Stevenage Station platform layout

[Jetlagged]

I'll be arriving at platform 2 on a 5 coach, southbound LNER Azuma and have to make a pretty speedy (4 minute) transfer to platform 4 for the Thameslink service to Cambridge.

Which coach on the Azuma will stop closest to the staircase on platform 2 please?

TIA

 

[NSEWonderer]

Car 5 the last Car was the closest last I was there.

 

[Jetlagged]

Car 5 the last Car was the closest last I was there.

Thanks very much.

 

[Royston Vasey]

I'll be arriving at platform 2 on a 5 coach, southbound LNER Azuma and have to make a pretty speedy (4 minute) transfer to platform 4 for the Thameslink service to Cambridge.

Which coach on the Azuma will stop closest to the staircase on platform 2 please?

TIA

Rear or second to rear car. It's a very easy and fast connection though if you're relatively mobile, up the steps, straight across the little concourse on the bridge past the barriers and down the opposite steps. You can probably make it within 30 seconds of alighting.

 

[jon0844]

Rear or second to rear car. It's a very easy and fast connection though if you're relatively mobile, up the steps, straight across the little concourse on the bridge past the barriers and down the opposite steps. You can probably make it within 30 seconds of alighting.

The biggest issue is likely the fact that many services may be a minute or two down by the time of arriving at Stevenage, which it will make up before King's Cross but doesn't help any connection times.

 

[Jetlagged]

Rear or second to rear car. It's a very easy and fast connection though if you're relatively mobile, up the steps, straight across the little concourse on the bridge past the barriers and down the opposite steps. You can probably make it within 30 seconds of alighting.

Thanks. Mobility is not an issue, but as jon0844 says, I'm trying to get ahead of the game if the King's Cross service is running a minute or two down.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Jul 2024 ==

The biggest issue is likely the fact that many services may be a minute or two down by the time of arriving at Stevenage, which it will make up before King's Cross but doesn't help any connection times.

Thanks. That's my concern, so the closer to the stairs the better!

 

[Royston Vasey]

Thanks. Mobility is not an issue, but as jon0844 says, I'm trying to get ahead of the game if the King's Cross service is running a minute or two down.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Jul 2024 ==



Thanks. That's my concern, so the closer to the stairs the better!

Indeed it's very common for LNER services to be a few minutes down at Stevenage heading to London, don't be surprised if it happens.

But there are typically at least three Cambridge services an hour from Stevenage so you won't be stranded for long - two Thameslink semifast most of the day and one or two Great Northern stopping services depending on the time (which are only about five minutes slower).

 

[davews]

If I remember correctly you have to go through two gate lines. If you have tickets with a railcard those are known not to open the gates at Stevenage and you will have to ask for the gate to be opened which of course will add to your time....

 

[Tester]

If I remember correctly you have to go through two gate lines. If you have tickets with a railcard those are known not to open the gates at Stevenage and you will have to ask for the gate to be opened which of course will add to your time....

This is not the case.

 

[bramling]

If I remember correctly you have to go through two gate lines. If you have tickets with a railcard those are known not to open the gates at Stevenage and you will have to ask for the gate to be opened which of course will add to your time....

There’s only a need to go through gatelines if one of the trains is using platform 5, which for those who don’t know is used by Hertford line services. So not an issue crossing from platform 2 to 4.

I’d say the 30 seconds quoted elsewhere in the thread is slightly optimistic though. The staircases are quite long, and they are also quite narrow - which makes them prone to congestion. Even being first off doesn’t necessarily help if a train has just arrived at the adjacent platform.

 

[ac6000cw]

If you have tickets with a railcard those are known not to open the gates at Stevenage and you will have to ask for the gate to be opened which of course will add to your time....

Senior Railcard discounted tickets have always worked OK for me at Stevenage.

But as Bramling says, with only one staircase per island it can get very congested if a busy train has just arrived, especially if you're trying to go downstairs against the flood of people.

Station map (north to the left ) - https://images.nationalrail.co.uk/e...73393/Stevenage_station_map__upper_level_.png

 

[uglymonkey]

The Thameslink service, more often than not,will be a few minutes down as well, so it will even out.

 

[Steven Taylor]

Senior Railcard discounted tickets have always worked OK for me at Stevenage.

But as Bramling says, with only one staircase per island it can get very congested if a busy train has just arrived, especially if you're trying to go downstairs against the flood of people.

Station map (north to the left ) - https://images.nationalrail.co.uk/e8xgegruud3g/5gqoE6xaQpRrcRMQo8fU0u/cbc6ded2dd9ecadd493f0287ca173393/Stevenage_station_map__upper_level

Although slightly off topic, I find it a pain exiting or arriving at Stevenage. I have a London Boundary Zone 6 ticket to Stevenage which always gets rejected. I have therefore have to be buzzed out at the gate, which is time consuming as there are ofter several people with tickets being manually checked. Often however I am buzzed through with no one really checking my ticket either.

 

[Jetlagged]

Indeed it's very common for LNER services to be a few minutes down at Stevenage heading to London, don't be surprised if it happens.

But there are typically at least three Cambridge services an hour from Stevenage so you won't be stranded for long - two Thameslink semifast most of the day and one or two Great Northern stopping services depending on the time (which are only about five minutes slower).

Thanks for that. I've already put in place Plans B & C. Hopefully we'll run with Plan A!

 

[davews]

There’s only a need to go through gatelines if one of the trains is using platform 5, which for those who don’t know is used by Hertford line services. So not an issue crossing from platform 2 to 4.

I’d say the 30 seconds quoted elsewhere in the thread is slightly optimistic though. The staircases are quite long, and they are also quite narrow - which makes them prone to congestion. Even being first off doesn’t necessarily help if a train has just arrived at the adjacent platform.

Thanks for clarifying. When I passed through Stevenage recently it was after one of our forum walks when for convenience I had a Stevenage day return. Afterwards we took the train from Hertford North up to Stevenage (platform 5) and promptly caught the next Thameslink back down to London. Maybe not what many people do.... So I did indeed have to go through both gatelines which each rejected my Senior Railcard tickets....