Trains stopping at far end of platform

[joebassman]

Why do trains from Lowestoft stop at the far end of platform 1 at Ipswich station rather than drive up to the buffers?

Does not stopping at the far end mean anyone with mobility issues has quite a fair further distance to walk?

 

[306024]

And everyone gets wet when it rains! The overhead wire doesn't extend the length of platform 1. So you would need different stopping points depending on whether the train came from Westerfield or Stowmarket. Also trains usually have their pantograph raised during turnround.

 

[williamn]

Yeah this really irks me on this line. Especially on a tight connection. In the rain. With luggage.

 

[Snow1964]

Happens a lot at Bristol Temple Meads, many long platforms, often with different numbers each end, but even when both parts are not expected to be used, train will be in one half, not centred around the subway stairs.

It is clearly done for operational simplicity, ignoring passengers mobility issues.
Lots more trains from eastern end of platforms, even though there is no interchange subway serving eastern end, so everyone has to go back to middle to change platform islands, then return to eastern end.

 

[Amlag]

At Exeter St D SWR trains from Salisbury /Waterloo arriving on Plat 3 have, for a couple of years now, had to pull right along to the signal at the extreme (Taunton) end of the platform. This might have been introduced for ‘Operational convenience‘ or some such reason.
This means only half of the rear coach of a 6 car set gets platformed under the platform Canopy roof, thus when raining almost all passengers get wet as they walk back to the main covered part of the platform…not the most ideal arrangement for the many passengers.

 

[stuu]

Happens a lot at Bristol Temple Meads, many long platforms, often with different numbers each end, but even when both parts are not expected to be used, train will be in one half, not centred around the subway stairs.

It is clearly done for operational simplicity, ignoring passengers mobility issues.
Lots more trains from eastern end of platforms, even though there is no interchange subway serving eastern end, so everyone has to go back to middle to change platform islands, then return to eastern end.

The subway is much closer to the eastern end though, for longer trains (5 cars+) the rear is adjacent to it.

I caught a train from platform 4 this afternoon, and it's a long walk. It would be much better if there was a westbound starting signal for the eastern platforms so people could be spared the trek. Platform alterations from 4 to 6 aren't unknown either, which is at least 300m walk

 

[CC 72100]

The subway is much closer to the eastern end though, for longer trains (5 cars+) the rear is adjacent to it.

I caught a train from platform 4 this afternoon, and it's a long walk. It would be much better if there was a westbound starting signal for the eastern platforms so people could be spared the trek. Platform alterations from 4 to 6 aren't unknown either, which is at least 300m walk

You can start Westbound from the East (odd numbered) platform and vice versa.

The signalling is there for it, it just isn't used very often that way as easier to get trains heading West into the West platform when it initially arrives, as that leaves the East platform available, especially with so many services which arrive from the East and depart to the East again.

 

[Simon Flack]

At Exeter St D SWR trains from Salisbury /Waterloo arriving on Plat 3 have, for a couple of years now, had to pull right along to the signal at the extreme (Taunton) end of the platform. This might have been introduced for ‘Operational convenience‘ or some such reason.
This means only half of the rear coach of a 6 car set gets platformed under the platform Canopy roof, thus when raining almost all passengers get wet as they walk back to the main covered part of the platform…not the most ideal arrangement for the many passengers.

I believe there are 2 reasons for this, firstly the service tootles off to New Yard and secondly I think there is a platform share for the Exmouth- Paignton service

 

[Peter0124]

This happens at Argyle Street and it really annoys me because they changed it to do that.

 

[dk1]

The bimodes are designed to stay in electric mode as much as possible and unfortunately the OHL never reached the buffers in platform 1 at Ipswich as was only ever used for loco shunt moves since installed in 1985. Like platform 6 at Norwich there are no plans to extend/install the wires in these platforms due to cost. As Ipswich platform 1 would not be able to accommodate two 755s there is no incentive to change things here.

 

[zwk500]

The bimodes are designed to stay in electric mode as much as possible and unfortunately the OHL never reached the buffers in platform 1 at Ipswich as was only ever used for loco shunt moves since installed in 1985. Like platform 6 at Norwich there are no plans to extend/install the wires in these platforms due to cost. As Ipswich platform 1 would not be able to accommodate two 755s there is no incentive to change things here.

