Trivia: Stations which have had platforms removed.

[Killingworth]

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.

Correct, but it confuses people, even those who never knew it with more than one platform.

 

[Train wasp]

Eastleigh had four platforms back in the 1980s then lost platform 1 when the station was remodelled.

 

[infobleep]

Thus might be tenuousm. Before slam door trains finished, did the doors open on both sides for platforms 6 and 7 at Guildford?

Platform 7 still exists and occasionally doors do open to it but that is usually accidental and nothing is timetabled to use it.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Thus might be tenuousm. Before slam door trains finished, did the doors open on both sides for platforms 6 and 7 at Guildford?

Platform 7 still exists and occasionally doors do open to it but that is usually accidental and nothing is timetabled to use it.

On that tenuous theme a number of other stations have platform faces on both sides of one line of track, including Inverness P6, Sheffield P7, Ulverston (towards Barrow), Carlisle P2 and no doubt many others. I suspect as at Guildford there is now one side which is regularly used.

 

[northscots]

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).

Platform 8 and possibly even the old platform 9 would he required if services to Peterhead were ever be restored.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thus might be tenuousm. Before slam door trains finished, did the doors open on both sides for platforms 6 and 7 at Guildford?

Yes they did, it’s been mentioned in a few previous threads about the same subject, ie Guildford station. Remember there was nothing fitted to the train to stop passengers opening any door at any time.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Ulverston (towards Barrow)

If you're referring to the one-time platform 2 at Ulverston, it's still there isn't it? Obviously, the platform edges haven't been painted anytime recently, not sure when it was last used, but it's not as if it's been fenced off or partially dismantled.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

If you're referring to the one-time platform 2 at Ulverston, it's still there isn't it? Obviously, the platform edges haven't been painted anytime recently, not sure when it was last used, but it's not as if it's been fenced off or partially dismantled.

Likewise the others I mentioned, just all of them now just use one face as far as I am aware.

 

[infobleep]

Yes they did, it’s been mentioned in a few previous threads about the same subject, ie Guildford station. Remember there was nothing fitted to the train to stop passengers opening any door at any time.

I thought that guards could lock one side of the trains but perhaps I am misremembering something.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Cardiff Central lost a Bay platform but gained platform 0.
Cardiff Queen St I think has lost a platform.
Plenty of stations down in South Wales lost platforms when their lines were singled.

Central for as long as I have lived has always had a "missing" platform 5. The Riverside platforms were 8 and 9 - these went back in the 90s - I remember visiting them for the GWR150 celebrations. Isn't there a new platform 8 now?

Queen Street - was 3 platforms in the 70s IIRC - was always a mystery that one platform (now number 1?) was always out of use. Now it has 5 platforms with a bay for the line down to Bute.

Pontypridd lost a lot - I think it even operated as a single platform until the new platform was build on the north side in the 80s. Haven't been there for a long while, but it now has 3 platforms in use?

 

[janahan]

Surprised no-one mentioned (arguably) one of the biggest reductions within Greater London, Willesden Junction, which at one time had platforms on the WCML, as well as for the West London Line, and back towards the NLL to richmond and GWR, as well as the current DC, and 4 platforms (instead of currently two) on the upper level two. the WCML platforms were all removed during electrification to help ease some curves, and for greater speed. Nick catford has some photos on the dissused stations site.
Also small mention Harrow and Wealdstone, Platform 7 for the stanmore branch, and even my local station Feltham had up to 2 extra bay platforms, though one was quite short and probably for goods or short stabling.

Twickenham has also 2 closed platforms.

 

[alholmes]

West India Quay, on the DLR, when the junction was remodelled to include the roller-coaster from Westferry to Canary Wharf.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I thought that guards could lock one side of the trains but perhaps I am misremembering something.

None of the SWT slammers ever had central door locking fitted (apart from the Lymington units), so there was no way for a guard to prevent doors being opened both sides at Guildford P6/7. Fitting CDL to the 4-VEPs would have been prohibitively expensive in any case.

 

[saismee]

Trimley lost a platform when the double tracking was "extended," though it's signalled like two single-tracks. The whole platform is still visible, and there's still a footbridge available, even though theres a level crossing adjacent.

 

[Warrior2852]

National Rail lost the use of Platform 10 at Wimbledon when it was given to the trams and both Thameslink directions moved onto a bi-directional Platform 9. 10 then later split into 10a and 10b for tram use but it's still a loss on the NR side.

