Trivia: Stations with barriers between National Rail platforms

[SargeNpton]

Been a few years since I was last there, but does Aberdeen still have one pair of platforms that are gated separately from the rest of the station? At the bottom of the steps from the footbridge.

 

[penguin8967]

Low level Crossrail is separate, but in the main shed Crossrail and GWR share a gateline, but there are separate gatelines for HEx services. Victoria also has a separate gateline for GatEx. Common feature is the dedicated gateline is used to differentiate the fares charged for contactless or Oyster.

It's not possible to change between any of the platforms at Paddington except 1, 8 and 9 without going through a barrier (I think 10-14 share a gateline from the bridge though)

 

[plugwash]

Been a few years since I was last there, but does Aberdeen still have one pair of platforms that are gated separately from the rest of the station? At the bottom of the steps from the footbridge.

The map on NRE shows platforms 7N/7S having seperate gates from the rest of the station. There also appears to be at least one disused platform on that side of the station.

The maps on NRE aren't always particularly up to date, but I can't seem to find any evidence of recent changes that would affect the situation.

 

[NSE]

It's a nightmare, especially when back and forthing on a Travelcard because the staff get fed up of having to let the same person in and out multiple times, valid as I am in doing so.

Genuinely have never had an issue with this at Liverpool Street

 

[scotrail170407]

Been a few years since I was last there, but does Aberdeen still have one pair of platforms that are gated separately from the rest of the station? At the bottom of the steps from the footbridge.

Yes Aberdeen still has them, platforms 7 north and south which is just one long platform.

Other examples in Scotland which require passing through 2 separate gatlines are Edinburgh platforms 13-18 to platforms 6, 7, 11 and 12. And also Inverness platforms 1&2 to 3-6

And then there’s also Glasgow queen street platforms 1-7 to 8&9

 

[theblackwatch]

Like a few others, I've found it frustrating at Liverpool Street. On one occasion, there was no member of staff around, so I tailgated another passenger (who had suggested I do so!), but the barriers hit me and set off an alarm - at which point a member of staff miraculously appeared within a couple of seconds (shame they were 'hiding' when I needed them) and gave me a lecture. I do my best to avoid problems by buying a paper Travelcard rather than tapping in and out a large number of times, but it still causes issues

 

[Kite159]

Yes Aberdeen still has them, platforms 7 north and south which is just one long platform.

Other examples in Scotland which require passing through 2 separate gatlines are Edinburgh platforms 13-18 to platforms 6, 7, 11 and 12. And also Inverness platforms 1&2 to 3-6

And then there’s also Glasgow queen street platforms 1-7 to 8&9

Isn't Queen Street behind one main gateline now with a secondary gateline in another exit?

So you can pass between platforms 1-7 to the low level platforms without the need to use gates.

 

[scotrail170407]

Isn't Queen Street behind one main gateline now with a secondary gateline in another exit?

So you can pass between platforms 1-7 to the low level platforms without the need to use gates.

Oh whoops so it is, should’ve said Central platforms 1-15 to the low level

 

[D6975]

I was last up in London in June and can confirm that Finsbury Park still had seperate gatelines. I too had the same issue with changing halves at Liverpool St. Victoria and Waterloo do both however seem to have their two halves set up as 2 different stations and I didn't have any problems there.

 

[stuu]

It's a nightmare, especially when back and forthing on a Travelcard because the staff get fed up of having to let the same person in and out multiple times, valid as I am in doing so.

No, it's not a nightmare, it's a very, very minor problem for an absolutely miniscule number of passengers. Seriously, there are many worse things out there than having to deal with gateline staff whilst holding a valid ticket

 

[NSE]

No, it's not a nightmare, it's a very, very minor problem for an absolutely miniscule number of passengers. Seriously, there are many worse things out there than having to deal with gateline staff whilst holding a valid ticket

Is my thoughts exactly. Especially as most stations that we’ve seen mentioned have physical limitations in the station building meaning they have no choice but to put the gate line as such. I mean it would be an absolute ball ache to try and alter the Victoria gates to allow universal access. As I’ve said before, I’ve come from Margate and headed back out to Croydon at Victoria and arrived from Cambridge and headed out to Southend at Liverpool Street. Never had a problem. And even if I did, clearly it wasn’t an issue as I don’t recall it in the slightest.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Shrewsbury where you can easily miss a connection trying to get to & from P3

And Liverpool Lime Street if you count the LL and HL platforms as the same station

 

[BJames]

I think Finsbury Park is another. I remember barriers being at the top of the stairs on Platforms 7/8 so would imagine they are also fitted to 1/2.

