How difficult is it to arrive or leave at all timetabled platforms. 5 year project to achieve this.

[All platforms]

Quite intrigued by this, so you only have 15 stations still to visit? That's really good going! Im up to about 83% now and its getting trickier.

Ah, well, hmm..... 15 stations i haven't yet visited - all true, but i still have quite a few more i have yet to complete i'm afraid. So that includes the likes of Reading and Leeds which have multiple platform variants and i have a few of these i haven't done yet. Also including the stations which have a super awkward platform that could get used, but very rarely does, so Dumbarton Central, Skegness, Sheerness-on-Sea, Worthing and quite a few like it.


If i have any advice for anybody trying to complete something railway related, it is to look to the most awkward thing you need that is still likely to happen and build a day around it. So the likes of Shippea Hill, Clifton, Pilning and the many like it for example. I think there are only 30 stations or so that get a very restricted service, so apart from those i don't think you will have too much trouble in bashing out the remaining ones you might have. I wish you well - i have been keeping an eye out with your progress these last few years and it seems to be going to plan. Just 400+ to go!!!

A busy couple of days in Scotland. The units Lumo are using on the Stirling services are the former East Midlands intercity units. I must have got lucky the other week with the HST from Aberdeen using the loop at Dundee to loop a terminator from the Aberdeen direction. £70 isn't bad for Edinburgh city centre these days

Btw isn't the code for Lumo West Coast something like LF rather than LM (which is London Northwestern & West Midlands)

Another case of brain and eye not co-ordinating. LF it is of course. I have to say the ex East Midlands units looked a lot smarter than i remember than when they were trekking up and down the MML

Still enjoying reading about your travels All Stations, really fascinating, thanks for sharing your ups and downs.

More ups and downs to report this last few days as well - Its a running theme! Cheers

 

[All platforms]

Day 584: Thursday 02/07/2026 - Sandwell & Dudley to Coventry - £8.65 - Anytime Return. Sandwell & Dudley to Birmingham New Street - £4.35 - Anytime Return. London Zone 1-6 Day Travelcard - £11.00 - Off-peak. Three Bridges to Gatwick Airport - £3.20 - Anytime Single. Three Bridges to St Pancras International - £10.55 - Off-peak Return. Car Park Sandwell & Dudley & Three Bridges Road Three Bridges - both free.
Total time today 646 mins - time on trains 447 mins and time waiting 199 mins. A day focused solely on track.

"Brought back down to earth with a bump after the weekend successes"

The main thrust for today was the evening services, which i have been putting off for far too long. These largely went to plan, but pretty much everything else built around that did not, and for varying reasons.

It does get harder to find other things to do to fill out the day as more and more bits of track or platform get gobbled up by the completion machine, but i thought i had a decent set of targets to aim at, starting with another visit to Sandwell & Dudley - a Car park that always seem half full no matter the time of day. Off to Coventry on an early Avanti with the interesting moves being at Birmingham International. There were a few early timetabled vists to P2, which means crossovers before and after to do so. I could not make my mind up beforehand if there was a specific need for this, but it was a shot to nothing so i went for it. In the end there was platform shuttling behind the scenes and other services got to use P2 instead. Not going South beyonf the station right enough, but the Chester/Llandudno services were terminating there, so i could have got 1 of the 2 crossovers. No matter, it was a lovely early morning jaunt and once back at my early base it was a short wait for my next target which was a P3 arrival from the North. Surely nothing rare about that, and you would be right, but despite visiting New Street dozens of times this simple move had eluded me - well it was a short piece of track to gain P3 i really needed, and there it was a simple success in the end. Back to base and then a long drive down to the Kent border at Orpington.

Another station used many times, but not for a while, and i would be taking my time over 2 out and backs to Victoria, as i sought specific services for specific rare track in the afternoon. A P1 pass at Herne Hill and a Chatham Reversible move/crossover was what i was after with regulalarly timed services that history shows does work, but not today... I think it had something to do with a good percentage of the Victoria/Orpington shuttles being cancelled, and other engineering works that was route adjacent. I have the feeling that the necessity for the outliers was gone when the anticipated conflict on the normal timetable wasn't there so everything goews back to normal. Still, a very relaxing afternoon, even if nothing was added to todays scorecard. These moves are not difficult in themselves, so back i will come....

And so to the entertainment this evening. First off was to check-in and then get some food and rest before heading off again just before 11.30pm. Possibly the trickiest piece of track at Gatwick Airport is the crossover to gain P6 from the South, which has to be a terminator given there is no routing North from here. A P6 terminator at the Airport is a rare beast, at least from the South, although the odd ones exist from the North and to the South. Ignore any starters going North - it can't happen. However, i was very pleased to see that this rarity actually worked this evening and this opened the floodgates.

So, what was it that kept me from my bed this evening? First was the Stoats Nest Jn crossover from the Fast to Slow lines as we would be calling at Redhil on the just past midnight service going to Bedford. I had toyed with other later services due to specific routing, and was glad i hadn't pursued this as some of the throught he night services were showing as cancelled. Thankfully my itinerary avoided these. The move at Stoats Nest Jn was the least rare of the four available, but it was good to be off the mark there however it was achieved. The next move of interest was at Abbey St Jn where we had planned to go from line 10 to line 8 at the crossovers there. In actuality we crossed from Line 11 to Line 8 and just like that all 3 crossovers were in the book. Excellent as these are generally all night moves. Possibly the most common of all engineering moves in London are the ones between Metropolitan St Jn and the Snow Hill Lines, as these are often seen in the listings, but always after midnight. It also seems to coincide with either the Up or Down Thameslink core being out of action, as was timetabled this evening with all services scheduled to use platform B at St Pancras.

However, when i arrived, it was plain to see A was also in use but RTT had not yet changed and was still showing B. That prevented one of the crossovers being ticked of course, but the reverse did bring with it the same ticks on the way in, albeit this time it was the crossovers from line 7 to Line 9 that were favoured. Surprisingly we were diverted into P2 at East Croydon on the return, and so one of the very few remaining crossovers there is now in the book too. A disappointment was that we were diverted onto the Slows immediately before Purley and so my second bite at Stoats Nest Jn was thwarted. Back at Three Bridges just after 2.30am and a solid 5 hours sleep awaited before i had a few more attempts in the morning. In fact i think i will continue the report for Friday immediately below.....