Norwich P6 I get, but it does seem mad that a single wire run couldn't be moved back a bit for Ipswich, even if it wouldn't have allowed longer trains immediately. I guess we're paying now for penny pinching 40 or so years ago.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I believe there are 2 reasons for this, firstly the service tootles off to New Yard and secondly I think there is a platform share for the Exmouth- Paignton service

There can’t be a platform share for the Exmouth to Paignton service. Permissive working is not allowed for a train down the hill from Exeter Central onto a train already in platforms 1 and 3 due to the steep gradient of the line down the hill.

 

[dk1]

Norwich P6 I get, but it does seem mad that a single wire run couldn't be moved back a bit for Ipswich, even if it wouldn't have allowed longer trains immediately. I guess we're paying now for penny pinching 40 or so years ago.

I would never be surprised if the work involved cost less than £1m even though it seams a short easy extension. By the time you take any alterations to OHL and possibly the station canopy etc these costs escalate very fast indeed. Just to save a few extra steps it simply isn’t on the agenda.

 

[zwk500]

I would never be surprised if the work involved cost less than £1m even though it seams a short easy extension. By the time you take any alterations to OHL and possibly the station canopy etc these costs escalate very fast indeed. Just to save a few extra steps it simply isn’t on the agenda.

Oh I know it will easily cost £1m, it's just a shame that it does. Its not just about saving a few extra steps though, it's about creating a passenger environment that encourages them to use the train, and encourage their friends to do it. The railway needs to frow revenue and things like providing shelter for passengers rather than letting them get wet when it rains is actually a surprisingly valuable thing.

 

[WelshBluebird]

It is an issue that absolutely seems to have gotten worse in recent years. For both Cardiff Central and Bristol Temple Meads, the recent (or not so recent by this point) resignalling jobs have led to this being worse at both stations than it used to be. I am sure the claims will be that safety and capacity have been improved, but I really do wish the impact on passengers was taken into account more with works like those too. If using the extreme ends of the platforms is needed for operational reasons then additional passenger links between platforms / to the exists should be provided.

 

[dk1]

Oh I know it will easily cost £1m, it's just a shame that it does. Its not just about saving a few extra steps though, it's about creating a passenger environment that encourages them to use the train, and encourage their friends to do it. The railway needs to frow revenue and things like providing shelter for passengers rather than letting them get wet when it rains is actually a surprisingly valuable thing.

Oh I don’t know. I have never seen the East Suffolk & Cambridge services as busy as they are now. To be fair we used to stack up to 3 units in that platform so things aren’t that different & no confusion as to what train goes where.

 

[zwk500]

It is an issue that absolutely seems to have gotten worse in recent years. For both Cardiff Central and Bristol Temple Meads, the recent (or not so recent by this point) resignalling jobs have led to this being worse at both stations than it used to be. I am sure the claims will be that safety and capacity have been improved, but I really do wish the impact on passengers was taken into account more with works like those too. If using the extreme ends of the platforms is needed for operational reasons then additional passenger links between platforms / to the exists should be provided.

Additional canopies would be a reasonable provision, whole new footbridges and so on less so.

 

[Annetts key]

Additional canopies would be a reasonable provision, whole new footbridges and so on less so.

At Temple Meads, there is the “parcels” lifts and subway at the Western side of the station. If it was modified and tarted up, that would help a little. The biggest problems being there are no staircases to it from any platforms and no proper link/connection to the main passenger subway (there is a narrow corridor and some narrow steps, but not really suitable for passenger use). But you can get to street level (outside Bristol and Exeter house).

Of course, with money being cut from budgets, there is absolutely no chance whatsoever of this “parcels” subway being converted for passenger use.

 

[739678]

This happens at Argyle Street and it really annoys me because they changed it to do that.

They did it because the drivers monitors at the previous stopping points required replacing, and they decided not to spend the money. They're still there, covered in yellow tape. Now means that eastbound 3 car sets stop at the end of the platform with least space for waiting passengers - and it's a long way back to exit if the escalators are having one of their off days...