What is the official platform number of Liverpool Lime Street Low Level?

[gazr]

As per the title. National Rail goes by "A", whereas RTT reports it as "L". I'm pretty sure pre-expansion of the main station, it was "1" (which probably led to some confusion). Any help appreciated.

 

[D6975]

The signage on the platform clearly says 'Platform A'

 

[SargeNpton]

It was changed to A a year or two back, to avoid any confusion with the platforms in the main station.

 

[plugwash]

whereas RTT reports it as "L"

RTT seems to report it as "L" for trains that have departed, but A for trains that have not yet departed.

This suggests to me that different systems inside network rail are not consistent with each other.

 

[geoffk]

The station map on National Rail Enquiries just says "Lift to Merseyrail platform" and doesn't show a number or letter.

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

The official answer is "A".

Listed by Network Rail internally as:

Liverpool Lime Street
Platform A: 130 meters (142 yards).

I think "L" showing in some operational systems is possibly because instead of the actual infrastructure being labelled Up/Down etc, the line designation is just "Loop" - shortened to "L".

So train arrives into Platform A and then departs on line L.

 

[Watershed]

RTT seems to report it as "L" for trains that have departed, but A for trains that have not yet departed.

This suggests to me that different systems inside network rail are not consistent with each other.

The train planning system (where the schedules are generated, which in turn drive what's shown in journey planners and on displays) has it down as platform "A", hence that's what is displayed before the train arrives.

Once it arrives, live data from the signalling system is used, which instead has "L" as the platform code. Evidently it hasn't been updated - but it's so complicated and expensive to change platform codes in signalling systems that you end with slightly silly outcomes such as Kings Cross having a platform 0 despite having lost its platform 11.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The station map on National Rail Enquiries just says "Lift to Merseyrail platform" and doesn't show a number or letter.

Traditionally (until the 1990s at least) Merseyrail station platforms weren't numbered other than the multiplatform city centre stations (i.e. Central, Moorfields, James St plus Hamilton Square and Southport), it was all just signed by destination. I think they all are now though, done alongside the installation of proper CIS at the outlying stations.

 

[LowLevel]

Traditionally (until the 1990s at least) Merseyrail station platforms weren't numbered other than the multiplatform city centre stations (i.e. Central, Moorfields, James St plus Hamilton Square and Southport), it was all just signed by destination. I think they all are now though, done alongside the installation of proper CIS at the outlying stations.

That was pretty common across the former Regional Railways network. To this day plenty of our smaller stations in the East Midlands don't use platform numbers.

 

[childwallblues]

The station map on National Rail Enquiries just says "Lift to Merseyrail platform" and doesn't show a number or letter.

And these days the main departure board in Lime Street Station includes a separate small board for Mersey rail trains.