Finsbury Park has definitely been reorganised (I haven't changed there since it was) but when it was in this layout, Platforms 1/2 didn't actually have any barriers.

 

[geoffk]

Dewsbury.

There's only a limited number of journeys where you'd need to change platforms, but it isn't completely outlandish that you might take a semi-fast from Huddersfield and change at Dewsbury for stations up the Calder Valley if the timings work out. Each platform is barriered separately, so switching requires passing through two gatelines (unless you use the lift from P1, in which case you only pass through the gateline for P2).

But you get on to the westbound platform through the West Riding Refreshment Rooms (pub), preferably by buying a drink first, at least you could when I was there last.

Aberdeen is one as the footbridge is a public right of way I think.

 

[Kite159]

Dewsbury.

There's only a limited number of journeys where you'd need to change platforms, but it isn't completely outlandish that you might take a semi-fast from Huddersfield and change at Dewsbury for stations up the Calder Valley if the timings work out. Each platform is barriered separately, so switching requires passing through two gatelines (unless you use the lift from P1, in which case you only pass through the gateline for P2).

Unless you use the lifts (when they are operational)?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

But you get on to the westbound platform through the West Riding Refreshment Rooms (pub), preferably by bying a drink first, at least you could when I was there last.

This is true... however I'm not sure advertising a way of bypassing the barriers is a great idea. Not that the gates are in operation most of the time!

Unless you use the lifts (when they are operational)?

Which is why I mentioned the lifts, and the fact that the one on the up platform allows the gates to be bypassed.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Birmingham New Street follows OP’s Kings Cross example where you don’t have to pass through barriers to change platforms (the entrance station is connected at the ‘B’ or West end) but it’s so busy and has so many people changing there who aren’t familiar enough with the layout to know that sometimes it pays to walk past the first two or three exits from a platform you see in order to avoid the double barrier trap.

Spirit of the law rather than letter of the law but I totally feel it warrants a mention.

Indeed. I had a fairly tight connection yesterday between platforms 5 and 11b and simply followed the signs. These directed me through two ticket barriers - a right pain in the **** when you are in a hurry. Which barmpot designed this b***y station. I'm a rail enthusiast who's been there dozens of times but I still struggle to visualize the layout. What chance have "normals" got?

It has always been a nightmare. On my first visit to New Street in 1975 to cop St Andrews on the way to my 92 FL grounds, it took me so long to find my way out of the b****y shopping centre above the station that I had to take a taxi to make sure I didn't miss the kick off.

 

[geoffk]

Dewsbury.

There's only a limited number of journeys where you'd need to change platforms, but it isn't completely outlandish that you might take a semi-fast from Huddersfield and change at Dewsbury for stations up the Calder Valley if the timings work out. Each platform is barriered separately, so switching requires passing through two gatelines (unless you use the lift from P1, in which case you only pass through the gateline for P2).

You can walk through the pub though (preferably also buying a pint). (I've just noticed I said the same thing last year!)

 

[VideozVideoz]

Indeed. I had a fairly tight connection yesterday between platforms 5 and 11b and simply followed the signs. These directed me through two ticket barriers - a right pain in the **** when you are in a hurry. Which barmpot designed this b***y station. I'm a rail enthusiast who's been there dozens of times but I still struggle to visualize the layout. What chance have "normals" got?

It has always been a nightmare. On my first visit to New Street in 1975 to cop St Andrews on the way to my 92 FL grounds, it took me so long to find my way out of the b****y shopping centre above the station that I had to take a taxi to make sure I didn't miss the kick off.