 

[Dr_Paul]

Surprised no-one mentioned (arguably) one of the biggest reductions within Greater London, Willesden Junction, which at one time had platforms on the WCML, as well as for the West London Line, and back towards the NLL to richmond and GWR, as well as the current DC, and 4 platforms (instead of currently two) on the upper level two. the WCML platforms were all removed during electrification to help ease some curves, and for greater speed. Nick catford has some photos on the dissused stations site.
Also small mention Harrow and Wealdstone, Platform 7 for the stanmore branch, and even my local station Feltham had up to 2 extra bay platforms, though one was quite short and probably for goods or short stabling.

Twickenham has also 2 closed platforms.

I have a vague memory of a big glass building downstairs at Willesden over the main-line platforms; this would have been in the early 1960s. I think there were three rather than four platforms upstairs; a short one one specifically for services going southwards on to the West London Line. It's on this 1930s map. I'm pretty sure that this platform and the track had gone by the time I first went through the station. One of the two bays downstairs on the DC lines had its track removed at some point.

I've mentioned the bays at Twickenham above; one has gone completely, with the platform lost in bushes and shrubs; the other has been relaid but is fenced off from the platform and, I believe, never been used.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Oct 2024 ==

Norwood Junction? Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Clapham Junction, Battersea Park, Wandsworth Road, Clapham High Street, Brixton, Loughborough Junction, Crystal Palace - I'll stop now!

Does anyone know why Cannon Street had a platform removed? I noticed this some years back, and thought it surprising considering that the station is very busy at rush hours.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I have a vague memory of a big glass building downstairs at Willesden over the main-line platforms; this would have been in the early 1960s. I think there were three rather than four platforms upstairs; a short one one specifically for services going southwards on to the West London Line. It's on this 1930s map. I'm pretty sure that this platform and the track had gone by the time I first went through the station. One of the two bays downstairs on the DC lines had its track removed at some point.

I've mentioned the bays at Twickenham above; one has gone completely, with the platform lost in bushes and shrubs; the other has been relaid but is fenced off from the platform and, I believe, never been used.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Oct 2024 ==


Does anyone know why Cannon Street had a platform removed? I noticed this some years back, and thought it surprising considering that the station is very busy at rush hours.

It was to allow the lengthening of the suburban platforms from 10 cars to 12 cars as part of the Networker introduction.

As an aside it was only possible to lengthen Charing Cross without loosing a platform due to the presence of a siding which could be removed.

 

[JohnElliott]

Earlswood lost its fast line platforms in the early 1980s IIRC.

The original DLR bay at Stratford (Regional) was closed when the DLR moved to its current platforms 4A/4B.

 

[consettman]

Newcastle has seen all manner of swings-and-roundabouts changes since the arrival of the T&W Metro.

Prior to the Metro, let's say 1979, there were 12 numbered platform faces, and a few unnumbered bays - 1 at the east end and [IIRC] 5 at the west end.
Three east-end bays (and a parcels bay) went initially when the Metro arrived; when the station was remodelled with the ECML electrification, three further east end bays went, and two west-end bays became numbered platforms, the rest disappeared. Two new platform faces were created at the south, but sold as "four new platforms" which anywhere else would have just been given A/B designations.
One of the west-end bays (14) has recently been disconnected.

So, in terms of real platforms (platform faces)

1979 - 12 platform faces, 6 unnumbered bays
2024 - 9 platform faces, no unnumbered bays.

So a 50% reduction. So not really swings-and-roundabouts I suppose. Which any arial (ariel?) picture will confirm.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Newcastle has seen all manner of swings-and-roundabouts changes since the arrival of the T&W Metro.

Prior to the Metro, let's say 1979, there were 12 numbered platform faces, and a few unnumbered bays - 1 at the east end and [IIRC] 5 at the west end.
Three east-end bays (and a parcels bay) went initially when the Metro arrived; when the station was remodelled with the ECML electrification, three further east end bays went, and two west-end bays became numbered platforms, the rest disappeared. Two new platform faces were created at the south, but sold as "four new platforms" which anywhere else would have just been given A/B designations.
One of the west-end bays (14) has recently been disconnected.

So, in terms of real platforms (platform faces)

1979 - 12 platform faces, 6 unnumbered bays
2024 - 9 platform faces, no unnumbered bays.

So a 50% reduction. So not really swings-and-roundabouts I suppose. Which any arial (ariel?) picture will confirm.

