Basingstoke platform numbering

[TheGrew]

Hi everyone, I tried to do a search but nothing came up. Does anyone know why Basingstoke's platforms are numbered 'the wrong way' eg with down slow being 1 and up slow being 4?

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

 

[The Ham]

Hi everyone, I tried to do a search but nothing came up. Does anyone know why Basingstoke's platforms are numbered 'the wrong way' eg with down slow being 1 and up slow being 4?

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

Maybe something to do with the fact that there are 5 platforms (meaning that however you number it the up slow would be 2 or 4) and that the main entrance is by platform 1.

It may also be that although a lot of services to head to London, historicity this may not have been where people were so interested in heading. As well as it being a junction meaning that being so London centric could just cause confusion.

 

[vikingdriver]

I heard it was because there was no way they would give the Western platform number 1!

 

[yummy125]

Platform 1 has always been nearest the station / town main entrance / exit.

There used to be a Platform 1A for the service to Salisbury.

Platform 5 is the Basingstoke to Reading service.

There used to be a freight only - line which went round the back of the station but this was closed in the 80's or 90's.

 

[Bushy]

Ashford (Kent) had reversed numbering. The down side loop platform as 1 to up side loop as 4. The original station had the entrance and booking hall on the down side. Before the station bridge was rebuilt the loop platforms had been country facing bays (before my time). Presumably these would have had the same numbering. I remember the numbering being reversed but can't be sure when it was; probably mid - late 1970s.

With the rebuild for Eurostar, the extended Platforms 3 & 4 became the international platforms, new down side domestic platforms 5 & 6 and the station name was changed to Ashford International. Its code is still AFK though. Despite the increased number of platforms, the wine bar in the Kent Arms building still used the local name for the pub, 'Platform 5'.

Regards

Bushy

 

[Eagle]

Does anyone know why Basingstoke's platforms are numbered 'the wrong way' eg with down slow being 1 and up slow being 4?

Because there's no such thing as 'the wrong way' when platforms are numbered. There never was any hard and fast rule as to which way the platforms are numbered (granted, some of the old railway companies may have had their own internal rules, but these were often mutually contradictory—for instance the GWR generally numbered theirs what you term 'the wrong way').

 

[Bushy]

Because there's no such thing as 'the wrong way' when platforms are numbered.

My understanding, however, is that the numbering at Ashford was changed to make it consistent with other stations and thus reduce confusion. It did take me a bit of time to get used to it though; I think it happened during the period after I had commuted to school for 7 years but before I started commuting to work. If they did it now I would probably have to retire

Regards

Bushy

 

[12CSVT]

Nothing unusual about the way Basingstoke patforms are numbered in my opinion.

If you really want confusion, try Portsmouth & Southsea, where platforms are numbered from south to north 2, 1, 3, 4.
Edinburgh is probably the worst where platform numbering doesn't seem to follow any logic.

 

[trc666]

Exeter St. Davids has a minor example of bad numbering:
2 (bay) and then 1, 3, 4, 5 and finally, 6.

Some stations miss out some platform numbers altogether for example Bristol Temple Meads having no platform 14, Caledonian Road & Barnsbury having no platform 1 etc.

 

[Eagle]

Edinburgh is probably the worst where platform numbering doesn't seem to follow any logic.

When was the last time you were at Edinburgh? The platforms are numbered in order, clockwise, from 1 to 20 (and have been since about 2006). Platforms 5 and 6 are currently disused, but still clearly there.

If you want a true idea of messed up platform numbering, look no further than the station that goes 4b, 4a, 3a, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 10a, 11, 12, 2, 1—namely, Stratford high level. (The low level has a more sensible 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.)

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Birmingham Moor Street was numbered 2 1 3 4 5 when the bay platforms were disused, somewhat sensibly they were rearranged to 1 2 3 4 5 when the bays were reopened.

 

[transmanche]

Caledonian Road & Barnsbury having no platform 1 etc.

