Pick up/set down only

[CW2]

From a quick (not thorough) look at the Engineering Access Statement, it appears that the Trent Valley overnight blocks / line restrictions only come into effect from 2355, which is after the passage of the 2200 Euston - Liverpool. So there's nothing to prevent the calls being open, as far as I know.

 

[dk1]

I thought Stratford was pick up-only towards Norwich, and set down-only towards Liverpool Street. Am I mistaken? Also, does it only apply to intercity services? I've certainly used the 720s to get from Stratford to Liverpool Street to grab a seat on the next Norwich service before it gets busy. Definitely the preferable option to getting a Clacton/Colchester Town service and changing at Chelmsford or Colchester. Elizabeth Line and the tube are out of the question because GA travel was free for me at the time.

EDIT: The timetable says pick up-only on northbound trains, set down-only on southbound. It also seems to only say Ipswich stoppers have the same restrictions, and other services operated by 720s don't (except in the morning peak and some odd edge-cases at night). I probably never boarded a set down-only train, they certainly weren't advertised as such!

It’s set down only up road and pick up on the down for Norwich services. I think Ipswich stoppers are advertised calling as normal and that an up peak Clacton for some reason is also set down only.

 

[Kite159]

It’s set down only up road and pick up on the down for Norwich services. I think Ipswich stoppers are advertised calling as normal and that an up peak Clacton for some reason is also set down only.

Isn't it still set down only for most mainline London bound services in the morning peak, solely so the services can alternate between platforms 9 & 10 with down services using 10A?
Or am I simply misremembering something from the past

 

[Sleepy]

I thought Stratford was pick up-only towards Norwich, and set down-only towards Liverpool Street. Am I mistaken? Also, does it only apply to intercity services? I've certainly used the 720s to get from Stratford to Liverpool Street to grab a seat on the next Norwich service before it gets busy. Definitely the preferable option to getting a Clacton/Colchester Town service and changing at Chelmsford or Colchester. Elizabeth Line and the tube are out of the question because GA travel was free for me at the time.

EDIT: The timetable says pick up-only on northbound trains, set down-only on southbound. It also seems to only say Ipswich stoppers have the same restrictions, and other services operated by 720s don't (except in the morning peak and some odd edge-cases at night). I probably never boarded a set down-only train, they certainly weren't advertised as such!

The xx30 Norwich services that call at Stratford do see some travel from Liverpool St. to avoid the trek down to Elisabeth line platforms, however as this is not advertised on departure boards people do get caught out during evening peak journeys which are 1st stop Colchester.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Mar 2025 ==

Isn't it still set down only for most mainline London bound services in the morning peak, solely so the services can alternate between platforms 9 & 10 with down services using 10A?
Or am I simply misremembering something from the past

All ex-Norwich services are shown as set down only at Stratford in the timetable, some of which use platform 10 in am peak.

 

[Falcon1200]

A few years ago, shortly before the end of the Mark 3 Sleepers, I took a trip on the Up Lowlander from Edinburgh. Having some time to spare I took a trip out to Haymarket only to find no train to get me back to Waverley! But of course there was as a Queen St-Edinburgh train stopped, although not advertised at Haymarket, even at a time of limited service. I was however able to join the train without issue.

 

[dk1]

Isn't it still set down only for most mainline London bound services in the morning peak, solely so the services can alternate between platforms 9 & 10 with down services using 10A?
Or am I simply misremembering something from the past

Wow!! Yes you’re correct. Only ever working Intercity services I never knew that GE peak trains do the same. Everyday is a school day as they say.

 

[Horizon22]

As mentioned in the above posts, it isn't officially allowed.

However, SWR and GA don't enforce the Waterloo-Clapham Junction and Liverpool Street-Stratford sections respectively. No one checks tickets in the very short journey.

Also at the shared gatelines, normally it will have been perfectly feasible to have travelled on a validly advertised service within just a few minutes.

One issue is where "set down" has been placed on the same service for many years is that savvy passengers become accustomed to it and it becomes impossible to enforce. And then normally the operator makes it regular stop anyway!

 

[boiledbeans2]

Isn't it still set down only for most mainline London bound services in the morning peak, solely so the services can alternate between platforms 9 & 10 with down services using 10A?
Or am I simply misremembering something from the past

Why would the alternating of platforms on an island platform result in the trains being set-down only?

At London Bridge, the Charing Cross-London Bridge trains (in both directions) alternate platforms with no issues.

 

[Kite159]

Why would the alternating of platforms on an island platform result in the trains being set-down only?

At London Bridge, the Charing Cross-London Bridge trains (in both directions) alternate platforms with no issues.

Probably for safety due to the stairs from platform 9/10 to the various subways, I guess the theory with having those platforms as set down is not having anybody trying to make their way to those platforms against the general flow.