Kings Cross Platform Rules

[Mr Mean]

Yesterday there were issues with delays on LNER at King's Cross due to a person hit by a train earlier in the day somewhere on the network. There were cancellations and delays around 5pm onwards especially towards Leeds. This meant hundreds of passengers were waiting for services and information.

Officially no platforms were announced but real train times gave platform information (which was correct) and so word spread and passengers started heading towards the platforms from the footbridge where gates were left open. Platform staff didnt seem to like passengers knowing this information and started trying to collect people and push them back into the crowded areas.

This was apparently due to "health and safety" but led to the ridiculous situation of passengers been pulled off the platform to be held in holding pens, only for them to go back round to the footbridge and join the platform once again.

The platform staff then said that any disabled people or families with young children were exempt from these "health and safety" rules and could wait on the platform. This caused anger in the kettled crowds and seemed like more of a safety issue when they were released when trains were finally announced "officially" and the rush for seats got underway.

Other threads have mentioned Euston and Marylebone where platform staff are rude and officious and seem to delight in holding people until there are crushes and a rush to board trains... what are the official Network Rail rules to platform occupation and King's Cross and other stations? Platform staff seem to just make it up as they go and then fall back on "health and safety" when challenged by decisions that seem at odds with common sense.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Platform staff seem to just make it up as they go and then fall back on "health and safety" when challenged by decisions that seem at odds with common sense.

Honestly you're more than halfway there

 

[Fawkes Cat]

the footbridge where gates were left open.

This appears to be the problem.

 

[Snow1964]

Platform staff seem to just make it up as they go and then fall back on "health and safety" when challenged by decisions that seem at odds with common sense.

Almost certainly, I wonder which bit of Health and Safety says it's better to have large numbers crammed in one area, where there would be a crush if something happened, rather than about 500 people spread out along 250m of platform.

The only thing don't want is to announce the platform, just as a train is pulling in so there is a rush in both directions at same time. Thats common sense.

 

[thejuggler]

Unfortunately the information on platforms is publicly available (it is sometimes wrong, but those who understand the railway will also be able to identify when this is the case). It is therefore down to the directors of the railway to devise a system for managing huge numbers of passengers when problems arise.

If that is closing the gates preventing any access so be it, if that means allowing passengers onto platforms early so be it. However doing nothing and expecting staff on the ground to manage the issue and get annoyed with passengers isn't a solution. Undortunately it will probably take a crush event for this issue to receive serious attention.

 

[800002]

It requires quing systems to be put in place.

Marylebone does do this on West Coast weekends and other 'special events', but then the same is always going to occur as when the train is ready and platform posted once the queue is released, everyone feels the sudden need to rush anyway.
It's this element that needs to be controlled better... tbe train isnt going to suddenly shut up and bugger off.
Those at the head of the queue (hopefully been there the longest) will have first choice of seat, yes.
There should also be a mechanism for 'advanced' boarding in such cases where deemed suitable and practical, with priority to those requiring assistance and those less able to sustain being churned up in the rush.

But of course we don't live in an ideal, utilian, world where any of this is actually possible on a universal scale.

 

[The Mercian]

I suppose the question really is how do you design stations so that you manage flows of passengers on and off trains in a safe but efficient manner particularly where you have a turn up and go regime. The issue we have seems to be the major London termini were not designed to handle this number of passengers which seemingly far exceeding the capacity of what we’re now delivering. It isn’t helped when station management seemingly don’t have tried and tested procedures for these unusual event scenarios. The furore around Euston a couple of years back seems to have focused minds there so I wonder if other stations have taken that onboard?

 

[sh24]

Always sad when H&S - which is really important, written in blood etc - gets used as an excuse which reduces its credibility. The railway rightly has a strong focus on safety but it sometimes feels performative rather than genuine.

 

[Coleridge]

In Switzerland (and other countries), the platform number is set in stone and printed in the timetable, and they don't seem to have any problems.

Though perhaps that approach only works on a reliable rail system that runs like clockwork with almost no delays and cancellations and on which the trains always have enough seats for everyone, so passengers have no fear of having to stand if they don't board before everyone else.

Britain's TOCs prefer to herd and transport passengers like cattle, almost as if they're running the network for their benefit rather than the passengers'.