You are however missing the two new low level platforms built to replace some of the Tyneside bay platforms.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

So a 50% reduction. So not really swings-and-roundabouts I suppose. Which any arial (ariel?) picture will confirm.

Aerial. Arial is a typeface, Ariel is a brand of washing powder.

 

[consettman]

You are however missing the two new low level platforms built to replace some of the Tyneside bay platforms.

Well, I left them out on the grounds that while the underground platforms service the same destinations as the lost bays, the Metro station is to all intents and purposes independent of the mainline station - operations, branding, ownership etc. And, crucially, the Metro platforms are numbered 1 and 2, so form no part of the original station's set of platforms (which start with 1 and 2). Metro platforms would not appear on the station's information display - in contrast to e.g. St Pancras or Glasgow Central, where the low-level platforms form part of the overall numbering and appear on the main display.
My reasoning anyway...

 

[plugwash]

What was manchester Victoria like pre-metrolink? I'm guessing there were bay platforms where the metrolink platforms are now?

 

[consettman]

What was manchester Victoria like pre-metrolink? I'm guessing there were bay platforms where the metrolink platforms are now?

Loads of 'em, if I remember right, possibly about 9 or 10 bays in all, the northernmost ones in use (as a couple still are now), the southernmost ones filled with rubble. This would be the late 70s - early 80s.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Loads of 'em, if I remember right, possibly about 9 or 10 bays in all, the northernmost ones in use (as a couple still are now), the southernmost ones filled with rubble. This would be the late 70s - early 80s.

Weren't there also a couple of additional through platforms to the north of the surviving ones? Now near-impossible to reopen due to parts of the Arena structure being in the way.

 

[Pinus contorta]

Weren't there also a couple of additional through platforms to the north of the surviving ones? Now near-impossible to reopen due to parts of the Arena structure being in the way.

Yea you can see on the aerial maps between where deal street and irwell bridge signal boxes were and the throat to the station was much wider and where the arena is now. In addition there was the north entrance off p16 or somewhere nearby. p17 was an east facing bay I think was the one that had the highest number. But it's a long time ago so the memory plays tricks.

 

[CaramellDansen]

Does Huyton platform 3 count?

 

[Bob55G]

Does Huyton platform 3 count?

I wouldn't have thought so. Live trains departures (National Rail website) from Huyton indicate a 22:16 departure from platform 3 to Manchester Airport (in 2 mins time from this post).

 

[BeijingDave]

What was manchester Victoria like pre-metrolink? I'm guessing there were bay platforms where the metrolink platforms are now?

Before it was remodelled with the arena on top, there were 17 platforms. As I remember the far bay platform (17) was mostly for goods. As someone else said, the low number bays were out of use. It was my favourite station as a kid. Dilapidated maze where there was always something interesting to look at.

Arguably it was short sighted to not remodel with more platforms. Two extra through roads with platforms now would probably have been very useful.

 

[Thechopperguy]

Surprisingly in recent years there has been a few stations that have lost platforms. So i am trying to make a list of stations which have had the amount of platforms reduced.

I am sure there are probably hundreds and hundreds of examples back in the Beeching days. Especially when many lines were singled and stations were reduced. So i guess for the purpose of this thread i am looking at platforms removed in recent times. So maybe since the 1990s.

I can think of the following six:

• Blackpool North - Went from 8 to 6 platforms. It lost P7 and P8 in 2016. This was done to provide space to extend and widen the other six platforms.

• London Euston - Went from 18 to 16 platforms. It lost P17 and P18 in 2019. This was done to make space for the new HS2 station construction.

• London Liverpool Street - Went from 18 to 17 platforms. It lost P18 in 2021. This was done to provide space to extend and widen P16 and P17.

• London Paddington - Went from 14 to 13 platforms. It lost P13 in 2016. This was done to provide space to extend P12 and widen P14.

• Newcastle - Went from 12 to 11 platforms. It lost P12 in 2023. This was done to provide space for a signal to be relocated so longer trains could use P11. This platform still fully exists but has just simply had the track removed so there is an empty trackbed.

• Portsmouth Harbour - Went from 5 to 4 platforms. It lost P2 in the mid 1990s (not sure on the exact year). This was done because of some structural problem. This platform still fully exists but has just simply had the track removed so there is an empty trackbed.

I am sure there are probably others i have missed? Can anyone think of any other stations that have lost platforms in recent years?

Cardiff Central had a Platform 5 (a terminating platform would have been between the current Platforms 3 & 4), also had a Platform 8 & 9 removed in the mid 90s (I think)