As you know you can access all platforms from the “b” end without having to go through any barriers but I wouldn’t say everyone knows this. The signs certainly don’t give it away

 

[Mordac]

As you know you can access all platforms from the “b” end without having to go through any barriers but I wouldn’t say everyone knows this. The signs certainly don’t give it away

They make announcements about it though, at least on WMT trains.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Indeed. I had a fairly tight connection yesterday between platforms 5 and 11b and simply followed the signs. These directed me through two ticket barriers - a right pain in the **** when you are in a hurry. Which barmpot designed this b***y station. I'm a rail enthusiast who's been there dozens of times but I still struggle to visualize the layout. What chance have "normals" got?

It has always been a nightmare. On my first visit to New Street in 1975 to cop St Andrews on the way to my 92 FL grounds, it took me so long to find my way out of the b****y shopping centre above the station that I had to take a taxi to make sure I didn't miss the kick off.

The irony is that ‘new’ station is far more ‘permeable’ for those both accessing and egressing from/to all parts of the city centre than the previous version. That was one of the key elements of the design brief.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Waterloo - platform alteration or late announcement of skip stopping and hundreds of people suddenly need to pass back through the barriers and then back in again when they've identified which is their next train (the only information being the screens on the concourse, facing away from the platforms - the barrier and dispatch staff never know and refuse to find out (although looking at the track diagram screens provided for that purpose near the barriers would be much quicker than telling would-be passengers "I don't know" dozens of times).

 

[jfollows]

Waterloo - platform alteration or late announcement of skip stopping and hundreds of people suddenly need to pass back through the barriers and then back in again when they've identified which is their next train (the only information being the screens on the concourse, facing away from the platforms - the barrier and dispatch staff never know and refuse to find out (although looking at the track diagram screens provided for that purpose near the barriers would be much quicker than telling would-be passengers "I don't know" dozens of times).

Isn't it possible to cross under the platforms via the subway, or is that closed or only serves a subset of platforms?

 

[Old Yard Dog]

As you know you can access all platforms from the “b” end without having to go through any barriers but I wouldn’t say everyone knows this. The signs certainly don’t give it away

I sort of knew this VV. My problem was working out which staircase, lift or escalator to use from P5 to get up to the big concourse which spans all platforms. I was somewhere near the centre of P5 and trusted the signage for P11 which sent me up the wrong escalator. Then I even had to ask the attendant at the first barrier how to get to P11 as it was far from obvious. I wasn't going to trust my ticket to the machines on the gate lines. It was like going through a b****y airport.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Isn't it possible to cross under the platforms via the subway, or is that closed or only serves a subset of platforms?

It is at certain times, but even then you don't get the full information about what's going where without scanning all the individual screens at the entrance to each platform. (The subway also doesn't connect to the Windsor lines in the old Eurostar terminal, which you need to know about if your Kingston Loop or Shepperton train has just been cancelled)

 

[Matt Taylor]

From my travels last month I can add Stevenage which has a barriers on platform five (Hertford Loop services) as the new platform comes out on the publicly accessed footbridge. Welwyn Garden City has barriers at the foot of the stairs to the public footbridge between platforms which largely affects people changing to or from the Moorgate services.

Also added to the list is East Tilbury which affects nobody except those of us who tick off stations! Access from one platform to another is via the level crossing thus requiring barriers (not in use when I visited).

 

[swt_passenger]

From my travels last month I can add Stevenage which has a barriers on platform five (Hertford Loop services) as the new platform comes out on the publicly accessed footbridge. Welwyn Garden City has barriers at the foot of the stairs to the public footbridge between platforms which largely affects people changing to or from the Moorgate services.

Stevenage and Welwyn GC were mentioned in the first post, you possibly missed it then because the thread had been dormant for almost 3 months until just reactivated…

 

[VideozVideoz]

The irony is that ‘new’ station is far more ‘permeable’ for those both accessing and egressing from/to all parts of the city centre than the previous version. That was one of the key elements of the design brief.

I can never work out which exit comes out where lol!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Isn't it possible to cross under the platforms via the subway, or is that closed or only serves a subset of platforms?

You can get between any of the platforms at Waterloo, with the exception of those in the former international terminus, without going through the barriers - but it would be rather awkward with several hundred people trying it at once...

 

[Sean Emmett]

You can get between any of the platforms at Waterloo, with the exception of those in the former international terminus, without going through the barriers - but it would be rather awkward with several hundred people trying it at once...

At Waterloo there are a couple of points of access from platform 19 (main) to platform 20 (ex eurostar).