Bi directional platforms

[jammmmmsssssss]

Platforms 2 and 3 at Bishops Stortford (not sure about platform 1).

Looking at signalmaps, platform 1 seems to be as well

 

[GW43125]

Strictly p2 - p6 and p8, since AFAIK p7 has never been used for passengers since slam-door stock was withdrawn. (For the benefit of others, it faces the same track as p6.)

Is p6 ever used for through trains now? It seems to be more or less permanently occupied by the Farnham shuttles which lay over for about 26 minutes of each half hour. It seems to have effectively become a north-facing bay.

You used to get the odd Reading running through 6 with the corresponding Farnham chucked onto 8 (was it the 11:23?), though I'd argue on P2 & P4 because whilst they're fully signalled for turnback at the north end, there's no access from Shalford Jn into P2 or P4 in the up direction (without doing a double shunt).

 

[DelW]

... though I'd argue on P2 & P4 because whilst they're fully signalled for turnback at the north end, there's no access from Shalford Jn into P2 or P4 in the up direction (without doing a double shunt).

Yes, fair point, the OP's criteria aren't very clearly defined, but 2 and 4 certainly aren't fully reversible so probably shouldn't count.

 

[Southsider]

Scottish ones, excluding terminal platforms and single lines:

Through platforms at Waverley, Dundee and Aberdeen
Through Highland Line Platforms at Perth
Carrbridge, Aviemore and Pitlochry
Elgin, Forres and Platform 1 at Nairn
Stirling (Platform 6)
Dalmeny
Ladybank (Platform 2 for services from Perth)
Dunbar (Platform 1)
Kilwinning (except Platform 1)
Ayr
Kilmarnock
Barrhead
Busby (Platform 2)
Hairmyres
Newton
Motherwell (Platform 4)
Carstairs
Dumbarton Central (Platform 3)
(Edit) Springburn
Kingussie, Blair Atholl and Dunkeld (one platform at each?)

Disclaimer: may not be an exhaustive list.

Williamwood and possibly others on the Neilston branch.

 

[plugwash]

Additionally, any station with only a single line (i.e. not a passing loop) would be a bi-directional platform.

Rather than having a conventional terminus where trains reverse, the Wirral line in Liverpool terminates with a large single track loop, thorough Moorfields (deep level) Lime street (low level) and Central (deep level).

Of-course all of these stations also have other levels, which have more platforms but there doesn't seem any fundamental reason you couldn't have a similar arrangement without the other levels.

 

[MadMac]

Williamwood and possibly others on the Neilston branch.

I think Williamwood’s only “bi-directional“ in the sense that you can terminate a train from the Cathcart direction there and turn it back.

Someone mentioned Stirling Platform 9 up thread - can anyone confirm (or otherwise)? One other one that came to mind was Platform 2 at Westerton, which trains going towards Maryhill go through “wrong direction“.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jul 2025 ==

Platform 2 at Grimsby Town
Through platforms from 5 upwards at York
Platforms 13 and 14 at Manchester Piccadilly

Think all the others I know of have already been mentioned

As you mentioned Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Deansgate?

 

[pompeyfan]

Yes, fair point, the OP's criteria aren't very clearly defined, but 2 and 4 certainly aren't fully reversible so probably shouldn't count.

I would disagree, both 2 and 4 at Guildford have bidirectional routes available, admittedly not all routes. Otherwise you’d have to rule out Woking 4 and 5.

 

[zwk500]

Rather than having a conventional terminus where trains reverse, the Wirral line in Liverpool terminates with a large single track loop, thorough Moorfields (deep level) Lime street (low level) and Central (deep level).

Of-course all of these stations also have other levels, which have more platforms but there doesn't seem any fundamental reason you couldn't have a similar arrangement without the other levels.

I knew somebody would find the edge case. But yes, you are right there are a handful of uni-directional single lines.

 

[AndyW33]

Surely we haven't forgotten Birmingham New Street, all 12 through platforms.

 

[The exile]

Rather than having a conventional terminus where trains reverse, the Wirral line in Liverpool terminates with a large single track loop, thorough Moorfields (deep level) Lime street (low level) and Central (deep level).

Of-course all of these stations also have other levels, which have more platforms but there doesn't seem any fundamental reason you couldn't have a similar arrangement without the other levels.

And there’s also the question of whether the sours at flying junctions count as separate single lines (they do after all sonetimes link separately named junctions). If they are, they may well be unidirectional single lines and some in the London area have platforms!

 

[DelW]

I would disagree, both 2 and 4 at Guildford have bidirectional routes available, admittedly not all routes. Otherwise you’d have to rule out Woking 4 and 5.

Quail shows Woking p4 and p5 (and p1 and p2) as fully reversible, i.e. you can arrive from either direction and depart in either direction (4 possible moves, which is the maximum). When the crossover at Woking Junction was broken a few months ago, I was surprised to stop in p4 on an up train from Guildford.

At Guildford p2 and p4 you can depart in either direction, but you can only arrive from the north - Quail shows no route from the tunnel into either p2 or p4. So only 3 of the 4 moves are possible at each. Whether the OP would count that as reversible or not isn't clear

 

[Falcon1200]

I think Williamwood’s only “bi-directional“ in the sense that you can terminate a train from the Cathcart direction there and turn it back.

Neilston direction trains can go one station further and turn back at Whitecraigs, so Williamwood Up platform is indeed bi-directional.

 

[Harpo]

c2c from shoeburyness to barking is all bi-directional

But is it available on an unplanned basis nowadays?