Day 585: Friday 03/07/2026 - Three Bridges to Gatwick Airport - £3.20 - Anytime Single - both ways. Gatwick Airport to East Croydon - £6.80 - Anytime Single - both ways. CP Three Bridges Road - free again (until 11am)
Total time today 95 mins - time on trains 10 mins and time waiting 85 mins. Track attempts day...

"More disappointment"

Not a totally wasted morning before the 7 (yes 7!!) hours slog back home via the M25 Car Park in a poorly vehicle. (It is booked in for next Monday but i do have other options meantime), but it could have been so much better. I have long banged on about the fact that completing track when its a four track arrangement is like pulling teeth at times, and for many reasons, well crafted itineraries can be as useless as hens teeth. My first moved actually worked which was a move into Gatwick P3 from my Three Bridges start point. The only problem was that it was late, and I missed my connection up to East Croydon, and thus a wasted set of tickets... or was it as i still had hope (some hope i now mutter) that the promised P3 arrival from Reading would save the day after waiting an hour. P3 onto the slows up to Redhill was my target here. It didn't... This is a move always timetabled, but maybe only one a week actually works out that way. I was there so it seemed worthwhile to wait and see. When the inevitable platform change occurred i slunk off and returned to Three Bridges and the long journey home. This will be my last but one visit South of Birmingham before the holiday season is over in September, with pickings nearer to home being prioritised instead.

I did pick up some information from a Southern driver as he waited in P2. I asked which way the crossovers to the North of the station worked. Was there an Up or Down direction for these, and essentially the answer is no. they can be used in either direction for the most part. However, (and this is important to me as i still need a few components of these crossovers) the first set is preferred going North, maybe 60/70% of the time, but he has used both multiple times. Remarkably despite much effort i still need 8 crossovers at Gatwick and Three Bridges, with all of them ostensibly being used fairly regularly so these stations won't be strangers to me any time soon.

I have one last hurrah planned this weekend but i will be basing myself at Cricklewood so no M25, and no car at peak times so hopefully a much easier journey back and to. It will be a tour around London and the South after hopefully completing my last North London station. It will be a long day, but one again a little bit different to what i have done before, and so avoiding any relocation nonsense. Lets see how it pans out.

Sandwell & Dudley	Depart	6.15​	*****	VT			stations	platforms
Coventry	Arrive	6.52​	P1	VT	wait 43m		completed	completed
Coventry	Depart	7.35​	P3	VT
Sandwell & Dudley	Arrive	8.44​	P2	VT	wait 24m
Sandwell & Dudley	Depart	9.08​	P1	WM
Birmingham New Street	Arrive	9.19​	P3a	WM	wait 21m
Birmingham New Street	Depart	9.40​	P6b	WM
Sandwell & Dudley	Arrive	9.51​	*****	WM	drive +
Relocate to	******	*****	*****	*****	food
Orpington	Depart	15.03​	*****	SE
London Victoria	Arrive	15.49​	P3	SE	wait 8m
London Victoria	Depart	15.57​	P8	SE
Orpington	Arrive	16.39​	P8	SE	wait 54m
Orpington	Depart	17.33​	P3	SE
London Victoria	Arrive	18.18​	P3	SE	wait 11m
London Victoria	Depart	18.29​	P8	SE
Orpington	Arrive	19.21​	*****	SE	drive +
Relocate to	******	*****	*****	*****	food
Three Bridges	Depart	23.47​	*****	SN
Gatwick Airport	Arrive	23.54​	P6	SN	wait 10m
Gatwick Airport	Depart	0.04​	P4	TL
St Pancras International	Arrive	1.02​	B	TL	wait 28m
St Pancras International	Depart	1.30​	A	TL
Three Bridges	Arrive	2.39​	*****	TL	Sleep
Three Bridges	Depart	8.50​	*****	SN
Gatwick Airport	Arrive	8.56​	P3	SN	wait 85m
Gatwick Airport	Depart	10.21​	P3	TL
Three Bridges	Arrive	10.25​	*****	TL

 

[Andy Pacer]

Ah, well, hmm..... 15 stations i haven't yet visited - all true, but i still have quite a few more i have yet to complete i'm afraid. So that includes the likes of Reading and Leeds which have multiple platform variants and i have a few of these i haven't done yet. Also including the stations which have a super awkward platform that could get used, but very rarely does, so Dumbarton Central, Skegness, Sheerness-on-Sea, Worthing and quite a few like it.

So you only have 15 stations that you haven't boarded or alighted at? That's really good.

As I mentioned im up to just a whisker above 83% which does mean I still have, at the last count, 439 still to do!

 

[All platforms]

So you only have 15 stations that you haven't boarded or alighted at? That's really good.

As I mentioned im up to just a whisker above 83% which does mean I still have, at the last count, 439 still to do!

You will polish most of those off without too much issue i am sure. If i hadn't diversified into all track, i would be long finished i think by now, so i try and keep the odd one to do here and there. The 15 include the 8 on the Isle of Wight, 2 of the newer ones on the Ashington Line, a Lancashire one i am saving for the last, and 2 on the line between Crianlarich and Fort William. Oh and Cambridge South which has just opened. Hmm thats 14 not 15 actually. I was including Dunfermline Queen Margaret still which i did last weekend...

 

[Kite159]

Another couple of busy days with all those pesky crossovers

 

[Purple Train]

Always a pleasure to read about your adventures, safe travels

 

[chris53]

You will polish most of those off without too much issue i am sure. If i hadn't diversified into all track, i would be long finished i think by now, so i try and keep the odd one to do here and there. The 15 include the 8 on the Isle of Wight, 2 of the newer ones on the Ashington Line, a Lancashire one i am saving for the last, and 2 on the line between Crianlarich and Fort William. Oh and Cambridge South which has just opened. Hmm thats 14 not 15 actually. I was including Dunfermline Queen Margaret still which i did last weekend...

Can I ask which Lancashire one as that is my neck of the woods?

 

[The exile]

So you only have 15 stations that you haven't boarded or alighted at? That's really good.

As I mentioned im up to just a whisker above 83% which does mean I still have, at the last count, 439 still to do!

