Platform 3 at Grantham?!

[tram21]

I was on a (170) train from Nottingham to Skegness today and it arrived into Platform 3 at Grantham- something that is unheard of!

There didn't seem to be any reason for this, trains were using platform 4 as usual and there was no congestion through the station for once!

Is platform 3 now open for use again on a more regular basis? Recently there's been heavy congestion and EMR trains still have only been using platform 4, causing further delays.

Photo for proof (photo shows an EMR class 170 in platform 3 at Grantham)

 

[yorksrob]

I changed at Grantham over the festive period, and there were a lot of delays caused by everything reversing in and out of 4. Great news that 3 is in action.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Is there an operational reason the left platform cannot be used in addition to the right?

 

[Nottingham59]

Is platform 3 now open for use again on a more regular basis?

There is a line of white barriers along the rear edge of platform 2, which would reduce the risk of LNER passengers falling onto the tracks of platform 3. Are these new? If so, might they be the reason they're using P3 again?

 

[LowLevel]

It's not shut and hasn't been, but is restricted to 2 car trains except in an emergency and until December most Skegness services were booked as 3 cars.

 

[tram21]

Is there an operational reason the left platform cannot be used in addition to the right?

It's because platform 2 is so narrow at that point so I think the barriers are part of the risk assessment for this.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jan 2026 ==

It's not shut and hasn't been, but is restricted to 2 car trains except in an emergency and until December most Skegness services were booked as 3 cars.

Hopefully its used more often now!

The train after, a 158 unit, used platform 4 as normal.

 

[endofthetunnel]

The train in P4 ahead of yours was awaiting a gap on the ECML to depart, and now there are more 2 cars on those diagrams the option of using P3 is more readily available. There’s still nothing booked in there though in the new timetable.

 

[Amos390]

It was never shut down, RHTT was timetabled into P3 and other freight would often use it to change ends, however as mentioned, it was very rare for passenger stock to move into there.

 

[yorksrob]

It sounds as though extending platform 3 to three carriages could be a quick win for reliability in the area.

 

[LowLevel]

It sounds as though extending platform 3 to three carriages could be a quick win for reliability in the area.

You'd have to build over the foot tunnel under which is open to the elements shortly off the end of the platform which might make it a fairly expensive win unfortunately. It goes under the fast lines and then has an open to air section before it goes under platform 4's running line.

 

[yorksrob]

You'd have to build over the foot tunnel under which is open to the elements shortly off the end of the platform which might make it a fairly expensive win unfortunately. It goes under the fast lines and then has an open to air section before it goes under platform 4's running line.

Might still be worthwhile perhaps.

 

[Nottingham59]

Might still be worthwhile perhaps.

It's not a particularly wide hole. You might be able to bridge it with standard modular platform components, rather than having to use say concrete beams to create a base for installing the platform on top.

EDIT: "The modular pultruded platform sections come in 40mm and 100mm thicknesses providing clear spans of up to 3.4m."

d² Dura Slab Platform

The modular pultruded platform sections come in 40mm and 100mm thicknesses providing clear spans of up to 3.4m. The walking surface features a gritted tri-tone anti-slip finish tested to over a million footfalls, reducing the likelihood of slips, trips and falls.

www.duracomposites.com

 

[Amos390]

2O16 also using p3 at Grantham today as it was running 15L and 5Z72 was at p4

 

[yorksrob]

It's not a particularly wide hole. You might be able to bridge it with standard modular platform components, rather than having to use say concrete beams to create a base for installing the platform on top.

EDIT: "The modular pultruded platform sections come in 40mm and 100mm thicknesses providing clear spans of up to 3.4m."

d² Dura Slab Platform

The modular pultruded platform sections come in 40mm and 100mm thicknesses providing clear spans of up to 3.4m. The walking surface features a gritted tri-tone anti-slip finish tested to over a million footfalls, reducing the likelihood of slips, trips and falls.

www.duracomposites.com

Those look very useful, for lots of potential improvements.