 

[800001]

In Switzerland (and other countries), the platform number is set in stone and printed in the timetable, and they don't seem to have any problems.

Though perhaps that approach only works on a reliable rail system that runs like clockwork with almost no delays and cancellations and on which the trains always have enough seats for everyone, so passengers have no fear of having to stand if they don't board before everyone else.

Britain's TOCs prefer to herd and transport passengers like cattle, almost as if they're running the network for their benefit rather than the passengers'.

Have you ever boarded a train leaving Basel?
Nearly every SBB train I have been on from there has had all seats occupied and many many people standing throughout the train.

I agree about the platform numbers though, you can rely on them 99.9% of the time.

 

[johntea]

The barriers next to York Way seemingly always set to ‘exit only’ is quite annoying when you have to drag your luggage around a loop to end up at the same place!

 

[sharpener]

The barriers next to York Way seemingly always set to ‘exit only’ is quite annoying when you have to drag your luggage around a loop to end up at the same place!

Place is usually milling with ppl who are trapped in this doom loop. The whole concept of trying to prevent pax from entering by what is clearly the front of the building is quite absurd, given how many occasional travellers and tourists there will be who are not familiar with the place.

 

[Mr Mean]

The doom loop was quite apt, they were telling people to leave the platforms but these gates were closed and because no one had a ticket everyone became trapped near the buffer area. They then opened up a few gates, but the trapped passengers got mixed in with arrivals who started using the open barriers which caused even more confusion.

Some of the ejected passengers just walked round again and queued on the footbridge at the top of the escalator. They were no longer breaking the "health and safety" rule of been on the platform but were choking entrance ways for passengers that were trying to get to advertised departures.

Essentially it was a farce with zero plan of what to do with 3 x trains of Leeds passengers.

 

[GordonT]

In Switzerland (and other countries), the platform number is set in stone and printed in the timetable, and they don't seem to have any problems.'.

Public transport has historically and currently commanded much more of a priority for huge public expenditure there rather than in UK. Are there any London mainline terminals which could confidently advertise booked platforms and adhere to them 90+% of the time?

 

[M!T]

Had the same stupidity at Blackpool once. Everyone held behind gates until a couple of minutes before the train is due to depart then, when finally released onto the platform, there's a mass stampede. Needless to say, never went there by train again. Surely the sensible approach would be to let people onto the platform where they'd spread out evenly and, once able to board the train, a small and even number entering calmly via each set of doors.

 

[MartinC]

I hold a disabled persons railcard. Travelling from Euston, recently, Avanti West Coast sent me a text saying that, in view of the railcard, they were giving me notice of the platform number prior to public announcement.

 

[James James]

Have you ever boarded a train leaving Basel?
Nearly every SBB train I have been on from there has had all seats occupied and many many people standing throughout the train.

I agree about the platform numbers though, you can rely on them 99.9% of the time.

At rush hour sure, the rest of the time I've always had a good choice of seats from Basel.

 

[Tony2]

I was booked on the Lumo 1415 Kings Cross- Edinburgh yesterday with my wife.

Kings Cross is notorious for the last minute stampede which is not safe IMO, so I avoid that situation every time like the plague.

I was aware of the disruption, so checked the incoming working on RTT and Traksy which both showed 803001 booked into platform 3F, on time.

For those who say the unit numbers are of no use to passengers, I’d say they are actually of great use, allowing anyone who knows how to interpret them to track the progress of the incoming train and show a departing platform before station screens do.

In the event 803001 diverted inbound to platform 4, so I made my way there around 1300 with my wife. The gates were open and nobody stopped us walking through. We stood next to the train for over an hour and didn’t have any problems with staff asking us to move.

15 minutes before departure the destination on the carriage was set, guard opened up and we were first on, missing the usual stampede. We got settled leisurely, in peace without the usual crush and pandemonium going on around us. Five minutes later all hell broke loose as others battled to get on in time.

I know which situation is safer and better, allow passengers on with adequate time rather than holding them in a pen and firing the starting gun.

At one point a girl tried to get on board around 1330 and I’d said the doors won’t open yet. She said it’s due to leave in 2 mins, so I pointed out she was on the wrong platform! The station information was obviously lacking which is why I ignore it completely and only use RTT and Traksy. Never got on the wrong train using that method yet!!

