Busiest 2 platform station

[46100ROYALSCOT]

Out of curiosity which ex-BR 2 platform station is the busiest, I ask because today I used a Merseytravel Saveaway ticket (which is great value at £ 4.60 and covers all Merseyrail stations). I spent sometime at Sandhills photographing the EMU's in the space of 25 mins ( I left then) I saw 15 trains, all stopping, is there better for a 2 platform station???

 

[MCR247]

Any station the TL core soon will be? City Thameslink, St Pancras...

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Tame Bridge Parkway is probably a good shout along with Aston

 

[yorkie]

Tame Bridge Parkway is probably a good shout along with Aston

But not compared to Partick, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Sandhills. Salford Crescent is not too far behind.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Oh yeah, not compared to them. Acton Bridge would be a good shout would all of the London Midland and Virgin traffic going through

 

[me123]

We've been here before, but Partick sees 14 an hour in each direction, meaning a total of 28 trains an hour stop at the station off peak. By comparison, Sandhills (mentioned in the OP) has a mere 16tph off peak. To make this even more impressive, there's also some empty workings, and a number of extra services in the peak hours (although a number of these go through non-stop).

Obviously this is nothing compared to current subway/underground frequencies, and nowhere near what's going to happen on TL, but I can't think of anywhere with as high a frequency over a two-track line anywhere else in the UK (although I'm willing to be corrected!). Unfortunately, the journey planners are crap for the Thameslink line (duplicating most services), but I think Partick beats it off peak at the moment.

 

[ainsworth74]

Acton Bridge would be a good shout would all of the London Midland and Virgin traffic going through

But none of the VT stuff calls there and LM only have like 4tph in total calling.

This one is going to go to somewhere in London.

 

[me123]

This one is going to go to somewhere in London.

Not necessarily. Other than Thameslink, the busiest London through stations tend to have more than two platforms (see Clapham Junction or Stratford for example). Although these are obviously busier stations all in all, I think the busiest two-platform station will probably be outwith London because of the huge investment in the capital since railways began.

 

[ainsworth74]

Although these are obviously busier stations all in all, I think the busiest two-platform station will probably be outwith London because of the huge investment in the capital since railways began.

Hmm good point. To be honest I'm struggling to think of anywhere that could beat the two already mentioned (Partick or Sandhills).

 

[delt1c]

How about Bethnal Green, Nearly all West Anglia services are routed through the station. A few do take the avoiding line but not many.

 

[TheWalrus]

Cheltenham?

 

[Supersaint]

Southampton Airport Parkway poss !, Also you did ask the most busy 2 Platforms Stations, Eastleigh has 2 platforms although I don’t think it counts as it serves 3 lines, so much going on there all the time. Again Brockenhurst in the New Forest has 2 platforms but serves 4 lines & at times 4 trains on each line at the same time (Lymington train, slow to Bournemouth, Cross Country going up country & the Cross Country service to Bournemouth).

 

[MCR247]

Eastleigh has 3 platforms

 

[46100ROYALSCOT]

Out of curiosity which ex-BR 2 platform station is the busiest, I ask because today I used a Merseytravel Saveaway ticket (which is great value at £ 4.60 and covers all Merseyrail stations). I spent sometime at Sandhills photographing the EMU's in the space of 25 mins ( I left then) I saw 15 trains, all stopping, is there better for a 2 platform station???

Let me add there are only 2 tracks at Sandhills, so all trains go through the station platforms, there are no avoiding lines. I am surprised to hear there are only 16 tph I would have assumed a lot more. I was there between 15.46 and 16.12.

 

[jopsuk]

according to the data I can find, City Thameslink has 10tph each way off peak- 08-09 5.294 million passengers starting or ending their journey there. Partick may have more trains stopping, but had 2.493 million passengers. Sandhill had a mere 0.390 million passengers by the official figures

Incidentally, the information on wikipedia seems to be a bit dodgy for Sandhills- shows 12 trains northbound but only 4 southbound per hour off-peak? Seems to be missing the 8tph to Liverpool Central.

 

[me123]

A quick look on Mersyrail's website does suggest 24tph all in all. 4 an hour on each line (x3) in each direction (x2) makes that 4x2x3 = 24tph at Sandhills. Looks like wiki's wrong again. Apologies for the confusion.

24tph does, however, still lag behind the 28tph at both Partick and Hyndland, (and seemingly the Thameslink line as well, although that may all change of course).

As for the numbers; well, Partick is an important station but it's nowhere near as important to Glasgow as City Thameslink et al are to London. You'll also find a lot of transfers at Partick that aren't necessarily accounted for in the stats (especially with SPT Zonecards). The same is true for Sandhills.

 

[MikeWh]

Brockenhurst has 4.