This conversation has just made me realise I'd never sat down and worked out how many I'd still got to go. Excluding heritage railways (too complicated to try to work out quickly), a quick tally makes it around 380. Around 340 of those are National Rail, unfortunately mostly out of sensible "day out" range. Quite a lot are even out of absolutely stupid day out range.... - being based in the West Country (just) doesn't help.

 

[All platforms]

Can I ask which Lancashire one as that is my neck of the woods?

The answer to that is Entwistle, which is one stop up from one of my old commuting stations, Bromley Cross. A few years ago i was idly speculating what was likely to be my last completed station, and i alighted on Entwistle. Unless things have changed too much there is a pub adjacent to the station that does food, and i thought it might be fitting to celebrate in some small way. The 14/15 mentioned above are all readily achievable and the remaining 15/16 beyond that have all kinds of difficulty written into them. I anticipate i will be in single digits, and then progress will slow to a very slow crawl, so i may need to be pragmatic and call it done at that stage, and then perhaps add to that tally over the years as rare engineering combos allow this. That or newer timetable changes bring back something long out of favour, some time in the future.

I think will start a thread at some point listing all the stations that are currently impossible (near impossible?) to complete given there have been no timetabled examples for many years. Even if they do get used randomly, so perhaps Platform zero at Haymarket, or P8 at Clapham Junction come to mind. I could write pages on the subject haha.... Essentially they can't currently be planned...

This conversation has just made me realise I'd never sat down and worked out how many I'd still got to go. Excluding heritage railways (too complicated to try to work out quickly), a quick tally makes it around 380. Around 340 of those are National Rail, unfortunately mostly out of sensible "day out" range. Quite a lot are even out of absolutely stupid day out range.... - being based in the West Country (just) doesn't help.

Sounds like someone has a whole host of Scottish stations awaiting them!! I will freely admit i would also be struggling if i hadn't based more than a few holidays in Inverness and Perthshire over the years, and negotiated rail time with my partner within those holidays. Actually, Sussex, Kent and East Anglia have also benefited from this "negotiation" if i recall. My own challenge only acknowledges British Rail stations done with British Rail (TOC) services, but i rather think i may add in the heritage stations once (and only then) i declare i am finished with this challenge.

Another couple of busy days with all those pesky crossovers

Pesky being the operative word. Maybe recalcitrant would be even better given recent experiences.

Always a pleasure to read about your adventures, safe travels

Thanks for that - One report to come, and then perhaps some lower key local ones over the main summer hols to keep my hand in. I do have a 3 dayer planned (and booked) around the Cornish Riviera services in August, as a sleeper outing is way overdue.

 

[The exile]

Sounds like someone has a whole host of Scottish stations awaiting them!! I will freely admit i would also be struggling if i hadn't based more than a few holidays in Inverness and Perthshire over the years, and negotiated rail time with my partner within those holidays. Actually, Sussex, Kent and East Anglia have also benefited from this "negotiation" if i recall. My own challenge only acknowledges British Rail stations done with British Rail (TOC) services, but i rather think i may add in the heritage stations once (and only then) i declare i am finished with this challenge.

Just over 80 remaining north of the Border - but unfortunately widely scattered. I don’t have to negotiate holiday locations -except with my own competing interests, the bank balance, work, and outside commitments (so not much gets in the way, really!!!!)
I am down to the last few members of the “awkward squad”, which will make life easier, if a little less challenging.

 

[All platforms]

Day 586: Sunday 05/07/2026 - London Zone 1-6 Day Travelcard - £11.00 - Off-peak. East Croydon to Brighton - £18.00 - Off-peak Return. Brighton To Barnham - £9.35 - Off-peak Return. Barnham to Horsham - £11.45 - Off-peak Return. Feltham to Ascot - £5.50 - Off-peak Return. Boundary Zone 6 to Headcorn - £14.15 - Off-peak Return. East Croydon to Gatwick Airport - £5.30 - Super Off-peak Return. Car Park Claremont Road Cricklewood - free.
Total time today 927 mins - time on trains 543 mins and time waiting 384 mins. Stations completed today 1. Total completed 2565. Platforms completed at completed stations 5947.

"Planners vs Signallers - an ongoing nightmare"

Why oh why are there so many examples seen of a disconnect between planning a move which seems logical and right, however you analyse it, and then see that the signaller on the day sees something oh so wrong with that, and then decides to do something different. Now, i am not saying any of this is wrong in an way shape or form, its just that one camp says do it one way and the other says no. There can be many reasons for individual moves to differ from planned moves depending on where traffic is at any one point, but i do scratch my head when a move planned for the whole day gets binned. Frustrating is the best word i can use. Is there a feedback process where signallers can go back to planners and say that move you planned was "never going to happen because x y z" etc. so as to stop the same thing happening over and over? This is an area i haven't been able to fathom out - perhaps i need to have a long chat with each side to see the different perspectives (as if that's ever going to happen haha). Rant over - it works so well overall i have no right to question the whys and wherefores of the ones that slip through the crack. That said i am building a list of individual moves that never go to plan for my own sanity as i might as well have the knowledge that its a shot to nothing etc if i choose to revisit something.

Where was i? Oh right, my last trip South for a while and a semi risky start point of Cricklewood, situated just off the end of the M1 as it is, but a station with no car park. However, fewer parking restrictions on a Sunday make it more than possible to find a spot within a 100 yards or so of the station if there is lots of residential stuff nearby. I did arrive a bit earlier than necessary to ensure i could find something, but it turns out that many places could accommodate my alternate vehicle close by, and i took advantage of the pleasant temparatures post 7am to have a stroll around and then gain my place on the fast down platform to wait for the Thameslink service going to Bedford. Early services were using the fasts into/out of St Pancras High level, and then the core services post 9am were reverting to the slows as normal. So far so good. I was the only one on P4 and i felt it was only common courtesy to hail the slow platform occupants to advise that they had a long wait before any services would be calling there. To say there was a sluggish response from there would be an understatement, but gradually the displays showing nothing until 9am eventually got through and persuaded a drift to the fasts for a few, but some stubbornly refused to see the evidence in front of them. In fact some were still there on my return on my way into St Pancras P2. I was going just one stop to complete Brent Cross West, which i did with a P4 arrival. This effectively completes London North of the river given P3/P4 usage at Wembley Central is increasingly unlikely. The only likely platform remaining South of the river is an engineering use of P1 at Earlsfield, although i haven't seen any of these for quite some time. Still, far more likely than Wimbledon P4, Clapham Junction P8 and the fasts at New Cross Gate (P3/P4).

