Trivia: Stations which have had platforms removed.

[Scotrail84]

Dunfermline (insert this week‘s name here) had lost the “loop” by the time of resignalling in late 1980. It probably went when the signal box closed (1975?).

On Stirling: platforms 4 & 5 (north end bays) still exist but are unavailable for passenger use.

Have the North end bays at Stirling not been brought back into passenger use after resignalling and electrification took place?

I believe Polmont had an East facing bay for Boness locals back in the day as well.

 

[Kingston Dan]

Have the North end bays at Stirling not been brought back into passenger use after resignalling and electrification took place?

I believe Polmont had an East facing bay for Boness locals back in the day as well.

Didn't Longniddry and Prestonpans also have bays for the Gullane and Haddington branches respectively?

 

[matchmaker]

Have the North end bays at Stirling not been brought back into passenger use after resignalling and electrification took place?

I believe Polmont had an East facing bay for Boness locals back in the day as well.

No, The south end bays have, however. The north bays aren't signalled for passenger traffic - one of the points is actually a hand point. The resignalling mainly affected Stirling Middle, although since then there have been changes at Stirling North, mainly because of the change of Cornton No 1 crossing being converted from AHB to MCB(OD). There are now no semaphores at Stirling.

 

[oddiesjack]

Has Chinley been mentioned yet?
It went from 5 through platforms, plus a south-facing bay, down to 2 through platforms.

 

[Purple Train]

Slough lost one - platform 5. Which really they should have kept to turn some Crossrail services there…

Platform 6, and if they'd extended it to fit a 345 it would probably have ended up halfway to Langley... There is also what looks like the remains of a bay platform between platforms 3 and 4, but I think that was removed decades too early to fit the OP's criteria!

Is Theale platform 3 still accessible, or has that too bitten the dust?

 

[Cach17]

Herne Bay went from 3 to 2 platforms decades ago.

Interestingly, when the new bus depot was built next to the station a few years ago, they left space for the track that used to be there!

 

[Kite159]

Platform 6, and if they'd extended it to fit a 345 it would probably have ended up halfway to Langley... There is also what looks like the remains of a bay platform between platforms 3 and 4, but I think that was removed decades too early to fit the OP's criteria!

Is Theale platform 3 still accessible, or has that too bitten the dust?

Still accessible but only used when there is engineering works due to having step free access to the car park (which I think is happening again at some point as it was mentioned in the last edition of the Branch Line Society newsletter)

 

[Bevan Price]

Crewe had 2 bay platforms and a through platform connected to plat 12 at some point, you can still see the overgrown platforms but the tracks have been lifted

That was at the 1985 rebuilding. Current Platform 12 was the old Platform 2. with the adjacent (now disconnected) through side being Platform 1.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Oct 2024 ==

Anyone mentuined Llandudno?

And Llandudno Junction. West end bay platform no longer used for shuttles to Llandudno.

 

[Scotrail84]

Didn't Longniddry and Prestonpans also have bays for the Gullane and Haddington branches respectively?

Longniddry definitely did, on the down side.Not sure about Prestonpans though. Berwick upon tweed had a bay too I think.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Oct 2024 ==

No, The south end bays have, however. The north bays aren't signalled for passenger traffic - one of the points is actually a hand point. The resignalling mainly affected Stirling Middle, although since then there have been changes at Stirling North, mainly because of the change of Cornton No 1 crossing being converted from AHB to MCB(OD). There are now no semaphores at Stirling.

I knew the semaphores had gone some years ago, I'm old enough to remember them. The North facing bays at Stirling wouldn't be of much use as nothing really starts or terminates there from the North.

 

[vic-rijrode]

Sunderland used to have 2 island platforms with the corresponding 4 tracks. It now has one island platform (albeit with 4 virtual "platforms" at each end of the physical platform) and 2 tracks.

It's a little complicated so I'll number the original tracks from west to east as 1-4 with the 2 original island platforms between tracks 1 & 2 and between tracks 3 & 4. It is tracks 2 & 4 that still exist.

The eastern island platform was widened over track 3 that served the original western side of that platform such that track 2 (that served the western platform) now serves the widened eastern island platform.

The western island platform still exists (albeit walled off) and is next to track 2 (so track 2 has a platform on either side now - one used, one not). Track 1 (on the other side of the western island platform walled off) was removed.

Although the longer term aim of Sunderland City Council apparently is to reinstate the western island platform in some form to segregate Metro and National Rail, I do not know whether the trackbed of track 1 is still there or has been built on. Perhaps someone here with more knowledge than me can help.

 

[Jessicas Dad]

No, The south end bays have, however. The north bays aren't signalled for passenger traffic - one of the points is actually a hand point. The resignalling mainly affected Stirling Middle, although since then there have been changes at Stirling North, mainly because of the change of Cornton No 1 crossing being converted from AHB to MCB(OD). There are now no semaphores at Stirling.

I'm guessing it's the points that lead from P6 to Stirling North that are a hand point?

Otherwise https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P84389/2024-10-17/detailed would be able to leave P9 and head straight to Stirling North instead of going via Stirling Middle & P2?

 

[matchmaker]

I'm guessing it's the points that lead from P6 to Stirling North that are a hand point?

Otherwise https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P84389/2024-10-17/detailed would be able to leave P9 and head straight to Stirling North instead of going via Stirling Middle & P2?

This diagram from The Signal Box www.signalbox.org (although pretty old) might explain the layout, although platforms 4 & 5 are shown as sidings.

