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Platforms of Last Resort

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Recessio

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Victoria platform 8 (which is very tucked away between the two sides of the station) was only used at peaks before Covid and is used even less now. Platform 1 isn’t used much either, no bad thing as it’s a good couple of minutes extra walk from the concourse if your train’s leaving from there.
I use Victoria every day, genuinely didn't realise Platform 8 was in use at all!
 

SE%Traveller

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I use Victoria every day, genuinely didn't realise Platform 8 was in use at all!
the Dartford's use to go in there if their normal platform (7) was needed by a 12 car train

The track layout at Kentish Town means Platform 4 has no access to the Thameslink core, only towards the MML platforms at St Pancras.

(Platform 3 gets used at weekends by the Kentish Town - Rainham services)
Pre Covid it was where the Orpington Service turned back off peak during the week
 

CHAPS2034

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Platform 12 at Crewe used to be regularly used for Chester trains when the races there were on as it allowed passengers to be corralled into a queuing system. A few years ago, I had to get the Holyhead Voyager to connect with my ferry and was directed to P12 where there was a massive queue for Chester bound trains. First in was 2 x 150 but that was filled to bursting and left a good number of people behind. A quick word with the platform staff enabled me to get on the double voyager first when it arrived to ensure I got it. Many of the excursion trains through Crewe use it too.

Use of P0 at Stockport is somewhat erratic nowadays and seems to be only used as a last resort as it needs a dispatcher deployed just to cover that platform.
 

_toommm_

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Use of P0 at Stockport is somewhat erratic nowadays and seems to be only used as a last resort as it needs a dispatcher deployed just to cover that platform.
Platform 0 often has ‘SHUT’ in its berth, put in by the signallers, as it does tonight.

(The screenshot below is from the website traksy.uk, showing the word ‘SHUT’ occupying the signal berth for platform 0 at Stockport):

4606C808-438B-4E23-845C-7DA07C9EBD45.png
 

Sean Emmett

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Aberdeen has something like 9 platforms and most of them see little use these days.
P2 at Aberdeen was used in July 2021 by Tornado arriving on a steam special. I gather there are plans to re-instate P1-2, and others on the western side, but I've no idea re current progress.

Can't remember whether platform 1 at Salisbury has been mentioned. Since the 1981 resignalling it hasn't officially been a platform at all, as it became the depot access line but, in emergency, I believe it can still be used to start a passenger train towards London or Southampton, as the platform is still in situ and reasonably well-maintained, as well as being accessible from the subway. I recall boarding a London-bound train there in the mid-nineties, when my mother lived in Salisbury. At that time there was still an access gate at the London end of the platform directly from and to Fisherton Street, although it has now been sealed-off since the installation of the gateline at the main entrance.
Only time I can recall arriving in P1 at Salisbury was in July 1989, behind 34092 City of Wells. Just outside even time from Templecombe.
 

plugwash

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Use of P0 at Stockport is somewhat erratic nowadays and seems to be only used as a last resort as it needs a dispatcher deployed just to cover that platform.
mmm

IIRC the original plan was it would become the platform for departures to london and the south as part of a major resignalling/rearangement plan that never happened, and thus became a bit of a white elephant. It was eventually brought into use as an extra slow line platform but the lack of a corresponding platform in the other direction and the tight turnouts in the route from the fast line to platform 1 limit it's utility.

Still IIRC pre-pandemic most of the trains on the davenport/buxton line and some of the stoppers on the cheadle hulme line used it.
 

Trainfan2019

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Isn't Stockport platform 0 the one where you have to go through the exit ticket barriers back into the main entrance and up the stairs? I used this quite often for Sunday trains to Sheffield a few years ago. Really odd platform and isn't there a small waiting room?
 

jfollows

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Isn't Stockport platform 0 the one where you have to go through the exit ticket barriers back into the main entrance and up the stairs? I used this quite often for Sunday trains to Sheffield a few years ago. Really odd platform and isn't there a small waiting room?
Correct, it's unpleasant to use and best avoided if possible. Pre-Covid the Alderley Edge stoppers were switched to use it, which meant (for me) that it became a pain when waiting at Stockport for a train home, my train was no longer simply from one of two sides of an island platform.
The other problem with platform 0 is that there's no route to the up fast from it (see earlier post #216 for track layout), so when (not if!) there's a points failure at Adswood Road Junction preventing the use of the up slow for trains towards Cheadle Hulme then platform 0 can only be used for trains heading towards Hazel Grove. It can never be used for Altrincham-bound trains.
With the reduced services because of Covid one fortunate side effect is that it's not been needed.
Personally, obviously I preferred it when it was used for occasional and predictable services such as the Liverpool-Norwich.