And so to the people watching segment of the day at St Pancras. Just my luck that the overnight engineering works in the core had overrun, but no-one could say when the lower part of the station would open so i just had to wait it out. Yes i could have relocated via the Underground but my rules say this is not allowed. I only allow relocation by car and even then not to count the last/first station for platform purposes. I once did a relocation via the Underground, but i have since redone the stations and track affected by this. I even considered going back to Cricklewood and then driving to Ascot or possibly Horsham, but once i had been at St Pancras for about 2 hours that ship had sailed. Eventually i needed to nip to the loo. It was only a couple of minutes to get back to my start point to find the Thameslink shutters open and folk piling up and down the escalators. I nipped down to platform level to find it was packed. Where on earth had folk come from as there was no loitering outside the shutters prior to that.

So, after a good 3 hours i was finally away, and i knew i would have to cut something from the days itinerary as a result. Today was all about track (after Brent Cross West that is) and specifically those crossovers that get used all day when an engineering block is in place on the other side of the station. I had decided i was just going to enjoy the train taking the strain today, and first off was a second go at Stoats Nest Jn going South (Fast to Slow), which is a different kind of engineering crossover. However, this second attempt was thwarted by its lateness at St Pancras and it went fast to Gatwick instead of calling at intermediate stations. Fair enough, i can understand why it happened that way. Alighting at Gatwick i awaited the next Thameslink which was going all the way to Brighton. I missed a trick approaching Gatwick as we crossed over to P3. There are 2 sets of crossovers on the approach that can be used and i didn't see which one was! I could have traversed one i needed, but now i will never know. There is no way of knowing which of these similar crossovers get used on RTT, and even Traksy and Opentimes trains compete to show conflicting routings for the same service - so which one do we believe if any. I think i will need high grade maps covering each contentious piece of track with me at all times going forward.

So, what was i aiming for by travelling to Brighton. Well, its the easiest way to Horsham today given the Crawley route is closed today. I get to ride the Brighton Main Line, The West Coastway Line and then the Arun Valley Line and oddly enough none of these services was particularly busy, and the ride up to Horsham was almost empty of paying customers. We ended up in P3 and by doing so i bagged my last piece of track for this station, which i guess is something. I had a chat with the guard after arriving and he was of the opinion that services going South (Southern services of course) do get split in P3, and if this is the case i may yet get my almost lost hope platform variant of P3b. I enjoyed immensely my trundlings south of Three Bridges today - both out and back despite it being gone 5pm before i left Brighton on a service going to Victoria.

I alighted at Clapham Junction and spent a few moments going from P12 to P5 there before boarding an Ascot terminator. I was not exactly sure why terminators were every 30 mins or so, as Reading services were still continuing beyond the station, but i didn't stress on it too much and managed to claw back another 30 minutes to leave me 30 mins down on my original plan after some smartish transfers. P3 London end was another excellent win for me at Ascot on another quietish service once we were past Feltham. The return left after a 10 min wait and i was back at the Junction before i knew it. By this time i had decided i couldn't do my last target which was the Headcorn country end crossover, as the service timings meant i would be an hour down again and therefore a 2am finish. However, i decided to go for a third attempt at the Stoats Nest Jn crossover instead, and bought an extra ticket to do so. I was glad i did so as this engineering move finally paid off for me. I was able to return to Cricklewood some 2 hours than originally thought despite a near 40 min changeover at St Pancras.

What of my mutterings at the beginning of this post then? Well, all Thameslink services going through the core were using a route via Herne Hill - or more specifically P2 at Herne Hill. There have been dozens of timetabled examples of this engineering move today, but as also mentioned, none of them worked as planned, with all passing through P1 instead. A disappointing end to a busy day. A small hiatus with my travels is in effect now but who knows what might grab my attention in the short term.

							stations	platforms
Cricklewood	Depart	7.47​	*****	TL			completed	completed
Brent Cross West	Arrive	7.49​	P4	TL	wait 8m		1​	4​
Brent Cross West	Depart	7.57​	P3	TL
London St Pancras International	Arrive	8.15​	P2	TL	wait 190m
London St Pancras International	Depart	11.25​	A	TL
Gatwick Airport	Arrive	12.23​	P3	TL	wait 10m
Gatwick Airport	Depart	12.33​	P7	TL
Brighton	Arrive	13.14​	P5	TL	wait 16m
Brighton	Depart	13.30​	P2	SN
Barnham	Arrive	14.20​	P2	SN	wait 24m
Barnham	Depart	14.44​	P3	SN
Horsham	Arrive	15.23​	P3	SN	wait 9m
Horsham	Depart	15.32​	P3	SN
Ford	Arrive	16.04​	P2	SN	wait 2m
Ford	Depart	16.06​	P1	SN
Brighton	Arrive	16.51​	P2	SN	wait 19m
Brighton	Depart	17.10​	P3	SN
Clapham Junction	Arrive	18.14​	P12	SN	wait 21m
Clapham Junction	Depart	18.35​	P5	SW
Ascot	Arrive	19.19​	P3	SW	wait 12m
Ascot	Depart	19.31​	P3	SW
Clapham Junction	Arrive	20.17​	P4	SW	wait 6m
Clapham Junction	Depart	20.23​	P13	SN
East Croydon	Arrive	20.34​	P3	SN	wait 16m
East Croydon	Depart	20.50​	P4	TL
Gatwick Airport	Arrive	21.15​	P3	TL	wait 12m
Gatwick Airport	Depart	21.27​	P4	TL
London St Pancras International	Arrive	22.22​	B	TL	wait 39m
London St Pancras International	Depart	23.01​	B	TL
Cricklewood	Arrive	23.14​	*****	TL

 

[Bald Rick]

Is there a feedback process where signallers can go back to planners and say that move you planned was "never going to happen because x y z" etc. so as to stop the same thing happening over and over?

yes there is.