Stirling

 

[Thebaz]

West Croydon. 4 to 3 when the West Croydon-Wimbledon branch was replaced by Tramlink. Then the bay platform (2) was eventually backfilled and became part of a lengthened Platform 3 allowing up trains to call much closer to the station entrance.

 

[thecrofter]

Lichfield Trent Valley High Level had the Up platform removed by electrification of the Cross City line in 1994. Terminating trains at the now single platform on the Down Sutton line does cause congestion when diversions are implemented due to perturbation on the Burton - Tamworth - Birmingham route. Re-instating the Up platform has been mooted should the passenger service be extended to Burton/Derby or even the short hop to the National Memorial Arboretum but the will (and/or the money) isn't there. A recent submission via the Restoring Your Railway sham didn't even make the first cut!

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

That was at the 1985 rebuilding. Current Platform 12 was the old Platform 2. with the adjacent (now disconnected) through side being Platform 1.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Oct 2024 ==


And Llandudno Junction. West end bay platform no longer used for shuttles to Llandudno.

Platform 2 is still very much in use at the Junction for the shuttles.

 

[kkong]

Aberdeen went from 13 to 7 in the 1970s and then cut to 5 in the 1980s.

I would say it's now got 7 usable platforms.

Because 6N/6S and 7N/7S are distinct from each other (much the same as P1/P20 and P2/P19 at Edinburgh Waverley).

The former P1 & P2 are now only used for stock stabling.

There are periodic calls to bring P8 back into use (currently used as a headshunt for the train washer, with the track centred between P8 and the former P9).

 

[Falcon1200]

Bletchley had two through platforms to the west of the Fast Line platforms, used for Oxford, Banbury and some Bedford line trains. Removed with electrification and the demise of passenger services, although IIRC one was retained as a bay for parcels traffic. Now of course there are two new platforms on the flyover lines!

 

[Western 52]

Have we had Barry Island yet? Once 4 platforms, now only about half of one platform is used for regular services. Two others still have track for the tourist railway but rarely seems to operate.

 

[Bevan Price]

Bevan Price said:

And Llandudno Junction. West end bay platform no longer used for shuttles to Llandudno.

Platform 2 is still very much in use at the Junction for the shuttles.

Thanks for the correction - I got the wrong impression last time I was there - a shuttle seemed to be using one of the "through" platforms. .

 

[RichardAsh1981]

Birkenhead Central - had a bay platform facing Rock Ferry on the old depot side. At some point the track was realigned slightly away from the platform face and and a fence erected. The track remains in use for stabling.

Before ~1984 there were two tracks here (which was rather tight between Birkenhead Central depot shed and the platform. At some point this was reduced to the one siding, I suspect about the time (1984-86) when the 507/508 units replaced 503s - maybe the new stock wouldn't fit?

 

[Scotrail84]

I would say it's now got 7 usable platforms.

Because 6N/6S and 7N/7S are distinct from each other (much the same as P1/P20 and P2/P19 at Edinburgh Waverley).

The former P1 & P2 are now only used for stock stabling.

There are periodic calls to bring P8 back into use (currently used as a headshunt for the train washer, with the track centred between P8 and the former P9).

Just a shame the North end bays can never be reinstated.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Oct 2024 ==

Carnforth. Mainline platforms removed during electrification.

 

[Magdalia]

Looking through this I think that March has not been mentioned. Now only 2 platforms, but at one time 7. Most closed a long time ago. The Joint Line Platforms had timetabled use until 1982.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Carnforth. Mainline platforms removed ...

Went in 1970's. Mentioned upthread already in post #99.

 

[Smwrff]

Cardiff Central lost its West facing bay platform 5 and has since gained platforms 0 & 8. I don't know if the new Crosslink platforms will be numbered as 9 & 10 or if they will be rebranded as Central South.

 

[D6975]

Not forgetting Blackpool South, must have lost least 3.

Really, why if no work had taken place?

Blackpool South did have 4 platforms because the bookshop that used to be on the station was called Platform 5. That name ring any bells??

 

[Whistler40145]

Blackpool South did have 4 platforms because the bookshop that used to be on the station was called Platform 5. That name ring any bells??

The Book Shop was definitely called Platform 3 as I used to go for Model Railways

 

[D6975]

The books are most definitely called Platform 5 and are still in production. And the station definitely had 4 platforms,

 

[Whistler40145]

The books are most definitely called Platform 5 and are still in production. And the station definitely had 4 platforms,

Platform 5 Books is a Sheffield based company, no connection with Blackpool South

 

[Killingworth]

Dore & Totley lost use of Platform 4 on the Midland mainline in 1969 and that half of the footbridge was removed.

In 1971 Totley was removed from the station name and in 1985 Platforms 2, 3 and 4 were all demolished. The Hope Valley line was singled through the station.

The station was restored as Dore & Totley in 2008 and a second platform has been restored in 2024. Curiously the old Platform 1 is now Platform 2 and the new platform is Platform 1.

 

[duffield]

Dore & Totley lost use of Platform 4 on the Midland mainline in 1969 and that half of the footbridge was removed.

In 1971 Totley was removed from the station name and in 1985 Platforms 2, 3 and 4 were all demolished. The Hope Valley line was singled through the station.

The station was restored as Dore & Totley in 2008 and a second platform has been restored in 2024. Curiously the old Platform 1 is now Platform 2 and the new platform is Platform 1.

I'm guessing the reason for the platform numbering is consistency; it now matches the numbering for Grindleford, Hathersage and Bamford (for example) in terms of which is the "up" platform and which is the "down" platform.