EDIT However there is a similar problem which can also be seen: the platform is only usable by trains from the up slow line over Stockport viaduct. So if you decide to use it for Liverpool-Norwich trains, as they once did, these trains must also be sent along the up slow at Slade Lane Junction. So if you've got such a train approaching Slade Lane Junction behind a train stopping at Levenshulme and Heaton Chapel it's required to follow the stopper instead of overtaking it on the up fast.

So its implementation has serious impact on train operation and flexibility over a wider area. If its use can be avoided then there will be fewer train delays.

All of this means that it's best suited for use by trains from Manchester which stop at Levenshulme and Heaton Chapel and continue towards Hazel Grove. Second best are the stoppers towards Cheadle Hulme. But I'm sure the justification for its construction wasn't based around this!
 
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SouthernLatte

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Platform 1 at Worthing rarely sees much use.
Only 1tpd Mon-Fri scheduled for that platform, otherwise its only ever used to allow up services to overtake during disruption.
 

noddingdonkey

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It's strange to think that until fairly recently Huddersfield P4 was rarely used, with the Manchester and Wakefield stoppers being a through route using P1 and P8 and the Leeds stopper on 6.

That kept 4 clear as a very useful bi-di through platform that any train serving the station could use, handy in times of disruption.
 

londontransit

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I use Victoria every day, genuinely didn't realise Platform 8 was in use at all!
I was on a train that departed from Platform 8 today!

the Dartford's use to go in there if their normal platform (7) was needed by a 12 car train


Pre Covid it was where the Orpington Service turned back off peak during the week
I used platform 8 today on an Southern Epsom Downs train. From what I can observe it seems platform 8 (when used by Southern) conflicts with South Eastern movements because the track out of that lead onto South Eastern's tracks from platforms 1 to 7 before the train can cross over to those used by Southern.

I suppose what has happened is with the reduction in services (due to the pandemic) there's no call for a platform which causes route conflicts. Nevertheless the reason our train used platform 8 today is because there was another train occupying its usual slot - platform 9. Possibly that was due to the number of trains being cancelled by Southern due to staff shortages (eg COVID) and that unit having to wait for an available driver to take it to the depot.
 
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dastocks

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Fast line platforms at South Croydon, Purley Oaks and Purley are not commonly used, but needed for engineering work diversions. Even managed the Up Fast at Purley in the down direction one very early morning. Similarly fast line platforms at Thornton Heath to Wandsworth Common (Selhurst gets some semi-regular use.) Battersea Pk down fast is a rarely used one, a bit similar to Earlsfield in that there is no up fast platform.
The fast line platforms at Horley used to see a couple of services in the peak hours, but I think the last major timetable change took them all out.
 

route101

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Seen a GWR 158 in Southampton P5 on Tuesday evening. Two rarities as GWR 158s are few and far between at Southampton now.
 

DannyMich2018

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Does platform 2 at Water Orton get much use? All trains which stop there on the Birmingham to Nuneaton use the bi directional platform 1 leaving platform 2 for Northbound service via Tamworth but don't think any or many call? As far as I know most services calling at Water Orton are Nuneaton line services which use 1.
 

43055

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Does platform 2 at Water Orton get much use? All trains which stop there on the Birmingham to Nuneaton use the bi directional platform 1 leaving platform 2 for Northbound service via Tamworth but don't think any or many call? As far as I know most services calling at Water Orton are Nuneaton line services which use 1.
The 1749 from Birmingham to Nottingham calls on a weekday at platform 2 but everything else uses platform 1 as you say.
Realtime Trains - 1M73 1545 Cardiff Central to Nottingham
 

dciuk

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I think that's true of Paignton platform 1 too
I have seen passenger trains depart from Paignton platform 1, but only in the down direction towards Kingswear. Up trains would only be able to travel as far as the shunting limit as there is no up crossover. Despite this platform 1 does normally see a number of services terminating, so not sure it would qualify in the question posed by the OP. These services would then either depart empty in the down direction to Goodrington Carriage sidings where they can return on the up line to platform 2, or in the up direction to just past the down crossover to enable it to reverse back into platform 2. As the latter requires 2 level crossing closures over the busy Torbay Road, I think it is normally only used if it can share the first closure with an existing up service from platform 2
 

Peregrine 4903

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The fast line platforms at Horley used to see a couple of services in the peak hours, but I think the last major timetable change took them all out.
Nah they are still used in the current timetable in the peak hours SX.

