Wembley Central - West Midlands Railway Platform 5 & 6

[nath22]

why does West Midlands Railway not stop and operate at Wembley Central Station even though it is a national rail station with Southern operating here? When I've asked them on Twitter they said its because Wembley Central is an underground station, but trains pass through this station on the route from London Euston to areas in Hertfordshire such as Milton Keynes, Bletchley etc so they should stop and operate here

 

[Class15]

why does West Midlands Railway not stop and operate at Wembley Central Station even though it is a national rail station with Southern operating here? When I've asked them on Twitter they said its because Wembley Central is an underground station, but trains pass through this station on the route from London Euston to areas in Hertfordshire such as Milton Keynes, Bletchley etc so they should stop and operate here

I believe 2 trains per day from LNWR/WMR stop there, there are platforms and I really don’t know why more don’t stop, it’s an important station.

 

[NSE]

Yeah I’ve always wondered. If Southern stop then surely it’s worth it. Not everything of course, but the Tring stoppers (if they’re still running).

 

[DarloRich]

why does West Midlands Railway not stop and operate at Wembley Central Station even though it is a national rail station with Southern operating here? When I've asked them on Twitter they said its because Wembley Central is an underground station, but trains pass through this station on the route from London Euston to areas in Hertfordshire such as Milton Keynes, Bletchley etc so they should stop and operate here

There is probably no business for them. I doubt there are many from Milton Keynes, Bletchley etc (not in Hertfordshire) wanting Wembley other than on match day when extra trains have stopped. Personally as a regular user from Bletchley and MKC I am very happy not to be delayed by calling unnecessarily at a grotty toilet of a station!

Surely any local trade is best served via London Overground, and by a change at Watford onto longer distance services. Also, station operations are quite complicated, if I recall correctly.

 

[zwk500]

The platforms are too narrow for people to wait there, so staff are required to unlock the gates before each train. The platforms are also not long enough for 8-car trains to open all doors, and LNWR's units have an SDO system that can only select each unit. This would mean dwell times would increase and put pressure on capacity.
Given the regular London Overground service to Watford Junction or Euston, the LNWRs not stopping are the lesser evil. Increasing the number of stopping trains at Wembley Central would eat up the freight capacity to/from Wembley Yard, and trains going through to Euston can run through at reasonable speed so the journey time penalty is greater than it is for the Southern services, which are turning off to the 25mph reliefs anyway and so it provides the last opportunity for interchange to the WLL.

 

[nath22]

I believe 2 trains per day from LNWR/WMR stop there, there are platforms and I really don’t know why more don’t stop, it’s an important station.

yes exactly, im a regular commuter from Wembley central to watford junction and ive got to take the southern lines which are hourly, so if i miss a train, i have to go on the slow overground trains

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Dec 2022 ==

there is probably no business for them. I doubt there are many from Milton Keynes, Bletchley etc ( NOT in Hertfordshire) wanting Wembley other than on match day when extra trains have stopped. Personally as a regular user from Bletchley and MKC i am very happy not to be delayed by calling unnecessarily at a grotty toilet of a station!

Surely any local trade is best served via London Overground and by a change at Watford onto longer distance services. Also station operations are quite complicated irc.

fair enough, thats true. Sorry for assuming bletchley was in herts
true it is served by the overground but its just soo slow compared to the national rail services

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Simply not enough passengers use it for LNWR, and short narrow platforms make it a pain.
Even Crewe guards sign it just in case though.

 

[Edsmith]

The platforms are too narrow for people to wait there, so staff are required to unlock the gates before each train. The platforms are also not long enough for 8-car trains to open all doors, and LNWR's units have an SDO system that can only select each unit. This would mean dwell times would increase and put pressure on capacity.
Given the regular London Overground service to Watford Junction or Euston, the LNWRs not stopping are the lesser evil. Increasing the number of stopping trains at Wembley Central would eat up the freight capacity to/from Wembley Yard, and trains going through to Euston can run through at reasonable speed so the journey time penalty is greater than it is for the Southern services, which are turning off to the 25mph reliefs anyway and so it provides the last opportunity for interchange to the WLL.

I think it's also due to the platforms being enclosed and the turbulence from passing trains.

 

[Nippy]

Incidentally, due to the DC closure this week the Tring trains have been calling all day.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Traditionally LM/LNR have called there for special events, but outside of that most demand is towards London or Westfield and Southern and LO provide perfectly well for that.

