Platform Numbering Anomalies

[BeijingDave]

As far as I can tell, throughout its time Dover Marine/Dover Western Docks only had platforms 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Is this simply because of the two roads without platforms numbered 1 and 2?

Are there any other similar cases of strange/even counter-intuitive (from a passenger's viewpoint) historic numbering like this?

 

[The exile]

Current -but the numbering scheme dates back more than 50 years- is that Bristol Tempke Meads has no platform 14. (The logic is clear once thought about)

 

[Ted633]

Platforms at Haywards Heath are numbered the wrong way round. All other through stations on the Brighton Line (I think) are numbered left to right looking north. Haywards Heath are numbered left to right looking south.

 

[dan2611_]

Seaford Only Has Platform 2 after Platform 1 was torn up a good few years ago now.

 

[swt_passenger]

Platforms at Haywards Heath are numbered the wrong way round. All other through stations on the Brighton Line (I think) are numbered left to right looking north. Haywards Heath are numbered left to right looking south.

There’s been a few previous threads noting that a fair number of “Southern Region” stations are numbered based on platform 1 being on the side of the line where the original main entrance building is/was. There’s no hard and fast rule about P1 sides, and I doubt in modern times people are keen on the costs of change.

 

[ETMbloke]

Portsmouth and Southsea station has an unusual platform numbering layout. Going north to south the platforms are numbered thus

4
3
1
2

 

[Iskra]

Confusingly, Sheffield Platform 2C, is a separate platform to 2A and B. I’m not sure if there’s a historical reason?

 

[mike57]

As far as I can tell, throughout its time Dover Marine/Dover Western Docks only had platforms 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Not sure how long ago counts as historic, but since rationalisation in I think 1983, Bridlington now only has platforms 4,5 & 6. (and until a bit later 7 & 8) This arrangement of platform numbering has survived various signalling changes and a major rationaisation and re-signalling in 2021.

So a follow on question - Is this currently the highest start number for a UK station platform numbering scheme.

 

[Falcon1200]

Stirling has no Platform 1, this was the north end Down side bay, gone some years ago.

 

[Magdalia]

Until 1972 London Kings Cross had no platform 3 or platform 9.

 

[zwk500]

Portsmouth and Southsea station has an unusual platform numbering layout. Going north to south the platforms are numbered thus

4
3
1
2

Yes, odd because 1 and 2 are on the Island to Portsmouth harbour but 3 and 4 are bays at a separate lower level.

Confusingly, Sheffield Platform 2C, is a separate platform to 2A and B. I’m not sure if there’s a historical reason?

I think there is a Sheffield signaller on the forums who's handle I've forgotten who will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Platform 2 was split into A and B ends first and Platform 2C was created by converting a former loading dock siding, and rather than go through the expense of renumbering all the other platforms it was just squeezed in as Platform 2C.

Birmingham New Street platform 4C is similar but for the slightly different reason of building out the new platform.

Current -but the numbering scheme dates back more than 50 years- is that Bristol Tempke Meads has no platform 14. (The logic is clear once thought about)

Platform 2 at Temple Meads is somewhat of a Schroedinger's platform in that it's not a passenger line for arrivals or departures, isn't on signs and can only be used as a siding but has full Yellow lines and CIS screens!

I expect naming all stations with just a missing platform number is not going to be possible. Arguably starting at 0 is counter-intuitive, as is the use of A/B for Crossrail and St Pancras Thameslink (although is it more counter-intuitive to number the low-level platforms in sequence as at Glasgow Central?). Honourable mention to Edinburgh Waverly as well.

I personally think any station with separate numbers for the same continuous platform face (like Newcastle Platforms 5/6 and 7/8 or Bristol Temple Meads) are counter-intuitive to an ordinary passenger and British Rail should have standardised on the use of A/B ends for those stations. Different situation with 'cut-out' platforms like Clapham Junction 1/2 as they are separate faces.

 

[Tester]

Shrewsbury starts at 3

And one of my favourite niggles - Stratford 10 and 10A are on different islands

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Wolverhampton has through platforms 1, 2, 3 and 4, but the bay platforms 5 and 6 are connected to platform 1 instead of 4.

 

[Rescars]

There was a period between the advent of Thameslink and the most recent reconstruction when London Bridge had no platform 7.

Wolverhampton has through platforms 1, 2, 3 and 4, but the bay platforms 5 and 6 are connected to platform 1 instead of 4.

Before the through platform 4 was constructed, the Shrewsbury bay at the north end of platform 1 was numbered as platform 4.

 

[Farang]

Arguably starting at 0 is counter-intuitive, as is the use of A/B for Crossrail

Presumably to avoid confusion with national rail platforms?

 

[zwk500]

Presumably to avoid confusion with national rail platforms?

Yes (and with connected tube station platform numbers)

 

[Falcon1200]

There was also a time when Glasgow Central had no Platform 13, after platforms were renumbered but before the new 12 and 13 were brought into use (although I did hear a fellow passenger say there was no 13 due to superstition!)

 

[BeijingDave]

Shrewsbury starts at 3

And one of my favourite niggles - Stratford 10 and 10A are on different islands

Shrewsbury, however, had a platform 1 and 2 that are just long disused.

Dover Marine seems very strange because as far as I can tell, there never was a platform 1 and 2.

 

[Helvellyn]

Skegness has platforms 3 and 4 in regular use, 5 and 6 technically available for use, and 2 and 7 disused.

Salisbury platform 1 is disused, forming a shunt line for access to/from the diesel depot. Platform 5 is a West facing bay adjacent to Platform 4 but is only used for overflow unit stabling from the depot. So for public use you have through Platforms 2, 3 and 4, plus East facing Bay Platform 6.

