Is platform one considered prestigious at some stations?

[DarloRich]

my station only has one platform so it is incredibly prestigious. I would have to walk otherwise

 

[urpert]

To add to the list: the only major London station to have a "house" platform 1 is Paddington. At Victoria it was 2 (for royalty and the Night Ferry but 8 for the Golden Arrow), Kings Cross 8 York was 8 (now 5), Reading used to be 4....

Platform 2 at Victoria is still the dedicated one for the VSOE (or whatever it's called this week). Platform 1 is a miserable bay outside the main train shed (I got stuck there this morning).

 

[Mikey C]

The expresses to London go from platform 1 at Doncaster...

 

[A-driver]

Major trains from King's Cross depart from Platform 0 or 1. York's Platform 1 is a bay for local services to Selby, Hull and Pontefract, the main platforms there are 3, 5 & 9.

What's your criteria for 'major trains' because I've had just every VTEC destination out of any of platforms 0 - 8.

As has been said, EC trains don't just use these platforms for any destination, but platform 1 is the longest so generally used for charter services. Plat 0 can only be used by electrics or HSTs, no other steam or diesel trains.

Any 'special' train or VIP train (or the queen to kings Lynn) will be sent from 0/1 since the station was refurbished and this is mainly for security-they can bring VIPs in from York road and straight through to the platform minimising security risks and public disruption from walking across the main concourse.

 

[HowardGWR]

This is the 'Another excuse for @HowardGWR to have a go at Newport Station' contribution.

Surely the saddest demise in prestige is Platform 1 at Newport Station, partly closed off and deserted most of the time and with no facilities.

Bristol TM Platform 1 will presumably gain its prestige when it becomes the start point for the fastest IEP London trains via Badminton and will be accessible from a new Interchange on what is now the car park, just outside.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Matthew and Son had to run to platform 1 as sung by Cat Stevens.
Are there any other platforms given credit in songs?
Would Platform 6, or any other number, have had the same impact?

Half Man Half Biscuit's "F***ing 'ell, it's Fred Titmus!" includes the line:

Oh as the train pulled into platform three
I looked around for my best girl to see
As she disembarked but I didn’t seem to care
‘Cos someone passed that made me stop and stare

It doesn't specify which station though. Hamilton Square would be the most likely, I'd have thought. More likely it was just for rhyming convenience though...

 

[Class 170101]

Platform 1 at Colchester will give you EMUs to Clacton. Hardly prestigious, I would think.

Used to have through Intercity trains there.

Some still terminate there.

Platform 1 isn't always the first platform now anyway, like Kings Cross Platform Zero!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Platform 1 at Coventry is the "preferred" platform for Southbound Pendolinos, being step-free with the main concourse. It is (unusually) even stated as such in the Timetable Planning Rules.

(I'm not aware of such a statement for anywhere else, other than Platforms 3-7 at Euston being preferred for Virgin's West Midlands services).

Colchester has a set of rules similar.

 

[Deepgreen]

Looking at all the replies, I can't help but feel very sorry for the former platform 1 at Clapham Junction. For ages it stood there, looking all sorry for itself. Then suddenly, the chance to go back to the glory days came along when the ELL extension came about! It must have got so excited, but then:

'Oh no don't worry we'll just build a new platform on the south end of 2 and we'll call that 2, then platform 2 can become platform 1'

Now demoted to the number 0, the poor thing must be very depressed.

Structurally unable to be brought into use again without high cost, unfortunately.

 

[fairysdad]

Bournemouth's Platform 1 is rather prestigious. So prestigious in fact that nobody dare use it

 

[southern442]

Bournemouth's Platform 1 is rather prestigious. So prestigious in fact that nobody dare use it

It sort of reminds me of platform 9 and 3/4 in the Harry Potter books... just keep banging into the side of the wall on platform 2 and you'll eventually get to a little tucked-away platform that no-one else seems to know about

 

[Liam]

At Glasgow Queen Street Platform 1 is most often used for Maryhill Line trains, occasionally the West Highland services too. Although all routes can be accessed from any platform it is very rare (in my experience) to see an Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Inverness depart platform 1. It's also, by quite some margin, the shortest platform.