As an aside, our guard repeatedly advised LNER ticket holders were not allowed on board despite this disruption, however checking the LNER site they were advising that their passengers could travel on Lumo trains yesterday!

 

[Horizon22]

It is not unheard of for passengers to be held back when there is disruption and trains not boarded until all the crew/stock/refreshments are prepared and its 100% certain a train will be departing. Also if there is a late arrival, to let those people off and out onto the concourse before letting departing passengers onto the platform as otherwise you can risk a crush with the conflicting passenger flows.

However this falls down if one of the gatelines is left open - without being staffed (keeping it open will allow a speedy exist for late arrivals) - as people will just hang around platforms in either a) vague hope or b) by checking apps like RTT or mistaking the "predicted" platform on Trainline.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Aug 2026 ==

Had the same stupidity at Blackpool once. Everyone held behind gates until a couple of minutes before the train is due to depart then, when finally released onto the platform, there's a mass stampede. Needless to say, never went there by train again. Surely the sensible approach would be to let people onto the platform where they'd spread out evenly and, once able to board the train, a small and even number entering calmly via each set of doors.

Blackpool North is its own special case - just do a search on these forums!

 

[Western Gaffer]

Had the same stupidity at Blackpool once. Everyone held behind gates until a couple of minutes before the train is due to depart then, when finally released onto the platform, there's a mass stampede. Needless to say, never went there by train again. Surely the sensible approach would be to let people onto the platform where they'd spread out evenly and, once able to board the train, a small and even number entering calmly via each set of doors.

I don't know if anyone else will have any more joy searching the forum for it than I did, but on one of the many threads about the Blackpool North experience, one of the staff there posted some of the reasons why the procedures are the way they are, which was quite illuminating (!).

 

[Jim the Jim]

I'm not terribly in favour of keeping passengers off platforms in general, but this sounds like it may be reasonable.

Crowds standing still are less likely to get into difficulties than crowds moving. The platform is more dangerous than the concourse (people could fall off, potentially into the path of a moving train). Departing and arriving passengers are moving in opposite directions.

These factors combined with late arriving trains and alterations to the scheduled platforms (more likely than normal in times of disruption presumably) have a fairly high likelihood of leading to large numbers of conflicting crowd flows on platforms that can't safely handle them.

 

[Kevin51]

Other threads have mentioned Euston ......... until there are crushes and a rush to board trains.

A daily occurance at Euston due to the very poor station layout. The poor guy who raised the safety issue at Euston was shafted by Peter Hendy. Good to see where Peter Hendy's priorities lay.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Aug 2026 ==

Good to see where Peter Hendy's priorities lay.

Also drives a bus using his mobile phone. A fine example of to everybody.

 

[riceuten]

Unfortunately the information on platforms is publicly available (it is sometimes wrong, but those who understand the railway will also be able to identify when this is the case). It is therefore down to the directors of the railway to devise a system for managing huge numbers of passengers when problems arise.

The lack of such a system and the usual "advice" of "not travelling now unless necessary" or "finding an alternative route" is probably as "organised" as it gets.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Aug 2026 ==

Public transport has historically and currently commanded much more of a priority for huge public expenditure there rather than in UK.

Same in Germany - the yellow (departure) notices feature it, and white arrival ones. If there is an alteration, it's usually announced.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Aug 2026 ==

I don't know if anyone else will have any more joy searching the forum for it than I did, but on one of the many threads about the Blackpool North experience, one of the staff there posted some of the reasons why the procedures are the way they are, which was quite illuminating (!).

I suspect it was due to officious, jobsworth middle management rather than any fictitious "procedure".

Slightly off topic, but prior to the rebuild, KGX staff would not announce the platform the semi-fasts left from before the Cambridge Cruiser had left, which was often as little as 7 minutes - sometimes less if it were delayed). This often led to a mini-stampede, unless you were in the know. And the slowies fictitiously reversing at Foxton (but that's for another thread...)

 

[Kevin51]

Slightly off topic, but prior to the rebuild, KGX staff would not announce the platform the semi-fasts left from before the Cambridge Cruiser had left, which was often as little as 7 minutes - sometimes less if it were delayed). This often led to a mini-stampede, unless you were in the know. And the slowies fictitiously reversing at Foxton (but that's for another thread...)