 

[Parallel]

Some LNR trains do stop there when Southern aren’t running but as others have said, most of the traffic is southbound.

 

[STKKK46]

The short and narrow platforms are I believe the reason. The UDS system isn’t ideal when you’re so close to London, call there on a full and standing 8 car and there’s inevitable issues with people being overcarried.

Event days I believe LNR even started putting their extra calls at Harrow & Wealdstone due to this. Can carry enough people northbound on the Overground to change there.

In addition to those, you may as well start claims to call at Queens Park again for connections to the underground if you’re calling for Wembley!

 

[cle]

I do miss Queens Park calls. It’s the busiest Bakerloo station north of Paddington, and has all the starters. Would be a great place to encourage changing / take up Bakerloo capacity, esp post-Lizard, and relieve Euston a bit.

 

[westcoaster]

I do miss Queens Park calls. It’s the busiest Bakerloo station north of Paddington, and has all the starters. Would be a great place to encourage changing / take up Bakerloo capacity, esp post-Lizard, and relieve Euston a bit.

Is Queen's park no longer in use ?

 

[Class15]

Is Queen's park no longer in use ?

Platforms 5 and 6 are still there on the slow lines, but are only used when there is engineering work as far as I know.

 

[Lewlew]

Platforms 5 and 6 are still there on the slow lines, but are only used when there is engineering work as far as I know.

They haven’t been used for at least 6 six years (they’ve not been used in the time I’ve been working there).

 

[matt_world2004]

While platform 5-6 are still at queen's Park they appear to be in quite a poor state and would probably need remedial works before trains can stop there again

 

[cle]

They rebuilt the footbridge (which was dodgy through my whole childhood and when the area was very different in character) - and put in PIS screens but then the painting was never finished and what appeared to be a second chance was abandoned, and I don’t think much thought of since.

And it would now need to be extended to 12 cars to be useable.

There was that weird OA to Blackpool which used QP instead of Euston. Presumably that would have seen 5&6 in some role and rehab.

 

[The Planner]

There was that weird OA to Blackpool which used QP instead of Euston. Presumably that would have seen 5&6 in some role and rehab.

That would never have stopped at Queens Park, that was more to prove the concept it could get there whilst issues at Euston were untangled.

 

[cle]

It was due to terminate / turn there. I agree that once Euston was an option, QP wouldn't be considered for a call.

 

[Man_with_beard]

Don't Euston to Northampton call at Wembley Central late at night and then the first Northampton to Eustons in the morning?

 

[jfollows]

Don't Euston to Northampton call at Wembley Central late at night and then the first Northampton to Eustons in the morning?

No.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...2359?stp=WVSC&show=pax-calls&order=wtt&toc=LM will show no trains found, for example.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...2359?stp=WVSC&show=pax-calls&order=wtt&toc=LM will show no trains found, for example.

I think it used to. It now occasionally does if there's disruption to LO or if there's an event on.

 

[jfollows]

I think it used to. It now occasionally does if there's disruption to LO or if there's an event on.

For sure.
May 2018 timetable shows 2K99 01:34 Euston-Milton Keynes calling, for example.

 

[BluePenguin]

Back in the day I remember my London Midland train always used to stop at Wembley Central and Harrow & Wealdstone on the way to Kings Langley

 

[Lewlew]

The late night Wembley calls got removed in the latest timetable change in Dec 2022

 

[AndyDeltic19]

Got my ticket through the post for the Class 56 Farewell tour this Saturday, and both the ticket and RTT path have the tour departing Wembley Central platform 6. So at least one train should be using this year!!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Got my ticket through the post for the Class 56 Farewell tour this Saturday, and both the ticket and RTT path have the tour departing Wembley Central platform 6. So at least one train should be using this year!!

The Southern service still uses it.

 

[Kite159]

Got my ticket through the post for the Class 56 Farewell tour this Saturday, and both the ticket and RTT path have the tour departing Wembley Central platform 6. So at least one train should be using this year!!

Hope someone has remembered to tell the station staff to unlock the access gate to allow passengers to board the charter

 

[Class15]

Hope someone has remembered to tell the station staff to unlock the access gate to allow passengers to board the charter

The way the railways are run, the likely answer is no