 

[driver_m]

Liverpool Lime St platform 1 is that important NR are on about getting rid of it during the planned remodelling.

Euston platform 1 is not a popular platform for staff as its the longest walk to the messroom.

 

[snowball]

It sort of reminds me of platform 9 and 3/4 in the Harry Potter books... just keep banging into the side of the wall on platform 2 and you'll eventually get to a little tucked-away platform that no-one else seems to know about

In the book it was between 9 and 10. She didn't seem to realise that that was in the suburban section.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

In the book it was between 9 and 10. She didn't seem to realise that that was in the suburban section.

I pride myself on the fact that I've neither read the books nor seen the films. In the films, did the Hogwarts Express appear too long to fit in that section of the station? Indeed how long would a train taking a bunch of weird kids to a boarding school actually need to be? They'd have been fine on a pair of 313s I'd have thought!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I pride myself on the fact that I've neither read the books nor seen the films. In the films, did the Hogwarts Express appear too long to fit in that section of the station? Indeed how long would a train taking a bunch of weird kids to a boarding school actually need to be? They'd have been fine on a pair of 313s I'd have thought!

The Hogwarts Express normally ran, under the purview of the Department of Magical Transportation, with five coaches including a luggage coach which was considered roughly the normal amount. Whilst this would normally not be enough for the pupils the school holds, it was suggested that each coach is expanded slightly with the use of Expansion Charms which would then be more fitting. Interestingly, the train once ran with just four coaches but then gained a fifth one around the time of the fifth film - this could indicate that more pupils were admitted to Hogwarts in that year... Bearing in mind people would want to be sure that You-Know-Who and his followers were really gone before having children, that would actually make sense time wise

Only standard class accommodation was on offer with an at seat trolley service provided that only sold sweets, soft drinks and small food items. Despite this, at least one carriage had eating tables provided. There was also no train staff except for the trolley woman and the guard.

The route to Hogwarts is not electrified and never could be because magical wards prevent the use of electricity in places of large magical usage such as Hogwarts.

Dear gods... I'm the site's resident expert, aren't I?

 

[DasLunatic]

The Hogwarts Express normally ran, under the purview of the Department of Magical Transportation, with five coaches including a luggage coach which was considered roughly the normal amount. Whilst this would normally not be enough for the pupils the school holds, it was suggested that each coach is expanded slightly with the use of Expansion Charms which would then be more fitting. Interestingly, the train once ran with just four coaches but then gained a fifth one around the time of the fifth film - this could indicate that more pupils were admitted to Hogwarts in that year... Bearing in mind people would want to be sure that You-Know-Who and his followers were really gone before having children, that would actually make sense time wise

Only standard class accommodation was on offer with an at seat trolley service provided that only sold sweets, soft drinks and small food items. Despite this, at least one carriage had eating tables provided. There was also no train staff except for the trolley woman and the guard.

The route to Hogwarts is not electrified and never could be because magical wards prevent the use of electricity in places of large magical usage such as Hogwarts.

Dear gods... I'm the site's resident expert, aren't I?

Okay... how about diesel powered/hauled 442s?
(I just HAD to do that )

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Okay... how about diesel powered/hauled 442s?
(I just HAD to do that )

Why would they need to be hauled? Just use magic...

(while they're at it they could put the buffet and compartments back too!).

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Why would they need to be hauled? Just use magic...

(while they're at it they could put the buffet and compartments back too!).

Same trouble - as the 442s are heavy electricity users, magic would disrupt their useage. Even if you managed to sneak a unit off, the International Statute of Secrecy would come into effect and the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts would also be against the idea

 

[Waldgrun]

Getting back on track, I was told when I was young that Platform 1 was always the platform that was nearest to the Booking Office, however this might not have applied at terminal stations! Also, I seem to remember that in the 1980's some stations had their platforms renumbered, (might have been at the start of the B.R. Network Southeast era,) so as London bound trains always departed from Platform 1.

 

[southernyoshi]

If anything goes into platform 1 at Worthing, it's a sure sign something's cocked up on the line Only seen it used in times of disruption.

