Stations with "platforms" which could in principle be used but (almost) never are

[croydontangle]

Balham, Battersea Park, Bushey, Cricklewood, Ealing Broadway, Earlsfield, Elstree & Borehamwood, Finsbury Park, Harrow & Wealdstone, Hayes & Harlington, Hendon, Horley, Iver, Kentish Town, Langley, Mill Hill Broadway, New Barnet, New Cross Gate, New Southgate, Norbury, Oakleigh Park, Purley, Purley Oaks, Radlett, Selhurst, South Croydon, Southall, Streatham Common, Taplow, Thornton Heath, Vauxhall, Wandsworth Common, Wembley Central, West Byfleet, West Drayton, West Hampstead Thameslink, Wimbledon, and probably dozens and dozens of others.

I have gotten trains from Selhurst Platform 3/4 quite a few times. Normally on Palace match days but sometimes not. Also have been dropped off by a Thameslink which was diverted through Herne Hill and Streatham Common but that's veering off topic

 

[d9009alycidon]

Platform 12 at Newcastle Central is quite amusing. Track is in place, OHLE in place, all signage and even the information display. Only thing missing is the points connecting the rails to the rest of the network!

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks.

Have trawled through the posts again and can't recall P1 at Salisbury being mentioned? I arrived there back in 1988 on a steam special in near as dammit even time from Templecombe. IIRC calling on signal into the platform.

I mentioned it in post #4…

 

[WL113]

Birmingham Snow Hill Platform 4. As opened in 1987 the new Snow Hill had four platforms. Platform 4 was then converted for use by the Midland Metro trams in 1999. Since 2015 the trams have been running over a new line through the city centre and a stop alongside Snow Hill has been provided. I believe there are plans to reinstate Platform 4 for railway use.

 

[Kite159]

Rochdale platform 3

Although it is now being used occasionally for a service to Settle.

Platform 3 at Rochdale has multiple departures an hour towards Manchester Victoria, the only platform at Rochdale which doesn't get used that much is platform 2, the bay platform at the country end of the station formally used by the Oldham loop trains.

 

[richard1976]

Portrush
Think only one of the 3 platforms gets used there as there on only an hourly shuttle service for most of the week

 

[High Dyke]

Isn't there a booked train to use it on a Sunday where a LNER service is overtaken by another train? Or has that ended in the current timetable

There seems to be at least two booked occurrences of this on a Sunday. LNER services are put into P4 to allow Grand Central services to pass.

 

[BeijingDave]

Hooton platform closest to the station building. I think the track may have been removed by now.

 

[trentside]

Doncaster P2 is still in use just nothing is booked there in the current timetable. It gets EMR services if there’s issues on the down side, or most often a 180 set waiting to form a Grand Central set swap during unit issues!

The main issue with P2 at Doncaster has been a prohibition on 170s using it. I believe this related to them fouling the platform if they had a deflated air bag. As of very recently this prohibition has been rescinded but I’m unsure if a 170 has run in via the Up East Slow and into P2 yet. I have on occasion requested that route and P2 for a refresher when I had a 158, Doncaster box are usually obliging.

I’m hoping soon we’ll use it regularly again. There’s currently a SO move via the West Slows over the ladder into 3B. That would be far better routed the other way!

 

[Kite159]

Hooton platform closest to the station building. I think the track may have been removed by now.

Track is still there, although it's not got 3rd rail so will be of limited use.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I don't think anyone has mentioned P3 at Wigan Wallgate.

Ironically, the only time I have caught a train from their it departed from the bay due to a set swap.

The 18:51 to Southport (part cancelled due to no driver) is due to go out of platform 3 today
Looks like 156412 will be doing the honours

Photos attached of a board saying "Plat 3 18:51 Southport" and 156412 in Wigan Wallgate platform 3

 

[endofthetunnel]

The main issue with P2 at Doncaster has been a prohibition on 170s using it. I believe this related to them fouling the platform if they had a deflated air bag. As of very recently this prohibition has been rescinded but I’m unsure if a 170 has run in via the Up East Slow and into P2 yet. I have on occasion requested that route and P2 for a refresher when I had a 158, Doncaster box are usually obliging.