There can be many reasons for on the day variances to the plan, for example:

* engineering work being amended between planning the timetable (5 months out) and the day itself
* infrastructure on the ground being unavailable (eg a set of points having been plain lined)
* specific individual trains with unusual routings may be to avoid ‘special’ trains like charters or inspection runs, if these don’t run then the service trains will go normal route.
* planning errors (relatively rare now)

 

[Kite159]

I was not exactly sure why terminators were every 30 mins or so, as Reading services were still continuing beyond the station,

I'm pretty sure that was down to the Windsor branch being closed with the Windsor Riverside services diverted to run to Ascot where I presume it's an easier turn back

 

[All platforms]

I'm pretty sure that was down to the Windsor branch being closed with the Windsor Riverside services diverted to run to Ascot where I presume it's an easier turn back

Yes, that makes perfect sense. The service went fast after Staines

 

[sad1e]

Have you got Kentish town Platform 4?
No idea if it gets regular use anymore but they rarely divert services into it during disruption.

.This effectively completes London North of the river given P3/P4 usage at Wembley Central is increasingly unlikely. The only likely platform remaining South of the river is an engineering use of P1 at Earlsfield, although i haven't seen any of these for quite some time. Still, far more likely than Wimbledon P4, Clapham Junction P8 and the fasts at New Cross Gate (P3/P4).

 

[All platforms]

Have you got Kentish town Platform 4?
No idea if it gets regular use anymore but they rarely divert services into it during disruption.

I was lucky enough to bag this in 2023 on a Sunday, when Thameslink were running their early services from the High level at St Pancras. Engineering routing of course, and just after i had completed Radlett for 4 platforms on the way into St Pancras. I haven't kept on eye on this since that time, but i did see a few engineering examples being used that year (or at least timetabled to be used). It can change from year to year i have found, and also particularly on the Midland Main Line there is the possibility/probability that promised moved do not happen on the day. I have had countless examples of disappointment completing this line - and whilst i now have all patftorm variants, there are probably at least a dozen crossovers that purport to get used, that i still need. It prolongs the excitement i guess!! Maybe i got lucky back in 2023, but luck has to balance out over the long term?

Edit: i have just checked on UT and there are multiple examples planned currently. Usual caveats apply if you plan to travel. It looks like early Sundays are still the way to go apart from the odd late night ones around midnight.

Head		Type	TOC	Dep	From	To	Date range	Days	Path	Plat	Line	Arr	Dep	Pass
1Y71		VAR	EM	2356	St Pancras HL	Corby	28.09.26 - 01.10.26	M-Th		4		0001	0002
9M02		VAR	TL	0633	St Pancras HL	Bedford	23.08.26 - 23.08.26	Su		4		0638	0638
9M04		WTT	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	17.05.26 - 06.12.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		VAR	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	12.07.26 - 12.07.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		VAR	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	02.08.26 - 02.08.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		VAR	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	09.08.26 - 09.08.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		VAR	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	16.08.26 - 16.08.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		VAR	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	23.08.26 - 23.08.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		VAR	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	30.08.26 - 30.08.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		VAR	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	06.09.26 - 06.09.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		VAR	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Mill Hill Broadway	27.09.26 - 27.09.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		VAR	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	18.10.26 - 18.10.26	Su		4		0738	0738
9M04		WTT	TL	0733	St Pancras HL	Bedford	13.12.26 - 09.05.27	Su		4		0738	0738
9M06		WTT	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	17.05.26 - 06.12.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		VAR	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	12.07.26 - 12.07.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		VAR	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	02.08.26 - 02.08.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		VAR	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	09.08.26 - 09.08.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		VAR	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	16.08.26 - 16.08.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		VAR	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	23.08.26 - 23.08.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		VAR	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	30.08.26 - 30.08.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		VAR	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	06.09.26 - 06.09.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		VAR	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Mill Hill Broadway	27.09.26 - 27.09.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		VAR	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	18.10.26 - 18.10.26	Su		4		0808	0808
9M06		WTT	TL	0803	St Pancras HL	Bedford	13.12.26 - 09.05.27	Su		4		0808	0808
9M08		WTT	TL	0833	St Pancras HL	Bedford	17.05.26 - 06.12.26	Su		4		0838	0838
9M08		VAR	TL	0833	St Pancras HL	Bedford	02.08.26 - 02.08.26	Su		4		0838	0838
9M08		VAR	TL	0833	St Pancras HL	Bedford	23.08.26 - 23.08.26	Su		4		0838	0838
9M08		VAR	TL	0833	St Pancras HL	Bedford	30.08.26 - 30.08.26	Su		4		0838	0838
9M08		VAR	TL	0833	St Pancras HL	Bedford	06.09.26 - 06.09.26	Su		4		0838	0838
9M08		VAR	TL	0833	St Pancras HL	Bedford	27.09.26 - 27.09.26	Su		4		0838	0838
9M08		VAR	TL	0833	St Pancras HL	Bedford	18.10.26 - 18.10.26	Su		4		0838	0838
9M08		WTT	TL	0833	St Pancras HL	Bedford	13.12.26 - 09.05.27	Su		4		0838	0838
9H20		VAR	TL	0903	St Pancras HL	Luton	27.09.26 - 27.09.26	Su		4		0908	0908
1Y71		VAR	EM	2354	St Pancras HL	Corby	06.07.26 - 09.07.26	M-Th		4		2357	2359

 

[All platforms]

Day 587: Saturday 11/07/2026 - Bletchley to Milton Keynes Central - £3.55 - Off-peak Return. Car Park Cawkwell Way Bletchley - free.
Total time today 45 mins - time on trains 14 mins and time waiting 31 mins. Just a long awaited piece of track today.

"Making lies of what was said last time out - but for good reason"

I have been bleating about not travelling too far for now, and todays long trip down to Bletchley for less than 15 mins on 2 services makes a bit of a mockery of what has been said. Hear me out....

Having a bit more time for a week or so i was updating the website with some track updates when i came across the fact that both Bletchley Relief Lines have been/will be in use this week. These opportunities rarely appear and when they do, through services tend not to behave as planned. However there has been a few starters/terminators showing on the schedules and i was almost tempted to race off to Bletchley yesterday before common sense prevailed. However, it took about 5 minutes of thought before i decided to have a pop at one the two P5 starters towards Northampton via Milton Keynes. The first of these was at 8.40 and so not too early a start (for me anyway) and i should be there in plenty of time. The ancient unupdatable SatNav served me a curve ball when i wasn't paying too much attention and i followed a plain as a pikestaff wrong direction which caused me to put my foot down to get back on track. Just enough time on arrival although my usual free CP was full. Drat. Anyway got parked up and then the semi trek to the station to wait behind a ticket purchasing ditherer, before i diverted to the machines and purchased an Off-peak Return to Milton Keynes and dashed up the overbridge with seconds to spare.

