Is platform one considered prestigious at some stations?

[Parallel]

Did platform 1 at Bristol Temple Meads ever extend into the long stay car park under the roof, or was that used for something else?

As others have said, a lot of 'platform 1s' had larger significance in the past, but this has been lost in some cases due to station remodelling. BTM is usually Bristol surburban services, though if you're lucky you can occasionally see a local service to Gloucester or a stopping service to Westbury there, as well as the occasional XC Voyager (as mentioned).

Most of the London Paddington trains depart Bristol from Platform 13 or 15. Platform 3 is probably the most prestigious looking. You can catch XC services there, or local stopping services to Bristol Parkway or Cardiff Central.

Platform 1 in Newport is probably the least used out of all four now. Platform 1 at Shrewsbury had the rails removed years ago!

 

[Ianigsy]

My local station growing up was Birkenhead North, where platform 1 is the least used- it's the far side of the island platform and is only (in my experience) used for unit swaps. One of these must have been at around 9.45 (in other words one of the first trains you could use a Saveaway on in the week) as it was a regular occurrence to find the fresh unit waiting in platform 1 with the doors open and a few minutes later another unit would arrive in platform 2 from New Brighton or West Kirby and transfer passengers. I'm guessing that the second unit would then either go onto the depot for maintenance or head back to one of the termini to stable during the day.

During the Three Queens event some of the six car extras running on the New Brighton line only made it onto the platform by a matter of feet (indeed my Quail has it as 5 car length)- at least one had to nudge forward by a yard or so!

 

[miami]

Platform 1 at Crewe is halfway to Stafford.

That's Platform 2 isn't it? Platform 1 is the Manchester stoppers, which are indeed highly regarded, respected, esteemed even.

 

[6Gman]

That's Platform 2 isn't it? Platform 1 is the Manchester stoppers, which are indeed highly regarded, respected, esteemed even.

Good point. I was forgetting No.2 (which wasn't even a Platform in t'old days).

 

[kevjs]

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.

The two stations I've used most, Preston and Nottingham, have Platform 1 as a left over place getting the dregs (IME most of it's use at Nottingham seems to be terminators, and at Preston for trains to Blackpool)...

To me 3/4/5 are the mains ones (although I seem to end up on Platform 7 more often than not - basically a cycle rack at Preston, and the most exposed one at Nottingham).

 

[causton]

Platform 1 at Watford Junction is barely used, apart from stabling Overground trains!