Ah, but platform 1 is still there - it's what you walk along when entering/exiting the station.

 

[causton]

Ah, but platform 1 is still there - it's what you walk along when entering/exiting the station.

Did it used to be that Platform 1 was the westbound and Platform 2 the eastbound? i.e. London Overground used the left hand set of tracks rather than in the middle? If not, my NLL SimSig copy makes no sense

 

[transmanche]

Did it used to be that Platform 1 was the westbound and Platform 2 the eastbound? i.e. London Overground used the left hand set of tracks rather than in the middle?

Yes, with freight using the other pair of tracks.

 

[jopsuk]

in "normal" use at Stirling are 2, 3 and 6- with 9 & 10 for some services. To my knowledge, 4, 5, 7 and 8 are only used for berthing units? Platform 1 has long vanished.

 

[Eagle]

in "normal" use at Stirling are 2, 3 and 6- with 9 & 10 for some services. To my knowledge, 4, 5, 7 and 8 are only used for berthing units? Platform 1 has long vanished.

I looked this one up. There is one passenger service on Sunday mornings that departs platform 8, but other than that the bays are stabling only. Reason being that very little actually starts or terminates at Stirling, with local services continuing either to Dunblane (platforms 2, 3, 6) or Alloa (platforms 6, 9, 10).

Salisbury platform 5 (a west-facing bay) is similarly unused, although because the depot is right around the corner (accessed via the former platform 1) it's not used for stabling either. Bournemouth platform 1, however, is unused simply because it's too short for anything that terminates there.

 

[D6975]

Temple Meads had its platforms completely reversed in 1965 when the Brunel shed was taken out of use. Platform 1 used to be where platform 15 is now. The current platform 1 used to be platform 12.

 

[maniacmartin]

What I find most odd, is some stations such as New Cross have platforms labelled with letters only

 

[jopsuk]

Supposedly that's to avoid confusion with New Cross Gate. I know they're quite close together, but they don't share announcements or departure boards, so I don't understand how anyone could get confused.

 

[12CSVT]

Supposedly that's to avoid confusion with New Cross Gate. I know they're quite close together, but they don't share announcements or departure boards, so I don't understand how anyone could get confused.

If that's the reason for New Cross having letters instead of numbers, then I'd have thought either Kings Cross or St Pancras should be lettered considering how close they are, and both linked to Kings Cross St Pancras underground.

 

[causton]

If that's the reason for New Cross having letters instead of numbers, then I'd have thought either Kings Cross or St Pancras should be lettered considering how close they are, and both linked to Kings Cross St Pancras underground.

Isn't that why the platforms at St Pancras International low level are lettered?

(didn't stop one woman - who on my way back from Reading festival, I encountered on the 1106 service from Kings Cross, when she should have been on the 1106 service from St Pancras to Luton Airport!)

 

[12CSVT]

Maybe the Eurostar platforms should be numbered using Roman numerals !

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Solihull station didn't even have platform numbers until seven or eight years ago, just huge arrows with direction of travel and the names of the most popular destinations listed.

 

[Mikey1984]

I have a copy of a quail map circa 1989 which shows the platform numbers for Taunton as 1,4,7,9

 

[wintonian]

Nothing unusual about the way Basingstoke patforms are numbered in my opinion.

If you really want confusion, try Portsmouth & Southsea, where platforms are numbered from south to north 2, 1, 3, 4.
Edinburgh is probably the worst where platform numbering doesn't seem to follow any logic.

Ah yes but no. 1& 2 are high level through services to and from Harbour, with 3 & 4 low level bay platforms for starting/ terminating Southampton, Waterloo and Littlehampton services, so does make some sense.

 

[AndyLandy]

I guess if they could have labelled the Fast London platform as 1, they'd have done that, but given that's even more confusing (the Fasts are the centre pair of lines), they resorted to starting with 1 being the platform closest to the entrance...

 

[Eagle]

Maybe the Eurostar platforms should be numbered using Roman numerals !

V to X?