I would have made it - just, but the guard/conductor was having trouble with the doors, which in the end involved a complete reboot by the driver. There was an even chance the service would be cancelled, and i was on tenterhooks at this stage. Another disappointment in the making??

I do believe luck evens itself out in the long run, so i was quite pleased (no, make that very pleased) when we set off just 10 mins late after what seemed like an age of wondering. A very slow trundle along the Bletchley relief Line 2 followed, and a long anough piece of track before joining the track from the overpass and then out onto the Down Slow and up to P2 at Milton Keynes. Another pause before gaining the DS meant i would miss my planned return hence waiting for 30 mins, but in the scheme of things this just didn't matter. There were some terminators yesterday at Bletchley which also used the 2 Relief, and i think it was knowing this that swayed my decision to go for it. An awful long way to go for a piece of track but as i am also out tomorrow in the West Midlands that was all i could manage today. A very pleasing outcome on a tricky piece of track in passenger service.

Bletchley	Depart	9.00​	*****	LM			stations	platforms
Milton Keynes Central	Arrive	9.10​	P2	LM	wait 31m		completed	completed
Milton Keynes Central	Depart	9.41​	P1	LM
Bletchley	Arrive	9.45​	*****	LM

 

[Kite159]

All the unusual track at Bletchley.

I bet when it comes to doing Cambridge South you will be pulling hair out when a service booked to use P1 or P4 gets swapped to the centre island rather than the loop platforms.

 

[All platforms]

All the unusual track at Bletchley.

I bet when it comes to doing Cambridge South you will be pulling hair out when a service booked to use P1 or P4 gets swapped to the centre island rather than the loop platforms.

I haven't researched this yet, but i understand both P1 and P4 get plenty of services each day so i'm not going to stress about the platform change possibilities at this stage - i would like to believe that this won't be too much of a thing given the planning that must have gone in to the opening. Let see what happens....

 

[All platforms]

Sunday 12/07/2026 - Sandwell & Dudley to Birmingham New Street - £3.30 - Off-peak Return. Sandwell & Dudley to Wolverhampton - £3.15 - Off-peak Return. Wolverhampton to Warrington Bank Quay - £31.10 - Off-peak Return. Blythe Bridge to Uttoxeter - £6.15 - Off-peak Return. Car Park Sandwell & Dudley - free and Caverswall Road Blythe Bridge - free.
Total time today 108 mins - time on trains 70 mins and time waiting 38 mins. Another one of those pesky track only days so no station completions.

"2 from 4 and a half"

An attempt on 4 or 5 rare as hens teeth track bits today, but delays on the first two services put paid to a couple necessitating a change of plan. So, the first move of the day was the "half" element. Soho North to/from Soho East was in use both ways early on, but on arrival at Sandwell & Dudley, nothing was moving through the station due to an engineeering overrun in the Birmingham area. Whilst i had wriggle room, it did not extend to 30 minutes and i knew i would be struggling, starting with the Wolverhampton P4 departure Northwards (crossover needed to gain the Down). There should have been 2 Avanti's first off into Birmingham, but it was a West Midlands that turned up first and i realised i had a fighting chance to catch a connecting service back the other way - but this would be the last before the direct route was due to re-open.

So, back to the "half" Planning apps did not make it clear whether the use of Soho North to East would be via the Soho curve or not. I already have the curve but maybe the direct connection would be used instead? We went via the curve so the half was off the table. Good to traverse the curve in full daylight however, so that was something. On arribal at New Street it was almost a sprint from P4a to P10b. It was a moot point if i would have made it as i arrived to find the doors locked and my second reboot of the weekend was in full swing. Then they tried rebooting from the other end, and then back to the original end, and some 13 mins late we did eventually set off. I had kittens when they tried the opposite end reboot as i had visions of using the more direct route rather than round the houses from the East end of New Street. There were nearly a dozen people on board effectively trapped whilst the reboot attempts were happening, and almost without exception they all exited immediately the doors were finally working again! We were off 2 mins later, and going via Duddeston thank the light, so i did get to do the East to North version of the Soho Junctions and then the attendant crossover. I alighted back at Sandwell & Dudley, once it became clear i could not get a connection to Bank Quay, as i needed to be on the 11.21 from there as this was arriving at Crewe via the Coal Yard in the schedules. In actual fact it didn't despite being on time, and so arrived some 5 mins earlier than anticipated. Another planned move that didn't occur....

So, off to Blythe Bridge where Plan B was put in place, and a rare example of some sightseeing, as i realised that The Foxfield railway was based there, and i spent an excellent few hours exploring the place including having a bite to eat. In retrospect i could have had a ride or two in one of the 3 bench seated cars running back and to, but i am sure i will return. Why Blythe Bridge? well the line to Derby from Crewe was closed today, but services post 2pm were running between Crewe and Uttoxeter, and so eventually time moved along enough to transfer to Blythe Bridge proper, and await the first service going to Uttoxeter. It was late due to no dispatcher being available at Crewe it transpired, and 13 mins after departing we were arriving at Uttoxter, where it descended into near farce conditions. There was a sizeable crowd on the other platform, and then everyone was turfed out of the train including myslef and 2 others who had also come for the crossover. One of them got quite excitable with the train crew about this as he said there is no signalling move to get the train to the other platform, as we were informed that was exactly what was going to happen - but not by them. The arriving crew were being relieved by another crew who were also not sure of the exact procedure, none of which was helped by the information boards only showing incoming services and a bus replacement!

Common sense prevailed after 5 mins and the the platform 2 mob retrieved their steps onto platform 1 but we were still all milling about on the platform before the new driver arrived and got into the cab saying her instructions were a P1 departure, and unlocked the doors again. It still took a total of 10 minutes before order was restored and we were off, traversing the crossover and back to Blythe Bridge (for me). A second heart attack moment today then before traversing what was scheduled. Life is never dull undertaking this "all track" thing. Two more sections of track under my belt, with loads more still to do. My car is in for some fettling for a few days now, and time to do some long term planning.