 

[zwk500]

Dover Marine seems very strange because as far as I can tell, there never was a platform 1 and 2.

If this is because of the reason you suggested in post #1, isn't that quite common European practice (to number all tracks in sequence, regardless of whether it leaves gaps in the passenger platform numbering)

 

[The exile]

If this is because of the reason you suggested in post #1, isn't that quite common European practice (to number all tracks in sequence, regardless of whether it leaves gaps in the passenger platform numbering)

The difference being that those systems number the tracks, not the platform!

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Some oddities heading west from London, probably relating to historic removal of platforms on the fast lines from Paddington:

• Taplow has platforms 3 & 4
• Hanwell has platforms 2 & 3
• West Ealing has platforms 3, 4 & 5
• Acton Main Line has platforms 2, 3 & 4, although platform 2 on the up fast has no access as it is fenced off

Paddingtom lost platform 13 when platforms 12 and 14 were rebuilt to accommodate longer trains

Away from the GWML Northampton's platforms are arranged 3,2,1,4 and 5 when looking north

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

Shrewsbury starts at 3

And one of my favourite niggles - Stratford 10 and 10A are on different islands

Stratford's platform numbering is probably the most random in the country - from north to south it is 1, 2, 12, 11, 10A, 10, 9, 8, 6, 5, 3, 3a

 

[Benters]

Stafford has platforms 1,3, 4, 5 & 6 but no platform 2 as this was removed when the station was rebuilt to its present form in 1962.

 

[onlinespotting]

Leeds had a platform W for a while at current platform 1, current 2 and 3 were going to be X and Y, but they then decided to re- number the whole station. Under this system would current platform 0 be platform V?

 

[BeijingDave]

Crewe at its peak of busy-ness only had platforms numbered 1-6 (with platform 3 being the current platform 11). I do wonder how that came about when it is quite different to the WCML standard.

 

[Brightonboy]

Humbly I offer Lowestoft where the face of Platform 1 now faces the carpark, with 2 & 3 in regular use and 4 getting a tiny number of trains each day, including a daily through service to Harwich International.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If this is because of the reason you suggested in post #1, isn't that quite common European practice (to number all tracks in sequence, regardless of whether it leaves gaps in the passenger platform numbering)

Or were 1 & 2 berths for ships?

Leeds had a platform W for a while at current platform 1, current 2 and 3 were going to be X and Y, but they then decided to re- number the whole station. Under this system would current platform 0 be platform V?

I think it was always planned to renumber everything as part of the Leeds 1st scheme, as the whole station was being re-signalled anyway. Though sticking with the letters at that side might have been a smart move in hindsight with the addition of Platform 0, not least because any additional platforms will be sub-zero!
No doubt if P0 had ended up being V, some would claim it might get confused with Platform 5!

Huddersfield had no platform 3 for many years, but has one now (formerly 4). 7 was also skipped, but after the rebuild is finished the highest number will be 6, it was 8 previously.

Mirfield is slightly odd, for years it had 1, 2 & 3 of which 2 was rarely used. It currently has 1 & 3 but the platform currently numbered 1 is actually platform 2. Over the festive period platform 1 will revert to the correct side of the island, but the platform 2 side then won't be used until a later stage of the four-tracking project. Platform 3 will eventually be removed.

 

[Rescars]

The difference being that those systems number the tracks, not the platform!

IIRC at Euston there used to be a dock with a short platform intended for revictualling restaurant cars adjacent to platform 18. However, as the dock wasn't a public platform it was known as "21 road" rather than "platform 19", because the track count also included a couple of sidings between platforms 15 and 16.

 

[YorksLad12]

Or were 1 & 2 berths for ships?

I think it was always planned to renumber everything as part of the Leeds 1st scheme, as the whole station was being re-signalled anyway. Though sticking with the letters at that side might have been a smart move in hindsight with the addition of Platform 0, not least because any additional platforms will be sub-zero!
No doubt if P0 had ended up being V, some would claim it might get confused with Platform 5!

Me

Huddersfield had no platform 3 for many years, but has one now (formerly 4). 7 was also skipped, but after the rebuild is finished the highest number will be 6, it was 8 previously.

I was going to mention Huddersfield too. If you look at photos during the recent work, you can see that the P7 platform edge had white paint along the edge, which I always though odd; as if it had been maintained, even though it hadn't been a platform for decades. One of the old newspaper photos also seemed to show the old P3 as being what is now P2; I always though the old P3 was the bit where the bike shed ended up, for services to the Kirkburton branch (so the opposite of the Penistone/Holmfirth/Meltham branches). Platform 7 would be a good name for a pub at Huddersfield - you wouldn't even need to renumber it...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Me

I was going to mention Huddersfield too. If you look at photos during the recent work, you can see that the P7 platform edge had white paint along the edge, which I always though odd; as if it had been maintained, even though it hadn't been a platform for decades. One of the old newspaper photos also seemed to show the old P3 as being what is now P2; I always though the old P3 was the bit where the bike shed ended up, for services to the Kirkburton branch (so the opposite of the Penistone/Holmfirth/Meltham branches). Platform 7 would be a good name for a pub at Huddersfield - you wouldn't even need to renumber it...

I always thought P3 was at the Leeds end of P1 (now P2) too. I recall there being an 08 that lived there back in the early-to mid 1980s, so that bay must have just been an un-numbered siding. People a bit older than me have said it was used to store a "spare" (don't think they were called Thunderbirds back then!) Peak at times too. IIRC it was removed when the then platform 1 was widened in 1989.
The strange thing about P7 is that it was too short to be of much use for anything until DMUs came about... By which time it was out of use anyway.