Platform Sharing

[Darandio]

Darlington does it often in P2 & 3. Even more so at weekends when sets are stabled there whether they are waiting to head to Heaton or have returned.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

We can do it at Newport - i've only ever seen it done on platforms 3 and 4, doesn't happen often though, usually just when disruption affecting the severn tunnel for example.

 

[142094]

also sunderland with the two huge platforms...

Don't think it happens at Sunderland in the sense that platforms are shared at the same time by either a GC, Northern or Metro, but yes each platform has its own area for mainline and Metro trains.

 

[Geezertronic]

Birmingham New Street has the platforms labelled up as A & B and the only time this sort of activity does not happen is when Pendolinos or HSTs are at a platform. The rest of the time, it is normal practice to see a platform with two trains at it.

 

[The Planner]

New St has mid-platform signals though, so its not strictly permissive. There are odd occasions where you get 3 short trains in though.

 

[CosherB]

Thanks for the explanation, GB.

I remember at Euston, before the introduction of DVTs and push/pull working, as a train left the station, the light engine that had been the train engine and had brought the train south followed it out of the station a few yards behind it, presumably to wait just outside the station before coming back in to become the train engine for a northbound train.

 

[Geezertronic]

New St has mid-platform signals though, so its not strictly permissive. There are odd occasions where you get 3 short trains in though.

Correct, the only time I have personally seen this is when two 350's were being joined together to form a Northampton bound service.

 

[Donny Dave]

Do they still do it on 14 at Manchester Piccadilly?

So what are the rules for this? I was on a 323 into Manchester Piccadilly yesterday that pulled into one of the main platforms, to stop immediately behind a train already at that platform. This doesn't fit with my (admittedly limited) knowledge of 'block working' of one train at a time in a section... so how is the second train authorised (permissivly, presumably) into the section that's already occupied by the first train?

Platforms 13 and 14 at Manchester Piccadilly have signals half way along, so you can fit 2 trains on each platform. IIRC, there is no permissive working on these platforms.

The rest of the station though, permissive working is allowed, but this more to do with the huge number of services in and out of the station each hour. Sometimes it is better to put 2 or 3 units in certain platforms to avoid conflicts when 1 is due to leave. Even with 'stacking' to avoid conflicts, it's a very rare occasion for an incoming service to get a clear run into Piccadilly.

Probably get 3 trains in one platform at Leeds if you needed to. Huddersfield does it a lot, usually the services to Man Vic, Bradford and Wakefield Westgate.

Leeds IIRC has no (or very limited) permissive working allowed. Once again this is due to each platform (apart from P1 - P6) having 1 or more signals along them.

 

[Old Timer]

Correct, the only time I have personally seen this is when two 350's were being joined together to form a Northampton bound service.

New St is fully permissive from both ends, i.e. into A, and into B. It is also Permisisve from A into B and vice versa.

Passed out to work on the panels at New St many years back

 

[me123]

Commonplace at Glasgow Central. Indeed, I think it's rather uncommon for this not to happen within any given hour, considering the constraints on the West Side of the station. It doesn't happen that much elsewhere in Scotland, but terminus stations like Airdrie and Helensburgh will see their fair share.

 

[Dewedin]

Leeds IIRC has no (or very limited) permissive working allowed. Once again this is due to each platform (apart from P1 - P6) having 1 or more signals along them.

Definitely has PM on Platform 17

 

[O L Leigh]

Lol, if people are going to name locations where permissive working is authorised this is going to be a long thread.

And not enormously interesting either.

Ah well...

O L Leigh

 

[Spartacus]

I think all at Leeds can take at least two, though some like 7 and 14 would be quite restricted on size. Dunno if there's 3 or 4 platforms that can take 4 trains if needed, but I doubt it would be very practical.