Sandwell & Dudley	Depart	8.31​	*****	WM			stations	platforms
Birmingham New Street	Arrive	8.52​	P4a	WM	wait 28m		completed	completed
Birmingham New Street	Depart	9.20​	P10b	WM
Sandwell & Dudley	Arrive	9.42​	*****	WM	wait +
Relocate to	******	*****	*****	*****	Sightseeing
Blythe Bridge	Depart	14.50​	*****	EM
Uttoxeter	Arrive	15.03​	P1	EM	wait 10m
Uttoxeter	Depart	15.13​	P1	EM
Blythe Bridge	Arrive	15.27​	*****	EM

 

[Kite159]

Good news on getting the crossover at Uttoxeter into your little book

 

[Kite159]

I guess you have already done a departure from platform 2 at Wakefield Kirkgate towards Normanton for a crossover? Also the crossovers to the south of Halifax (a platform 1 arrival from the south etc. Saw both those happening today and you popped in my head

 

[All platforms]

I guess you have already done a departure from platform 2 at Wakefield Kirkgate towards Normanton for a crossover? Also the crossovers to the south of Halifax (a platform 1 arrival from the south etc. Saw both those happening today and you popped in my head

Wakefield Kirkgate is one of the few stations i think i now have every crossover in the bag, although i am unsure if the platform 3 avoiding line ever gets used in passenger service. It appears to be timetabled from time to time but always gets changed to the more normal P3 line in actual use. I think it must be one of the many anomolies i have found where the two systems resolutely agree to disagree.

The crossovers South of Halifax are rare - whenever i have looked at these they are invariably first/last services, if i find anything at all. I confess i didn't see anything using the crossover into P1 from the South of late. Was it a terminator or through service? I still need both crossovers to the South at Halifax it seems.

 

[Kite159]

I suspect if anything the P3 avoiding line will get used by diverted TPE services from Sheffield (as it makes no sense for them to slow down to do the crossover to use the P3 line if not calling at Kirkgate).

It was Sunday with Northern running an hourly Leeds - Halifax via Dewsbury stopper service, arrived into P1 from the south and departed back towards Leeds via Dewsbury a few minutes after arriving. Such as https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:L89457/2026-07-26/detailed , I suspect due to the Huddersfield rebuild

 

[All platforms]

Day 589: Tuesday 21/07/2026 - Warrington West to Manchester Oxford Road - £9.35 - Anytime Return. Newton-le-Willows to Manchester Airport - £10.10 - Off-peak Return. Car park Warrington West £1.20 + Newton-le-Wiilows - free
Total time today 346 mins - time on trains 174 mins and time waiting 172 mins. Stations completed today 1. Total completed 2566. Platforms completed at completed stations 5959.

"Playing out closer to home"

I think today is just about the first time i have allowed myself to believe that i have done enough now to see what remains as not only achievable, but not too far off to remain something that is nebulous or stretching too far off into the distance as to be a pipedream. The amount of effort expended so far is far more than what remains to be expended. There, i have said it. I have now looked at most of the remaining track and stations and worked out a way to have a good go at all of these items, even knowing that some of them might require quite a few attempts. I can maybe ease off the gas just a little and still maintain progress at a satisfactory rate. Station completions remain a priority, and i don't think many will remain by the end of the year. It all depends on the engineering Gods however.

So why this reflection? Well i always said i would do the nearest crossovers to where i live, when i can see the wood from the trees so to speak with what remains to be done - and today is that day. Parking up at my home station of Warrington West, where it is just £1.20 a day to park, i would be making my way to Oxford Road and back via Warrington Central. The crossovers to the east of that station get used a few times a day in the peaks , as extra services are inserted to get the commuters moved to where they need to be, between Warrington and Manchester. There is a (nearly) all stations served offering from Central from P2 before 7.30. The more normal platform is needed for an express service and dwells accordingly to await this passing on the inside. It doesn't always happen as timetabled, but is solid enough to be reasonably confident that it will. Success as we departed from P2 before crossing over and proceeding stop start to Oxford Road, where it immediately returned.

Same stations (i think only Glazebrook was omitted) but this time crossing over into P1 to set down all remaining passengers before heading back up the line to the sidings. There was a TP service hot on its heels and this had already arrived in P2 before everyone had disgorged themselves from the P1 stopper. Early success and i was back home around 9.30 with the rest of the day free.

However, i would be out later that evening to have a crack at one of those stations that so far has refused to behave with regard to platforms. I had done my reaearch well on todays movements and had spotted that there was a decent chance i could complete the b platforms at Manchester Airport late on with the "a" berths already occupied - something that really doesn't happen that often. That said, it tends to be late night thing if it does, but platform alterations have been rife when i have looked at these previously, and i have found myself repeating the same b platforms many a time.

This time it was different with all 8 berths occupied at one point c. 23.30 - in theory. An easy jaunt into Piccadilly and a short wait before heading off to P11 for a Northern shuttle to/from the Airport. It arrived on time but was declared as a dud and we all had to troop off to P9 to use another unit. The only problem was a TP unit blocking our path further up the platform and we had to wait for its departure to depot before being allowed to board. We were off some 20 mins late and i was fearing my P1b slot would be lost. Tigertrains said it was still planned, and i could rest a little easier as a result. We did crawl into P1b and with precious little room to spare as the back end was barely a foot onto the platform proper. Its a long walk down to the other end in these circumstances but certainly not a burden, and when i got there, there were 2 separate TP units occupying P3, and so my return not long after was from P3b, and after many tribulations, Manchester Airport was finally completed. A very satisfying end to the day, although i did have to wait a bit to get back to Newton-le-Willows. I rested in the upper area between P13 and P14 at Piccadilly - the bit that extends over the main platforms there. I think the signage might need some fettling as on 3 occasions folk with suitcases made to descend onto the P11 platform via the stairs as they emerged from p13. I did the sensible thing and redirected them back the way 20 yards or so so they could use the travelators instead.