I’m hoping soon we’ll use it regularly again. There’s currently a SO move via the West Slows over the ladder into 3B. That would be far better routed the other way!

Yes we’ve heard from EMR the prohibition has been removed but we are querying it with Network Rail as we’ve had nothing yet and the most recent Sectional Appendix doesn’t allow it.

The SO uses of 3B and 8 for EMRs are strange timetable quirks that catch out trainees all the time and we do sometimes ask the drivers if they’d like a go on the Up East if there’s nothing else going on.

 

[trentside]

Yes we’ve heard from EMR the prohibition has been removed but we are querying it with Network Rail as we’ve had nothing yet and the most recent Sectional Appendix doesn’t allow it.

The SO uses of 3B and 8 for EMRs are strange timetable quirks that catch out trainees all the time and we do sometimes ask the drivers if they’d like a go on the Up East if there’s nothing else going on.

Interesting, thanks for that.

My most recent jaunts via the Up East have been into 1 which was novel!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The 18:51 to Southport (part cancelled due to no driver) is due to go out of platform 3 today
Looks like 156412 will be doing the honours

Unfortunately it didn't due to an engine failure, reported by Guard Amos (@Guard_Amos) on his Twitter.

Well I've broken it. Due to a fault on
@northernassist
#metcam156412 at Wigan. The 1851 to Southport has unfortunately been cancelled. Apologies for this

x.com

x.com

 

[BazingaTribe]

Slough. Platforms 2 and 3 are fenced off and while there's a working sign up, I've never seen the platform in use. Platform 1 is Windsor, platforms 4 and 5 are services on the Reading to Paddington line (plus Elizabeth Line) but I presume the line behind the fence is used for high speed trains passing through.

Here's a discussion of it on our forum: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/slough-fencing-fast-platforms.243242/ -- it looks like it was only done relatively recently, but to be fair I've only been travelling regularly through Slough since last November.

Esher also had some spare platformage in various states of disrepair when I was there this time last year (not for the racing but because I had gone for a trip to Chessington WOA like the big kid I am and arrived a day early, so rather than go all the way home again only to come back the following day, I poked around the local area a bit and stayed in a nice pub hotel in Esher). It looked as if it had been a much bigger place in the past but had shrunk considerably since then.

Two additional island platforms are disused and not accessible to passengers though passed by through trains.

Actually IIRC Chessington South itself has an extra platform, but since the trains simply change ends and go back the way they came, the other side has crumbled away a bit and there's no footbridge. It gives it a very liminal, backrooms feel which is ripe for a bit of Neverwhere style fantasy. It's surprising that as a gateway to a major tourist attraction that they haven't given it a bit of a makeover, as it's really quite seedy.

The disused platform is inaccessible, given there is no footbridge connecting the platforms. It remains abandoned as surplus to requirements, as only two trains depart each hour.

 

[birchesgreen]

Stechford platform 3.

 

[jamie_r]

I was going to suggest Welwyn Garden City platform 1 as an example, as stopping trains use platforms 2 and 3 whilst platform 4 is used for terminating Thameslink/Great Northern services, leaving platform 1 with no purpose. However, I’ve just looked on Realtimetrains and as luck would have it a couple of services were diverted into platform 1 during the evening rush hour today!

It looks like a train unexpectedly terminated in platform 2, and whilst they waited to move it they diverted booked trains into platform 1, so I guess that’s its purpose!

 

[philthetube]

On the underground, platform 3 at Chalfont and Latimer, used to be used by the Chesham shuttle now too short for and passenger trains on the line.

Mainly all points and signals must be controlled by a signal box, and all facing points must be locked in position by a facing point lock or similar. There are exceptions - on RETB signalled lines, for example, but in general a train containing passengers can't be routed over a facing point unless the point is locked in position.

Platforms 4 & 5 at Stirling are entered over a hand point, and until Stirling Middle was resignalled with colour lights and clamp locks about 10 years ago, Platforms 7 & 8 couldn't be used for incoming passenger services - although they could for outgoing services - as there were no FPLs.