In remember being on a White Rose set with mt my sons about 3 and 6 at the time. Waiting on the concourse at Kings X with the train arriving on the platform just as few minutes before departure time. We were at the front of this long train and being shouted at staff by staff for holding the train up as we made our way along the platform. Errrr the train came into the platform about 2 minutes before departure time and the station staff are shouting at me. And some of them wonder why passengers have a go back.

 

[800002]

And the slowies fictitiously reversing at Foxton (but that's for another thread...)

Much like the Paddington- Oxford back in the day going onto to Radley, to avoid the enviable complaint about someone boarding the slow train (which i believe got overtaken en route).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Aug 2026 ==

We were at the front of this long train and being shouted at staff by staff for holding the train up as we made our way along the platform.

It is situations like this to which I take umbridge with. Similar is a short notice paltform change which involves people needing to use the lift(s). Got caught at Newcastle recently, but luckily the set was still arriving as I positioned myself next to the lift as I knew what was going to occur. At other locations, I don't think the foresight is there to hold the departing train in such circumstances.

Anyway, diversion over, yes... in such circumstances when the dispatcher is wanting to get it going, shouting at people to just get on board doesn't cut it. I would have been making them break their dispatch rules, all the time I wasn't on the carriage I needed to be on.
Walking through as bust train isnt an activity I undertake lightly.

 

[Kevin51]

Walking through as bust train isnt an activity I undertake lightly.

Certainly not with a toddler, a slightly older one and a push chair. If I had continued down the platform given I was already half way along the train, I would probably been boarding in the correct coach in less than a minute.

 

[800002]

Certainly not with a toddler, a slightly older one and a push chair. If I had continued down the platform given I was already half way along the train, I would probably been boarding in the correct coach in less than a minute.

I will be 100% honest with you.
I am fully prepared to have *that* confrontation with the operational staff if:
- They have provided a inexplicably short boarding time for a 9 or 11 coach pendo (out of their control, yes, but allowing everyone to board should not come back to them if the outbound departure is late).
- Having a suboptimal platform posting to receiving TRTS (Train Ready to Start); green signal, is their fault as the train (evidentially) was not in a TRTS state if all the passengers aren't on board.

I luckily have not had to have this argument at Euston as I've always managed to prevent them from carrying out dispatch duties whilst walking to the desired / required location on the train.

I've seen it, just this evening, at a different termini where late running (litterally) passengers were trying to find a doorway without pax hanging out of it and the dispatcher gave the CD prior to the RA with folk looking befuddled as they couldn't reopen the doors.

As always, there is a fine line to be trodden by dispatch staff, based on when their colleagues remove services from the boards and when they feel is appropriate to attempt dispatch is situations where delays have been occurring.
There weren't any delays this evening, only the late removal of service prior to departure in a station where it can be quite a walk to certain platforms.

 

[saismee]

I've seen it, just this evening, at a different termini where late running (litterally) passengers were trying to find a doorway without pax hanging out of it and the dispatcher gave the CD prior to the RA with folk looking befuddled as they couldn't reopen the doors.

It may well be that the train is already deemed full and standing and it would be unsafe for the extra late-running passengers to board.

 

[Bullfield WEst]

I hold a disabled persons railcard. Travelling from Euston, recently, Avanti West Coast sent me a text saying that, in view of the railcard, they were giving me notice of the platform number prior to public announcement.

In my experience, if you book assistance at Euston, you will be transported to your coach around ten minutes before anyone else boards.

 

[Bristol LHS]

i regularly get the Grand Central north from Kings Cross, and use RTT to check the platform and head over a bit early.

I find the boarding on the 180s quite chaotic, and the GC service seems to attract a lot of people who aren’t regular train users - maybe the lower prices - great to see but can be really chaotic when people don’t understand reservations, or where to put luggage etc.

There’s also a dynamic that because there are very few unreserved seats on the peak GC, regular passengers with open tickets or carnets like to get to the train early and form a queue outside the end carriage with the bays of unreserved seats.

This has always been fine, but lately the LNER dispatch staff are getting much more officious with the tensa barriers at the buffer ends of the platform - they don’t clear the platform but will prevent more people joining if theres an LNER train about to depart, and then you also have people arriving late for the LNER arguing with them to be let onto the platform and them refusing because it’s ready for dispatch.

Not a great situation. And meanwhile as you say, the bridge access is often completely unpoliced.