Platform Sharing

[Fgw+xc+swtconn]

What stations use platform sharing? eg: 2 trains on 1 platform. Seen it at Plymouth on Platform 3 yesterday. Arriva on fgw duty ready to go Gunnislake and a 1 fgw unit probably going Penzance. I think Penzance use it when storing xc super voyager's

 

[O L Leigh]

Loads. It's called "permissive working". Almost every main terminus station has this form of working and some other intermediate stations do as well.

O L Leigh

 

[bluebottle]

Southampton Central does it regularly on the island platforms, 2 and 3.

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

I've seen it happen quite a bit at Middlesbrough, where a Northbound Darlington Service from Saltburn will come in to the top of Platform 1, and a terminating Whitby service will come in behind it.

 

[class377man]

It happens regularly, in a roundabout way, at any station where trains divide en route.

 

[Fincra5]

Happens at Brighton a lot. Quite often you have to go to the front 4 coaches, etc.

 

[ukrob]

Do they still do it on 14 at Manchester Piccadilly?

 

[Jimini]

It happens at Gloucester quite a bit too.

 

[EM2]

We have it at St Pancras too.

 

[GNERman]

leeds quite a lot, also sunderland with the two huge platforms...

 

[Aictos]

Hertford North has it on Platforms 2 and 3, I think Platform 1 is the same as well.

 

[Dai.]

Cardiff Central does it. I keep seeing two 143's on platform 6 I think

 

[GB]

Lol, if people are going to name locations where permissive working is authorised this is going to be a long thread.

 

[Drsatan]

Is permissive working still practiced at Portsmouth Harbour?

I remember jumping on a 421 at Portsmouth Harbour in 2005 only to realise that it wasn't going anywhere. Luckily I caught the 421 in front just in time since that was going to Fratton.

 

[142094]

Probably get 3 trains in one platform at Leeds if you needed to. Huddersfield does it a lot, usually the services to Man Vic, Bradford and Wakefield Westgate.

 

[Helvellyn]

Is permissive working still practiced at Portsmouth Harbour?

Yes, and at Portsmouth & Southsea as well.

As has been said, permissive working is allowed at quite a few locations. An interesting example at Basingstoke used to be a 12-car 450 set arriving empty on platform 1. It would split there, and the 4-car unit at the country end would form the 09:21 to Brighton, whilst the 8-car set at the London end would form the 09:24 to Waterloo. Used to be fun trying to get passengers for the Brighton train to walk all the way down platform 1!

 

[royaloak]

Is permissive working still practiced at Portsmouth Harbour?

Yes every day.

 

[Surreytraveller]

On Southern: Victoria, London Bridge, Purley, Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Redhill, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Horsham, Barnham, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Worthing, Brighton, Haywards Heath, Lewes, Eastbourne, Hastings, Oxted, East Grinstead.

No doubt some other locations I've missed.

 

[yorksrob]

Lol, if people are going to name locations where permissive working is authorised this is going to be a long thread.

Thats the permissive society for you lol

 

[43021HST]

What stations use platform sharing? eg: 2 trains on 1 platform. Seen it at Plymouth on Platform 3 yesterday. Arriva on fgw duty ready to go Gunnislake and a 1 fgw unit probably going Penzance. I think Penzance use it when storing xc super voyager's

Reading use to a long time ago after Reading Southern was closed so the trains often had to share platform 4a

 

[dfishw]

nottingham has it alot too. though it is odd since platform 1 only has one train an hour (lincoln), platform 5 has FOUR trains an hour: london, birmnigham, worksop, and liverpool! I never followed why the discrepency but there you go!

 

[90019]

Happens quite a lot on the Scotrail platforms at Waverley I think, certainly seen it happen there quite a few times.

 

[jon0844]

Are there any rules? King's Cross has platforms 9-11 with a and b. York has platform 3 and 4 on the same platform, while others have trains that just share platforms and you're told to walk down.

It makes sense to standardise things. I think the single platform number with letters makes sense, although I guess people could get confused with coach numbers. And St Pancras prefers zones.. D'oh!

 

[90019]

Are there any rules? King's Cross has platforms 9-11 with a and b. York has platform 3 and 4 on the same platform, while others have trains that just share platforms and you're told to walk down.

I think it's referring to trains on the same platform as opposed to different platforms sharing the same platform face.

 

[dk1]

Lol, if people are going to name locations where permissive working is authorised this is going to be a long thread.

Ha ha, i'm starting to lose the will...

 

[GB]

Ha ha lol

 

[paul1609]

Is permissive working still practiced at Portsmouth Harbour?

I remember jumping on a 421 at Portsmouth Harbour in 2005 only to realise that it wasn't going anywhere. Luckily I caught the 421 in front just in time since that was going to Fratton.

Yep my morning 377 from Littlehampton usually shares platform 1 with a FGW service to Bristol Temple Meads.

 

[CosherB]

So what are the rules for this? I was on a 323 into Manchester Piccadilly yesterday that pulled into one of the main platforms, to stop immediately behind a train already at that platform. This doesn't fit with my (admittedly limited) knowledge of 'block working' of one train at a time in a section... so how is the second train authorised (permissivly, presumably) into the section that's already occupied by the first train?

 

[GB]

The whole point of permissive working is to allow more than one train in a signalling section for the purpose of either attaching or detaching viehicles or to facilitate platform sharing (platform sharing being where a platform is divided into more than one section... P4A P4B P4C etc etc) As you say, under normal signalling conditions you would get one train per signalling block.

In a TCB area, the signaller must wait for the first train to stop and must not clear the platform starting signal if there is to be a train brought in on top of the stationary train....like wise of the platform starter has been cleared he should not allow another train into the platform section. He will set the route into the occupied platform but due to the nature of the signalling system the main aspect signal will not clear to a proceed aspect. Instead when the second train is approaching close to the signal, what is known as a subsidary signal will clear to show two white lights which authorises the driver to proceed at caution and prepare to stop short of any obstruction....ie the second train.

Permissive working on platform lines is only in operation at authorised locations and is limited to classes 1, 2, 3 ECS, 5, 9 and 0 trains. Not sure how a light loco running round a freight train in a platform factors in though.

 

[Southern]

Ashford International - Brighton service often shares this platform with the Charing X stopper.

Dover Priory - the xx:04 and xx:22 to Victoria often share platform 3.