Think that's almost correct...but feel free to shout me down!

Sorry but is the Heysham branch an exception to this, I am sure I saw train staff operating ground frame.

 

[D6130]

Sorry but is the Heysham branch an exception to this, I am sure I saw train staff operating ground frame.

Yes, the Heyshsam branch points at Morecambe are operated by a train staff-released ground frame operated by the guard....but they incorporate a facing point lock manually-worked from said ground frame.

 

[Kite159]

I was going to suggest Welwyn Garden City platform 1 as an example, as stopping trains use platforms 2 and 3 whilst platform 4 is used for terminating Thameslink/Great Northern services, leaving platform 1 with no purpose. However, I’ve just looked on Realtimetrains and as luck would have it a couple of services were diverted into platform 1 during the evening rush hour today!

It looks like a train unexpectedly terminated in platform 2, and whilst they waited to move it they diverted booked trains into platform 1, so I guess that’s its purpose!

Platform 1 at Welwyn Garden City saw more use before Covid when it was 4tph to Moorgate with some units shunting across from P4 to P1, whereas these days with 2tph there isn't a need for that

 

[DJ_K666]

Arundel has what looks like an old bay platform on the down side.

There's an old third platform at Ford

Pulborough

 

[D6130]

Arundel has what looks like an old bay platform on the down side.

There's an old third platform at Ford

Pulborough

I think that the gist of the OP is to list platforms which still have operational track alongside them, but are not usedby scheduled services in the normal course of events.

 

[-Colly405-]

I don't think I've seen Plymouth mentioned - the east end of p3, or both ends of p2. Or indeed p1, but I don't think that actually has a platform face...

 

[Sean Emmett]

Trip to Barnstaple on Saturday reminded me that Yeoford has an unused platform on the Okehampton line, as mentioned previously on this forum, if not this thread.

But I understand timings would be too tight to allow for a stop there, in addition to the proposed Okehampton Interchange, so the platform will remain unused.

 

[dutchbedford]

4th platform at Westbury. Fenced off currently but would only really need the Down Reception slewing over (could’ve been done whilst the place is closed for 30 days this Christmas). Has been talked about for years opening it back up again, either as a bay for Transwilts services or as a through platform to help with congestion.

 

[Western 52]

4th platform at Westbury. Fenced off currently but would only really need the Down Reception slewing over (could’ve been done whilst the place is closed for 30 days this Christmas). Has been talked about for years opening it back up again, either as a bay for Transwilts services or as a through platform to help with congestion.

I think they took that platform out during the resignalling around 1984. I thought it seemed daft at the time, especially as they retained a through line just opposite the platform face.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Track is still there, although it's not got 3rd rail so will be of limited use.

I remember using Hooton P0 a few years back to pick up an excursion to Inverness at about 5 am. Hooton is an attractive starting point as it has a huge and very cheap car park. Me and the missus got off at Pitlochry and visited the Moulin home brew pub for lunch followed by a tour of Blair Athol distillery. It amused me a few weeks later to overhear some enthusiasts pooh-poohing those of us who got off at Pitlochry saying there was nothing to do or see.

Sadly I haven't seen many loco hauled excursions from Hooton of late.

 

[geoffk]

I was going to suggest York platform 2 once the Scarborough trains are running through to Manchester next month but according to RTT there will still be a handful of York starters/terminators.

 

[-Colly405-]

Pilning p2?

 

[Kite159]

I remember using Hooton P0 a few years back to pick up an excursion to Inverness at about 5 am. Hooton is an attractive starting point as it has a huge and very cheap car park. Me and the missus got off at Pitlochry and visited the Moulin home brew pub for lunch followed by a tour of Blair Athol distillery. It amused me a few weeks later to overhear some enthusiasts pooh-poohing those of us who got off at Pitlochry saying there was nothing to do or see.

Sadly I haven't seen many loco hauled excursions from Hooton of late.

And unlike other merseyrail car parks as it's run by the council you can leave the car in there overnight.

Useful if you are going on a weekend getaway