 

[MadMac]

Neilston direction trains can go one station further and turn back at Whitecraigs, so Williamwood Up platform is indeed bi-directional.

Thanks! I was going by Traksy, which isn’t explicit enough for some of this.

 

[WestAnglian]

Bishop's Stortford, all three Platforms. Mainly a legacy of the pre-electirification to Cambridge days when DMUs left from the up island to the north. Last time I looked there was an early-morning up service that leaves from platform 1, the down platform. I've also known up trains to use P1 exceptionally for accessibilty reasons when the lift to the island was broken.

 

[Rescars]

How about any stations on single lines with passing loops and two platforms, probably originally designated up and down, but now signalled up-down main and up-down loop (or similar)?

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

How about any stations on single lines with passing loops and two platforms, probably originally designated up and down, but now signalled up-down main and up-down loop (or similar)?

Dullingham?

 

[zwk500]

Dullingham?

Dullingham has 1 platform bi-di but not the other I think. Kenilworth loops are Bi-Di, as is at least one of the Highland line loops (Pitlorchy?) in Scotland.

 

[jfollows]

Crewe to Cheadle Hulme inclusive (but only one platform at the latter).
It’s almost easier to list stations which aren’t.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Dullingham has 1 platform bi-di but not the other I think. Kenilworth loops are Bi-Di, as is at least one of the Highland line loops (Pitlorchy?) in Scotland.

Yes platform 2 is used for most of the day in both directions, with platform 1 only being available for trains towards Ipswich, and is only used when trains need to pass there

 

[ijmad]

All of the Elizabeth Line and Thameslink core stations are (in theory least!) bidirectional due to the in-cab signalling systems in use (CBTC and ETCS Level 2), right?

I have seen a northbound train go through Platform 1 at Blackfriars before, but I suppose the positions of the crossovers mean it's very limited in principal.

 

[Jan Mayen]

Gatwick Airport. Platforms 1,2,3 are bi-directional and frequently used as such.
Platform 4, Northbound only.
Platform 5, fully bidirectional but not used that often for Southbound trains.
Platform 6 can accept trains from both directions, but departure is southbound only (It is rare for a train from the south to terminate in 6, but I've seen it happen).
P7, southbound only.

 

[Southsider]

Neilston direction trains can go one station further and turn back at Whitecraigs, so Williamwood Up platform is indeed bi-directional.

There are screens for 318/320 operation at the ‘wrong’ end of platform 2 at Williamwood.

 

[Liam L]

Surely we haven't forgotten Birmingham New Street, all 12 through platforms.

I was just reading through and surprised it took so long for someone to mention New Street!

 

[jamieh27]

Leamington Spa Platforms 2 and 3
Banbury Platforms 1, 2 and 3, not sure about Platform 4.

 

[zwk500]

All of the Elizabeth Line and Thameslink core stations are (in theory least!) bidirectional due to the in-cab signalling systems in use (CBTC and ETCS Level 2), right?

I have seen a northbound train go through Platform 1 at Blackfriars before, but I suppose the positions of the crossovers mean it's very limited in principal.

Crossrail core is absolutely bi-di with equal capacity in each direction under CBTC, although has relatively few crossovers due to the cost of crossover passages. There's a scissors at Westbourne Park for both directions to swap, a trailing crossover between Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon, a facing crossover between Liverpool Street and Whitechapel, facing and trailing crossovers at Stratford, a scissors a the London End of Custom house and a trailing crossover at the country end of the same station.

Thameslink Core is bi-directional with both ETCS L2 overlay and conventional signalling. It appears to be reduced capacity in the 'wrong' direction from opentraintimes, because the block markers for ETCS in the wrong direction are only at signals. There are facing and trailing or scissors crossovers at the south end of Blackfriars, between Blackfriars and City Thameslink, between Farringdon and St Pancras, and at the ends of the branches to the MML and ECML. There is also a trailing crossover between City Thameslink and Farringdon.

 

[pompeyfan]

Quail shows Woking p4 and p5 (and p1 and p2) as fully reversible, i.e. you can arrive from either direction and depart in either direction (4 possible moves, which is the maximum). When the crossover at Woking Junction was broken a few months ago, I was surprised to stop in p4 on an up train from Guildford.

At Guildford p2 and p4 you can depart in either direction, but you can only arrive from the north - Quail shows no route from the tunnel into either p2 or p4. So only 3 of the 4 moves are possible at each. Whether the OP would count that as reversible or not isn't clear

You are indeed correct, I’d forgotten there’s no route into 2 or 4 from the Shalford direction unless it’s from behind ground position signal in the tunnel.

 

[Woolos 22]

Gloucester Westbury Exeter St Davids

 

[marsker]

In the NE, all through platforms at York (not just 5 upwards as stated earlier), Darlington and Newcastle are bi-directional, as is Platform 2 at Middlesbrough. Platform 1 there can accept westbound arrivals and departures, also eastbound departures towards Whitby, but not Saltburn.
Until the mid 1970s, all trains at Redcar Central used what became the eastbound platform, which went through the station building, but a new westboumd platform was opened before I got to know the place from 1978. A few years later the facing crossover east of the station was removed, but all trains terminating/starting there have to use platform 2 which retains the appropriate signalling for westbound departures.

 

[vic-rijrode]

Sunderland's 2 physical (and 4 nominal) platforms are both bi-directional. I have arrived from the north on a Metro train at the northbound platform (while a Grand Central train was in the southbound platform).

Also I have arrived on a northbound Northern Rail service at the southbound platform while a Metro service was in the northbound one.

There are 2 crossovers at either end of the platforms between north and southbound lines.