Platform 1 at Worthing rarely sees much use.
Only 1tpd Mon-Fri scheduled for that platform, otherwise its only ever used to allow up services to overtake during disruption.
And if there are engineering works on, causing the timetable to be amended. Have a look Worthing for February 19th and you will see the GWR Portsmouth Harbour to Brighton service is booked to use Platform 1 at Worthing.

Victoria platform 8 (which is very tucked away between the two sides of the station) was only used at peaks before Covid and is used even less now. Platform 1 isn’t used much either, no bad thing as it’s a good couple of minutes extra walk from the concourse if your train’s leaving from there.

Blackfriars platform 4 must only see a couple of departures a day now that the Beckenham Junction service isn’t running.
Blackfriars Platform 4 is used by the peak Southeastern Blackfrairs - Maidstone East/Ashford International services, and will be in regular use when that service starts running more regularly. Also used by a couple of early morning/late evening Thameslink services, and during engineering works, if the route via London Bridge is closed on Sunday the London Bridge - Horsham services will use Platform 4 at Blackfriars.

Victoria Platform 8 and Platform 1 is regularly used during engineering works when there are diversions into London Victoria due to closures on the SEML. Victoria Platform 8 also has a few Southern services booked to use it throughout the day.

Also, the Southeastern ecs's which run from Victoria - Selhurst, use Platform 8 at London Victoria.
 
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Scotrail314209

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One that I don't think has come up is the very-rarely used former Platform 11a at Glasgow Central. Back in the days when there was the old departure board with someone putting up screens manually, I saw how they catered for it: they opened a window, hang a banner saying "Platform 11a" out then put the screen up!
In the latter years, wasn’t 11a/12 used almost exclusively for services to Paisley Canal?
 

Mitchell Hurd

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Before the timetable change in December 2019, the departure from Didcot Parkway I caught twice to Liskeard on 2 Sundays in September 2018 (30th) and June 2019 (2nd) scheduled for about 9am was booked to use platform 3 but the platform change was to platform 1.

Is there a particular reason why platform 3 was booked for it and if it's used for the 08:47 to Exeter St. Davids on Sundays?
 

SE%Traveller

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I was on a train that departed from Platform 8 today!


I used platform 8 today on an Southern Epsom Downs train. From what I can observe it seems platform 8 (when used by Southern) conflicts with South Eastern movements because the track out of that lead onto South Eastern's tracks from platforms 1 to 7 before the train can cross over to those used by Southern.

I suppose what has happened is with the reduction in services (due to the pandemic) there's no call for a platform which causes route conflicts. Nevertheless the reason our train used platform 8 today is because there was another train occupying its usual slot - platform 9. Possibly that was due to the number of trains being cancelled by Southern due to staff shortages (eg COVID) and that unit having to wait for an available driver to take it to the depot.
my main experience was all Southeastern, the Dartfords (or Barnehurst's for my particular case) and during the peak. The Chatham Reversible and the the Stewarts lane approach lined them up for 7 and 8. The Stewart's lane apporach was regular used in the AM peak (or was). On the Up that is, only every used it twice on the down on two occasions (save for engineering works)
 
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gazr

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Talking of Stewarts Lane, has Battersea Park Platform 5 been mentioned? I've only ever stopped there once (thanks to OTT giving me advanced notice). P4/5 is a horrid platform to be honest.
 

Peregrine 4903

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Talking of Stewarts Lane, has Battersea Park Platform 5 been mentioned? I've only ever stopped there once (thanks to OTT giving me advanced notice). P4/5 is a horrid platform to be honest.
When there are engineering works on the slow lines down trains stop at Battersea Park Platform 5.
 

Adtrainsam

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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?
 

zwk500

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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?
From a quick glance at RTT, almost all freight or ECS.
 

zwk500

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How did it end up being numbered 10A rather than being numbered in the general run?
At a complete guess, it's a late addition on a former freight loop (which fits with barely any booked passenger calls) and nobody could be bothered to renumber Stratford's Platforms. Possibly because they kept losing count every time they tried. :lol:
 
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