 

[jopsuk]

Um, great stuff Mike. That's not very many compared to a lot of stations. In fact, 4tph total is probably pretty common- half hourly frequency is widespread.

As for transfers/passing through- I take the point about Partick and Sandhills, but many pass through City TL as well.

But are there any two-platform stations on the National Rail (so excluding Underground) network with a higher official number of passengers?

 

[MCR247]

I think he means platforms? Supersaint said it had two

 

[87015]

But are there any two-platform stations on the National Rail (so excluding Underground) network with a higher official number of passengers?

Chelmsford used to be the busiest by far passenger wise. Be very surprised if its been overtaken.

 

[swt_passenger]

Southampton Airport Parkway poss...

No way - only 5 or 6 tph (ie 6 only when the second XC runs) each way - the busiest 2 platform station in south Hants might even be Hilsea, and that's only 9 each way off peak...

 

[shinkansen1966]

Out of curiosity which ex-BR 2 platform station is the busiest,

Busiest by number of trains per day ?
Or busiest by number of passengers per day ?

 

[Liam]

Not what was asked for, but how many tph pass through Machester Piccadilly platforms 13 and 14? I was there for about 15 minutes waiting for the Edinburgh train and 4 trains stopped at platform 14 including mine.

 

[mumrar]

Aston has 12tph on the X-city, then 6tph between New Street and Walsall, you do get frieght through and empty stock sometimes, and used to have the Wrexham's too. On quite a few Saturdays you'll get the standard 18tph and then VWC will be diverting that way to/from London, so it must exceed 20tph easily on those Saturdays.

 

[Statto]

Out of curiosity which ex-BR 2 platform station is the busiest, I ask because today I used a Merseytravel Saveaway ticket (which is great value at £ 4.60 and covers all Merseyrail stations). I spent sometime at Sandhills photographing the EMU's in the space of 25 mins ( I left then) I saw 15 trains, all stopping, is there better for a 2 platform station???

That's 24 trains an hour go through Sandhills, not counting empty stock movements, also 24 trains an hour going through the Northern Line platforms at Moorfields & Central, although both stations have 3 platforms, 1 extra platform at even lower level for the Wirral Line.

 

[me123]

Chelmsford used to be the busiest by far passenger wise. Be very surprised if its been overtaken.

According to wikipedia, it's the "busiest station that is completely non-terminus outside of London in the UK". It had an impressive 7.409 million passengers. But Blackfriars is up at 12.959 million passengers (although this isn't including the LU platforms or passengers).

 

[Statto]

A quick look on Mersyrail's website does suggest 24tph all in all. 4 an hour on each line (x3) in each direction (x2) makes that 4x2x3 = 24tph at Sandhills. Looks like wiki's wrong again. Apologies for the confusion.

24tph does, however, still lag behind the 28tph at both Partick and Hyndland, (and seemingly the Thameslink line as well, although that may all change of course).

As for the numbers; well, Partick is an important station but it's nowhere near as important to Glasgow as City Thameslink et al are to London. You'll also find a lot of transfers at Partick that aren't necessarily accounted for in the stats (especially with SPT Zonecards). The same is true for Sandhills.

Like Partick, Sandhills is before the lines branch out to different parts of the network, so passengers tend to use those Stations to connect with other lines. Sandhills is an island platform, rather than 2 side platforms making changing easier, although i prefere to change at Moorfields.

 

[46100ROYALSCOT]

Busiest by number of trains per day ?
Or busiest by number of passengers per day ?

by trains stopping not passengers, I realise Sandhills is only a small station compared with others mentioned.

 

[Ivo]

How many platforms does Hamilton Square have? As far as I know, it only has two, and there are 14tph each way there as well (four to/from New Brighton, West Kirby and Chester, and two to/from Ellesmere Port).

Chelmsford used to be the busiest by far passenger wise. Be very surprised if its been overtaken.

Due to the ongoing works at Blackfriars, Chelmsford is temporarily second. But once those works are completed, AFAIK only one station in the entire country (outside of London anyway) to have even half of its total, and just two platforms, is Bath Spa :roll:

 

[46100ROYALSCOT]

How many platforms does Hamilton Square have? As far as I know, it only has two, and there are 14tph each way there as well (four to/from New Brighton, West Kirby and Chester, and two to/from Ellesmere Port).



Due to the ongoing works at Blackfriars, Chelmsford is temporarily second. But once those works are completed, AFAIK only one station in the entire country (outside of London anyway) to have even half of its total, and just two platforms, is Bath Spa :roll:

Hamilton Square has 3 platforms I believe. I think the Chester and Rock Ferry trains use a slightly different route at Hamilton Square to avoid crossing the West Kirby / New Brighton line