Not a busy day by any means, but perhaps a turning point for me. I need to check properly, but i think maybe another 30 station completions are possible, with a few more that are as likely as hell freezing over ( i count these as complete for now) - but who knows, each timetable change brings new possibilities. Whilst not platform opportunities, the new Lumo Stirling services and the most recent ECML timetable changes have brought quite a few new possibilities into play recently and who knows what else might surface.

I shall be out again on Sunday in the South Birmingham area, in another track tidying excercise with only one super rare item on offer - and i am not travelling further south without very good reason right now for others. I need to do some more checking before i commit, but another awkward station completion is on my list for early August, which will oddly enough means a South of London base, and a direct contradiction of the previous sentence - but if i do travel, i will do so both ways super early so no traffic concerns. A few more interesting moves are also being contemplated before my 3 day Cornish Riviera excursion in August. I am looking forward to that immensely. So much more to do, but it somehow seems a tad more manageable than before.

Warrington West	Depart	6.37​	*****	TP			stations	platforms
Warrington Central	Arrive	6.40​	P1	TP	wait 44m		completed	completed
Warrington Central	Depart	7.24​	P2	NT
Manchester Oxford Road	Arrive	8.06​	P5	NT	wait 8m
Manchester Oxford Road	Depart	8.14​	P5	NT
Warrington Central	Arrive	8.50​	P1	NT	wait 27m
Warrington Central	Depart	9.17​	P2	NT
Warrington West	Arrive	9.20​	*****	NT	Home +
Home + Relocate	*****	*****	*****	*****	wait
Newton-le-Willows	Depart	21.39​	*****	NT
Manchester Piccadilly	Arrive	22.08​	P13	NT	wait 45m
Manchester Piccadilly	Depart	22.53​	P9	NT
Manchester Airport	Arrive	23.19​	P1b	NT	wait 15m
Manchester Airport	Depart	23.34​	P3b	TP			1​	12​
Manchester Piccadilly	Arrive	23.51​	P14	TP	wait 33m
Manchester Piccadilly	Depart	0.24​	P14	AW
Newton-le-Willows	Arrive	0.42​	*****	AW

 

[All platforms]

It was Sunday with Northern running an hourly Leeds - Halifax via Dewsbury stopper service, arrived into P1 from the south and departed back towards Leeds via Dewsbury a few minutes after arriving. Such as https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:L89457/2026-07-26/detailed , I suspect due to the Huddersfield rebuild

Ah, i didn't look at the routing - makes sense now.

 

[Western Sunset]

Always enjoy your ramblings. Do you have an index or some such, where we can see where you've been? I only ask as I was at Nutfield for nearly two hours last Saturday (grandson at a birthday party nearby). As I waited on the platform (one train per hour), I thought of your escapades and waiting around at stations.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Out of interest did you manage Stanlow & Thornton before its "temporary" closure?

 

[All platforms]

Always enjoy your ramblings. Do you have an index or some such, where we can see where you've been? I only ask as I was at Nutfield for nearly two hours last Saturday (grandson at a birthday party nearby). As I waited on the platform (one train per hour), I thought of your escapades and waiting around at stations.

I am sure i did post an interim spreadsheet quite some time ago, but efforts to replicate this just now have left me with a headache haha, so i will have to think on this some more. More probably AI has led me up the garden path (again). I do not use the cloud - i am sure it would be much simpler if i did. Your mentioning the waiting around at stations - especially with an hourly or less frequency got me thinking. I started this just waiting or exploring as appropriate, and then moved on to rekindling an old hobby of Sci-fi esque books, so i have read well over 50 of the things on my travels so far. I don't read whilst actually travelling though i have been known to nod off to catch up on missed sleep elsewhere in the day.

It might be easier to publish a list of where i haven't been to be honest - just 14 i haven't visited now, with another 16 or so that i have visited, some multiple times, but have not yet been completed for various and multiple reasons.

The 14 are (in no particular order) Cambridge South, Brading/Lake/Ryde Esplanade/Ryde Pier Head/Ryde St Johns Road/Sandown/Shanklin/Smallbrook Junction on the Isle of Wight, Entwistle, Bedlington,Newsham, Rannoch, and Roy Bridge.

When i started this i wanted to do this this without any fudging. I knew i had to drive to get to various places, but then didn't want to just drive to an awkward station etc - i had to arrive and depart on a train for it to count. No other transport was allowed. No lifts/buses/trains/bikes etc, and no walking, unless absolutely necessary. I think i have got far enough along now to tighten that one so i am going to see if i can stick it out at a twice a day station that i haven't arrived and departed on the same day previously. More so in fact because i am going to spend a full day there as well. Madness i hear, but a few u-tubers have done this i notice, and not to be outdone i will dip my toe in the water too - probably start at one where i can more easily quit if need be. For me that would be Clifton i think. Just needs a bit of planning..... I also want to redo Bordesley the same way before it closes in a few years though it has no seating at all in the excuse of a shelter. Balmossie may be the trickiest of all as it has no shelter at all!! - unless there is one off platform i have forgotten about. That just leaves Polesworth as the only station its not possible to arrive and depart at on the same day.

Out of interest did you manage Stanlow & Thornton before its "temporary" closure?

Stanlow and Thornton was done on Day 2 - 29/08/2020, so just after the travel lockdown was lifted where i am. Quite surreal standing on the platforms there just as it had become light, on my own with no signs of life anywhere. Probably when i decided for sure this would be an interesting way of spending my time for a few years.

I am most disappointed with myself for not visiting Teesside Airport before it was "closed" May 2022 - it was on my plan for late June that year. And of course i started too late for Redcar British Steel with services there stopping Dec 2019. MUFC Halt stopped Dec 2017 but that would have been an interesting one to do as well.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Stanlow and Thornton was done on Day 2 - 29/08/2020, so just after the travel lockdown was lifted where i am. Quite surreal standing on the platforms there just as it had become light, on my own with no signs of life anywhere. Probably when i decided for sure this would be an interesting way of spending my time for a few years.

I am most disappointed with myself for not visiting Teesside Airport before it was "closed" May 2022 - it was on my plan for late June that year. And of course i started too late for Redcar British Steel with services there stopping Dec 2019. MUFC Halt stopped Dec 2017 but that would have been an interesting one to do as well.

I only asked as I was scoping out how to do Ince & Elton which is one of mine I have remaining, and realised Stanlow & Thornton is no longer open!