 

[me123]

IIRC, isn't Buxton station the one where you can't depart from Platform 1 in passenger service, and have to use a shunt move to go to Platform 2 first?
In which case, it's hardly prestigious!

 

[snowball]

The Hogwarts Express normally ran, under the purview of the Department of Magical Transportation, with five coaches including a luggage coach which was considered roughly the normal amount. Whilst this would normally not be enough for the pupils the school holds, it was suggested that each coach is expanded slightly with the use of Expansion Charms which would then be more fitting. Interestingly, the train once ran with just four coaches but then gained a fifth one around the time of the fifth film - this could indicate that more pupils were admitted to Hogwarts in that year... Bearing in mind people would want to be sure that You-Know-Who and his followers were really gone before having children, that would actually make sense time wise

Only standard class accommodation was on offer with an at seat trolley service provided that only sold sweets, soft drinks and small food items. Despite this, at least one carriage had eating tables provided. There was also no train staff except for the trolley woman and the guard.

The route to Hogwarts is not electrified and never could be because magical wards prevent the use of electricity in places of large magical usage such as Hogwarts.

Dear gods... I'm the site's resident expert, aren't I?

Most of this info is not in the books.

Rowling has no sense of number anyway. In an interview she said Hogwarts had about 1000 students; yet if Harry's cohort is typical there can be at most 280 or so.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Most of this info is not in the books.

Rowling has no sense of number anyway. In an interview she said Hogwarts had about 1000 students; yet if Harry's cohort is typical there can be at most 280 or so.

Yes, but if you remember, the fact that the his group is smaller is down to the simple fact that many families were wiped out completely by the Dark Lord - hence the smaller sizes.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

When you consider that Manchester is one of the larger cities in England, the platform 1 at Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Victoria all share the same air of being "nondescript".

 

[Minilad]

The Hogwarts Express normally ran, under the purview of the Department of Magical Transportation, with five coaches including a luggage coach which was considered roughly the normal amount. Whilst this would normally not be enough for the pupils the school holds, it was suggested that each coach is expanded slightly with the use of Expansion Charms which would then be more fitting. Interestingly, the train once ran with just four coaches but then gained a fifth one around the time of the fifth film - this could indicate that more pupils were admitted to Hogwarts in that year... Bearing in mind people would want to be sure that You-Know-Who and his followers were really gone before having children, that would actually make sense time wise

Only standard class accommodation was on offer with an at seat trolley service provided that only sold sweets, soft drinks and small food items. Despite this, at least one carriage had eating tables provided. There was also no train staff except for the trolley woman and the guard.

The route to Hogwarts is not electrified and never could be because magical wards prevent the use of electricity in places of large magical usage such as Hogwarts.

Dear gods... I'm the site's resident expert, aren't I?

I would say the sites resident nerd. Which is saying something for this place

 

[snowball]

Yes, but if you remember, the fact that the his group is smaller is down to the simple fact that many families were wiped out completely by the Dark Lord - hence the smaller sizes.

There's no reason to imagine that parents of children of Harry's age would be wiped out more than parents of children a year or two older or younger than Harry. Many of them would be the same people anyway.

 

[Kite159]

Platform 1 at Salisbury isn't even used anymore for public use

Platform 1 at Basingstoke will either get you on a Waterloo stopper or mainly a Voyager heading towards Southampton

 

[krus_aragon]

At Cardiff Central, platforms 1 & 2 are used for eastbound departures (as well as johnny-come-lately P0). HSTs for London always depart from P1, with other services operated from P2 the other side of the island.

I feel there is definitely some prestige associated with P1 at Cardiff Queen Street. Prior to its recent expansion, the platform for services to the Bay was P3. Post-expansion the numbering order has been reversed, so that the platform for Bay services is P1 (despite being the furthest from the entrance). I can't think of any reason than political pride for having done this.

 

[southern442]

Platform 1 at Salisbury isn't even used anymore for public use

Could it be brought back into use easily?

 

[Kite159]

Could it be brought back into use easily?

I believe so, the track is used to access the depot, IIRC until a few years ago there used to be an exit that side of the station which got blocked off when the barriers were installed.

If it needs bringing back to use is another matter, 3 through platforms and one bay is enough for the current levels of services.