Fast platforms, Waterloo to Woking

[Capybara]

As I’ve said before, I’ve been travelling from London to Weybridge two or three (sometimes more) times per week for the past four years. I was wondering when the up and down fast platforms at some of the stations on the route were last used. In particular, viewed from the up slow at Walton-on-Thames, the handrail on the stairs down to the subway from the disused platform appears to be painted in SWT orange – the same as for handrails on other SWT staircases, and at New Malden there were train passenger train indicator boards on both fast platforms until very recently. Both would appear to indicate fairly recent use though I know they have not been in those four years and on my fairly irregular trips over the same line for a number of years previously I don’t remember them being used either.

 

[SWT Driver]

The fast line platforms at Walton OT, Esher & New Malden are closed, officially there's no access, also the platforms aren't surfaced in tarmac or the right level.

Saying that if it came to an emergency evacuation then I don't think either SWT or NR would have a problem with pax alighting on them, as they're a better & safer option than open track.

West Byfleet's DF platform has a daily booked service (1845 WAT-PMH) other than that there's no other booked service to it, it does sometimes get used by WAT-AON services which run late and get put down there to avoid following a local stopping service, that's the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Capybara]

Thanks. That's fine but the original question was to ask when the platforms were last used - either regularly or not. In the case of New Malden in particular the island platform still looks almost usable and as I said earlier it is only very recently that the train indicator boards have been removed.

 

[SWT Driver]

No idea.

I've only used them twice. In Emergency.

 

[Signalman SE]

Hello
New Malden Fast platforms can be used anytime they need to be, however the door can only be opened from the platform side, or via prior arrangment with Platform staff

 

[lookapigeon]

I too live in the area and use Walton frequently.

The island platforms in all the time that I can remember have never been used for services, although I can remember an occasion a few years back 2003/4 when the central platform WAS used for trains (as I remember going on it), because the line going from the normal platform 1 was blocked or had some sort of incident on it.

If the handrail at WOT was painted then it's probably because they've recently done up the station and stuck in ticket barriers (and obviously some idiot decided it would be a good idea to not open the gate at the end when the station is closed, thus forcing people getting off at the front of the train to have to walk ALL the way back around and through the open ticket gates and down the same stretch of platform again but inside the fence just to exit - madness :roll: ).

 

[SWT Driver]

Personally I'd brick up the entrance to the the island at Walton & remove the access at Esher as the kids love playing chicken on them.

Still I suppose the little troglodyte inbreds of the Walton, Shepperton, Addlestone & Chertsey area just can't help themselves.

The only ones I feel sorry for are the drivers who kill them & the poor devils that have to clear up the .33 of a mile of mincemeat afterwards.

 

[Capybara]

So, we have established that Esher and Walton are out of use and have been for years which certainly looks to be the case.

However, New Malden can be used, presumably if engineering work or some other inconvenience affects one or both of the slow platforms. Which begs just one further question; given that the indicator boards had been left, or put, on the fast platforms, why have they recently been removed?

And I'd still be interested when the platforms at all three stations were last used for regular services.

 

[MrC]

Which begs just one further question; given that the indicator boards had been left, or put, on the fast platforms, why have they recently been removed?

I suspect they probably shouldn't have been put there in the first place, unless there was some plan for future services to call there which never materialised.

And I'd still be interested when the platforms at all three stations were last used for regular services.

No idea. If I can remember I'll ask some of the older heads in work.

 

[poshbakerloo]

ooh i never know