East Midlands Trains - Journey information

[abbym]

Hello all

This is my second time travelling though London, and the first time I booked with EMT. Now, the reason I booked the first time was because it was cheap (with my railcard added too) but it also gave me my platform numbers! even for the tube as well (which is handy for a 17 year old, small, skinny female who's scared of being lost in a huge place like that.)

But when I booked this time, my journey plan didn't give me any platform numbers. I'm leaving on the 30th of March, and I booked around 1 or 2 weeks before my journey last time and I still got the information I needed.

I'm just really afraid of missing my trains/getting the wrong tube in london because I got on the tube at the wrong platform (I know which tube I need, but all the 'westbound' 'eastbound' stuff kind of confuses me.)

So my question (finally ) is

Is there any way to find out my platforms without running around the station and asking/looking at boards, OR being on the phone and being charged £2 a minute with a helpline??

Many thank you's.

 

[bradders1983]

It may help if you tell us your journey details.

EMT trains at St Pancras only use 4 platforms and they are right next to each other.

Of course, if you are incapable of reading or listening there is always the fail safe of asking someone at the stations(s)...

 

[LCC106]

I went to London on business a few years ago and must say I gave up on the idea of the tube and got a taxi to my final destination. Quite daunting for someone of reasonable intelligence who isn't used to the rail network down there...

As bradders1983 suggests, maybe if you could give fuller details of your journey someone will be able to help soon.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Are you on advances? If so, what are the trains you have to get on? You will see this on the reservation. If you post them here I could tell you the platform times (provided they are available as of now). Also, the tube shouldn't be too hard, whereabouts is your final destination? If you do miss the tube there will be one along within the next 10 minutes at the most, depending on the time of day.

 

[AlexS]

Don't bother going off anything you know in advance because it can change on the day. There's nothing more irritating than dealing with someone who doesn't check the screens/listen to the announcements because some online app told them different.

 

[Qwerty133]

Hello all

This is my second time travelling though London, and the first time I booked with EMT. Now, the reason I booked the first time was because it was cheap (with my railcard added too) but it also gave me my platform numbers! even for the tube as well (which is handy for a 17 year old, small, skinny female who's scared of being lost in a huge place like that.)

But when I booked this time, my journey plan didn't give me any platform numbers. I'm leaving on the 30th of March, and I booked around 1 or 2 weeks before my journey last time and I still got the information I needed.

I'm just really afraid of missing my trains/getting the wrong tube in london because I got on the tube at the wrong platform (I know which tube I need, but all the 'westbound' 'eastbound' stuff kind of confuses me.)

So my question (finally ) is

Is there any way to find out my platforms without running around the station and asking/looking at boards, OR being on the phone and being charged £2 a minute with a helpline??

Many thank you's.

most (if not all) tube stations have signs as you are entering the platforms saying what stations that platform is for.

 

[asylumxl]

I really doubt you'll get the wrong tube. It's really not that daunting and LU employ some great, helpful staff who I'm sure will help you with any problems you have.

If we know where you are going of course we can always give you more pointers!

 

[DelayRepay]

The tube is easy. As you enter the platform there is a map/poster showing all the stations you can reach from that platform. Just check that where ever you're going to is shown on that map/poster.

Tell us where you're going and we'll tell you how to get there.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Don't bother going off anything you know in advance because it can change on the day. There's nothing more irritating than dealing with someone who doesn't check the screens/listen to the announcements because some online app told them different.

Well obviously not, it is just a guide, but it common sense to check anyway on the day to make sure. So yes I would check the advance info, but check anyway and as I say it is common sense to confirm on the day

 

[tsr]

I too would emphasise that knowing platform numbers is of very little significance when using much of the Tube network. I have used approximately 25 LU services in Zone 1 (for the uninitiated, that's Central London) in the past week, but only one of those had its platform number announced; often the signs do not even mention them.

You would be far better plotting your route on a Tube map in advance. If you have a smartphone, you may be able to get an app which does this for you (offline, too, in some cases) and also tells you where to change and how long the journey will take. TfL's Journey Planner also gives reasonably good advice. Tube station signage is incredibly clear, for the most part.

(And that's pretty low number of Tube journeys by my standards! )

 

[Harbon 1]

All you have to do, is find out where you need to change, and just look a the maps. All the platforms at st Pancras go out through the same way, and as long as you know which line you need, you'll be covered for line interchanges

 

[DelayRepay]

Worth adding that there are maps on the actual trains as well, and the announcements are very clear on tube trains.

 

[Harbon 1]

Even if you go the wrong way on the tube, just hop off at the first stop, walk to the other platform and hop on the first one back