Do short platforms exist in any other countries.

[stadler]

In the UK we have hundreds and hundreds of short platforms where only certain coaches of the train will open. This means most of our trains are fitted with ASDO or SDO so that only certain front coaches get released. On some older stock it means the Guard opens one door only. It is very common to find short platforms all across the country and even at some busy stations.

However throughout my travels in other countries i have never come across short platforms anywhere else. All throughout Mainland Europe and countries further away i have never been on a train which calls at a short platform and you never hear any announcements or mentions of anything like this.

So i was wondering are there any other countries which have short platforms where only the doors in certain coaches get released? Or is calling at short platforms and fitting ASDO and SDO to trains just a unique British thing and other countries only run trains that fit the platform?

 

[The exile]

In countries with ultra-low platforms it’s sometimes difficult to know where the platform ends and the ballast begins!
Generally, in the countries I’ve visited, railway infrastructure is much more generously proportioned - a UK bean counter would be having apoplexy. 5 platform stations are considered “at capacity” when handling fewer trains than a UK 2 platform station (yes, I know number of trains is only one factor). In most, train lengths have decreased without the reduction of maintained platform length we have seen - but then the state of many of those continental platforms would probably see the authorities close them to public access on safety grounds the minute they saw them.

 

[nctd2306]

There definitely are, in America for example many of the small rural stations that Amtrak stops can only fit 2-3 carriages (see the La Plata, Missouri livecam as an example)
Many commuter stations on Chicago's Metra network also have short platforms I believe.

 

[stuu]

Yes. I was on the Vienna-Frankfurt ICE earlier this month and one of the stations was announced as front 5 (I think) coaches only. There are definitely plenty of local stations all over with short platforms, I have seen them in France, Spain and Italy, although mainly restricted by geography like tunnels. I suspect there are fewer though because platforms are nearly all lower and so less costly to extend.

 

[30907]

In Germany it is standard practice to shorten platforms when they are being upgraded to modern (accessible...) standards. I don't recall one shorter than a standard train though - which is perhaps unsurprising as regional trains tend not to be overlong.

 

[The exile]

In Germany it is standard practice to shorten platforms when they are being upgraded to modern (accessible...) standards. I don't recall one shorter than a standard train though - which is perhaps unsurprising as regional trains tend not to be overlong.

Also because there would be little or no justification in doing so. The problem comes when traffic then grows again or where, as in lots of cases in the UK it is impossible to lengthen pls forms because somethings in the way. As I said above our station areas tend to have a much smaller footprint.

 

[DanielB]

In the Netherlands there are some platforms which are far from short by UK standards, but simply not long enough to accommodate some longer trains.
Selective door opening is not a thing here however, so should a train be too long (which might already occur when a four car Koploper is operating in a diagram for a three car set) the entire trainset would be locked out of use for part of the route.
On other routes it's scheduled that one set is uncoupled when platforms further down the line is too short.

In Switzerland however I once had a train on the old Lotschberg route which did have one set from which you couldn't exit at some stations. That was announced by the screens and automated announcements in the train. But also the guard came by asking passengers where they wanted to get off, referring them to the front set if required.

 

[zero]

There are several stations with very short platforms outside Sydney, including Zig Zag, Wondabyne and some on the Hunter line

 

[Fragezeichnen]

Don't forget that in Continental Europe if more capacity is needed but platform length is limited you have the option of deploying double deck stock. Most stock in heavy load areas is double deck already so platform width can be more a concern than platform length due to the amount of people getting on and off.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

I'm pretty certain there is no main line railway in Western Europe where it is normal practice to release train doors where there is no platform face.

 

[dutchflyer]

Its mostly-as daniel explains, more a matter of occasional long trains along what are for normal service long enough platfms.
Happens even fairly often with double sets ICE-trains from DB in DE.
But there are also cases where I would wish they would be able to make longer trains in normal service due to much grown pax nrs. I think f.e. on the RENFE cercanias west of malaga via Torremolinos to Fuengirola.
What fragezeichnen (question mark) above here tells is now also true, but pre 2000 with still lots of doors to pen all by yourself, I also remember it could happen that on extra long trains one would step down on the fields.
What also applies to most of UK/GB s stations is the anxious thought that perhaps a non-paying pax could pass by, so its all fenced off and gated. (see also thread about diff UK vs. EUR). This of course makes lengthening platfms much more costly.

 

[Jealgu]

In Montenegro people simply get of before the platform begins. A few days ago I was in the Retro Istria, in Hungary the train was much longer than the platforms of some stops. Not sure how that is handled, it seemed most passengers went to Budapest.

 

[peteb]

I know for certain that in France when they upgrade platforms they'll make them higher but also shorter (to equate to the number of carriages on trains using the station). That's not to say the remainder of the (low) platform is out of use. There are some exceedingly long platforms on the Toulouse to Paris via Limoges route, however these are sometimes crossed by tracks going to sidings etc and may not be fully lit.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Wondabyne Station NSW the platforms are so short that only one door (of an 8 carriage train) can be opened

 

[Segedunum]

Interestingly on Go! Transit (Ontario) and Exo (Montreal) where there's a short platform the guard will read off the carriage vehicle numbers that will/will not be platformed, rather than stating the front/rear x coaches.

 

[MarcVD]

I'm pretty certain there is no main line railway in Western Europe where it is normal practice to release train doors where there is no platform face.

It is normal practice every day in Belgium. Longer trains than usual are operating during rush hours and are too long to fit on the platforms of some small stations. Belgian trains do not have selective opening. So the train guard will announce over the P.A. that passengers are not allowed to disembark from the last x coaches of the train and that will be it.

 

[Bemined]

In the Netherlands the NS is very actively optimising train compositions by decoupling and coupling units throughout the day, so as a result of a disrupted stock rotation it does happen once in a while that a train is actually longer than it should be. The most common error would be the accidental formation of a 13-car ICM train where 12-car was planned because a 4-car unit ended up in the place of a 3-car unit. This does not fit at all platforms, how they handle it seems to differ each time. Sometimes they simply shorten the train to 10 cars, but I also had situations where they announced the first or last car would not fit at some stations with the guard looking out at those doors, and sometimes it seems they didn't even notice or care and didn't do anything about it.

These days it happens less often as 12-car trains have become less common post-covid and a lot of 3-car ICM units are out of service so it's more likely a 4+4+4 set now than 3+3+3+3. There a few trains still planned with ICM 3+3+3+3 though each week where this could happen.

 

[HS2isgood]

In Spain we don't have SDO, even though we have relatively short platforms. There's a few lines with serious issues with platform length, Spain doesn't allow trains to call at shorter platforms. The main problem stations are Montcada-Manresa, Viladecaballs, Arc de Triomf (all in/near Barcelona), Los Boliches (Málaga), and all the stations between Atocha and Cuatro Vientos (Madrid). Arc de Triomf is in works to improve to 200 metres long, and Atocha - Cuatro Vientos will have a 9-month closure for platform lengthening.

 

[Re 4/4]

I think it's rebuilt now, but until post 2000 Embrach in Switzerland had a sorry excuse for a platform, you had to cross one of the two tracks to get to the trains in the other direction and you basically got some boards in the 4 foot and 6 foot, which weren't even covering the whole length of the train. I think there was a sign saying something like don't cross the track when a train is arriving.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Los Boliches (Málaga),

Are all the other platforms longer there, even Torremolimos and Málaga-Centro? If so, I do wonder why they don't simply miss out Los Boliches on most calls in order to lengthen the trains.

 

[LesS]

There are a lot of short platforms in Australia; particularly in NSW. Wondabyne has already been mentioned and Zig Zag which is smaller. Other ultra short platforms include Mindaribba, Hilldale, Tascot and the down platform at Koolewong; all of which are one car or one car door long. There are many platforms only long enough for 4 cars or 6 cars. Few platforms are long enough for 10 cars and will present more issue when they are re-introduced shortly. All short platform stops are well called before hand. They are further notified by advance announcement and on in carriage indicators.

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

In Germany, platform length is often a problem, with many strange platform shortenings in hindsight. However selective door-opening is comparatively rare, with most of the trains just not being scheduled to stop somewhere or capacity just not being increased.

The RE4 Dortmund - Aachen had a special case, where the second unit of a train was closed and emptied at Aachen West or even Herzogenrath because at Aachen Schanz the platforms are too short. Can't find a source at the moment and the stopping pattern seems to have changed with trains now skipping Schanz completely.

Where SDO does occur is the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn: there are some request stops with very short platforms, where only the front two doors can open: Obersulm-Wieslensdorf on the S4, Höfen an der Enz Nord and Rotenbach on the S6, Forbach-Kirschbaumwasen on the S8. Also first unit only at Ettlingen Wasen southbound on the S1/11, and first door only with the "platform" being a level crossing at Bad Herrenalb Steinhäusle on the S1.

 

[Beebman]

Here's a local TV news report from February about an issue with shortened platforms at Neubrandenburg meaning that so-called 'XL-Regios' with 7 coaches can't call there (video has English auto-translated subtitles):

 

[DanielB]

By coincidence an odd case in the Netherlands came to my mind: Geleen Oost station used to have a long island platform as it was served by Intercity trains till 2006. The level crossing to access the platform was somewhere in the middle however, so both halves of the platform were too short for an IC.

The station therefore had a large gantry spanning the width of the level crossing with signs saying "Do not disembark" attached to it and long trains would block the crossing whilst stopping at this station. A photo of the old situation is found here, nowadays the platforms have been shortened and the section north of the crossing removed.

 

[Bemined]

The shortest effective platform length in the Netherlands is platform 3b at Venlo with just 10 metres in southbound direction. The actual platform is about 43 metres which is rather short already but signal placement restrict the usage to just 10 metres southbound and 29 metres northbound. But I don't think they use this platform for anything.

 

[Wychwood93]

Are all the other platforms longer there, even Torremolimos and Málaga-Centro? If so, I do wonder why they don't simply miss out Los Boliches on most calls in order to lengthen the trains.

The Civia 464 units do fit there - the 465s (the longest available) would not. The station is on the elevated section and increasing the platform length would be costly. The current service between Málaga and Fuengirola is 3 trains/hour - to do further infrastructure work to take this to 4 would be costly, but worthwhile. A very busy line at almost any time of day.

 

[Richard Scott]

In Germany, platform length is often a problem, with many strange platform shortenings in hindsight. However selective door-opening is comparatively rare, with most of the trains just not being scheduled to stop somewhere or capacity just not being increased.

The RE4 Dortmund - Aachen had a special case, where the second unit of a train was closed and emptied at Aachen West or even Herzogenrath because at Aachen Schanz the platforms are too short. Can't find a source at the moment and the stopping pattern seems to have changed with trains now skipping Schanz completely.

Been on RE4 twice this year to Aachen and didn't stop at Aachen Schanz either time.

 

[railfan99]

Heathcote Junction on the Victoria, Australia broad gauge line to Seymour and Shepparton has very short platforms. (It used to be the junction for the Heathcote line, closed in 1968, that before that even extended to Bendigo.)

Heathcote Junction

 

[Taunton]

I know for certain that in France when they upgrade platforms they'll make them higher but also shorter (to equate to the number of carriages on trains using the station). That's not to say the remainder of the (low) platform is out of use. There are some exceedingly long platforms on the Toulouse to Paris via Limoges route, however these are sometimes crossed by tracks going to sidings etc and may not be fully lit.

It was the French tradition, complete opposite of the UK, to run on major trunk routes, just one or two long distance major day trains, and one overnight, made up of as many vehicles as their predictions warranted so could be very long, maybe 18 coaches, and if demand exceeded that to run a relief 10 minutes ahead of similar proportions. At intermediate points you just boarded where there was a platform, had been guided which coaches for alighting there, and if you missed all that it wasn't too far down to the ballast ...

Having seen Paris Gare de Lyon recently on an August Saturday, it still applies. A huge double-set TGV double decker arrived from the Riviera, followed a few minutes later by a similar relief. Fortunately they were not put on opposite sides of the same island. The chaos in the station for the next half hour as several thousand passengers headed for the Metro or Taxis was fascinating! Monsieur Hulot (link here) had a worthy successor:

 

[nwales58]

I think peteb was referring to RER routes where platform shortening and modernisation is the norm, sensibly.

Places where TGVs run get all the love and money, I'd be surprised if they stop anywhere with a platform less than 200m. Even small places only served by occasional seasonal or political services such as Saint-Dié-des-Vosges seem to have at least that at a modern-ish height.