeons make the stairs undesirable!

View attachment 112951 View attachment 112952

Since I posted remote monitoring has now been fitted to the lifts so they're available for use all day, or will be shortly.

 

[richard1976]

Would Platform 1 at Barking station be counted now the Overground uses platforms 7&8 with the extension to Barking Riverside. Can't see anything in the timetable about any Overground terminating at Barking

 

[noddingdonkey]

The 0604 to Woodgrange Park and the 06.24 to Gospel Oak use P1 according to Realtime Trains.

 

[gazr]

The 0604 to Woodgrange Park and the 06.24 to Gospel Oak use P1 according to Realtime Trains.

Think these have been removed from system? Sunday 21/08 and 11/09 are two dates currently showing as being in use.

 

[noddingdonkey]

Ran this morning, apparently, although I missed that the 0604 is ECS, the 0624 is a passenger service.

Realtime Trains | 5J09 0604 Barking to Woodgrange Park | 21/07/2022

Real-time train running information for 5J09 0604 departure from Barking to Woodgrange Park on 21/07/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 2J06 0618 Barking Riverside to Gospel Oak | 21/07/2022

Real-time train running information for 2J06 0618 departure from Barking Riverside to Gospel Oak on 21/07/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk