Suggestion for new platform numbering system at major interchange stations

[Bald Rick]

Rather than using the very functional system of numbers, which is what most countries rather unimaginatively do with their metro lines, why don’t we follow London Underground and give our platforms names?

”the train about to depart from the Western end of platform Northern is the Southern service to East Grinstead”

 

[43096]

Rather than using the very functional system of numbers, which is what most countries rather unimaginatively do with their metro lines, why don’t we follow London Underground and give our platforms names?

”the train about to depart from the Western end of platform Northern is the Southern service to East Grinstead”

Or, the other way round, we could name the train companies after the platform numbers. "The next train from platform 3 is the Five service to..." or "The next train from platform 10 is the One service...".

Hang on, that sounds familiar...

 

[randyrippley]

Forget numbering or lettering platforms.
Just colour code them, so you have a green platform, a red platform, a purple one and so on.
Avoids discrimination against passengers who are illiterate or innumerate. It's the next logical step after PRM compliance.
Following that we could start colour coding the trains.............
black could be for Euston-Birmingham
tartan for Anglo-Scots
steel-grey for Sheffield
and so on

 

[swt_passenger]

Perhaps the answer here is to have different designations for "passenger facing" use and for internal use, then you can renumber as necessary when things change without major signalling changes.

The staff would probably want their numbers displayed with equal prominence…

 

[43096]

Forget numbering or lettering platforms.
Just colour code them, so you have a green platform, a red platform, a purple one and so on.
Avoids discrimination against passengers who are illiterate or innumerate. It's the next logical step after PRM compliance.
Following that we could start colour coding the trains.............
black could be for Euston-Birmingham
tartan for Anglo-Scots
steel-grey for Sheffield
and so on

What about those who are colour blind? You can't discriminate against them...

 

[tbtc]

It's only really Edinburgh I find massively confusing, and that's because of the oddity of it being numbered in a circle. If they changed it to going in one direction then it would be OK.

Technically, it is. Clockwise

Waverley is perfectly logical - every platform is next to platforms with adjacent numbers like the numbers of a clock are - given the shape of the station (and the large central building with the booking office etc in it), what other way would you do it that doesn't leave awkward gaps?

Yes; I think I remember someone telling me that signalling and other electronic systems would all need changing to reflect any wholesale renumbering, such that it's easier to have a P0 or missing number. Doesn't explain why Kings Cross wasn't renumbered, given the amount of work carried out recently.

That's my understanding too

It seems frustrating that we can't rip up certain platform numbering systems and start again, but then I suppose the same is true of the road network (where there are inconsistencies / gaps but we accept situations like the A616 being two separate roads with a large gap in between Barlborough and Tankersley because it'd be too complicated to renumber everything)

Yes. Not ideal with letters already used for subdivisions of long platforms.
MK Central has a similar situation with 2A, which should really be 1A as the platform order is now 1, 2A, 2, 3, although at least MKC doesn't use lettered subdivisions.

It's messy

I can see the logic in having suffixes for bay platforms and I can see the logic in having suffixes for subdivisions of mean platforms, but it's confusing when we have both at the same station (e.g. at Sheffield 2a/2b are subdivisions of 2 but then 2c is a bay platform between the southern ends of 2/5, whereas the northern bay platforms between 2/5 have their own numbers - 3 and 4) - but I don't know what other options there are

I know one thing that would help is better signage at stations, plus maybe colour coded platforms with marked areas for passengers to stand that enables more efficient passengers getting on and off trains.

Most non commuter passengers waste lots of time standing at the wrong places on the platforms, this causes excessive delays that is avoidable if there's better signage and information for them.

I completely agree - the railway spends huge sums of money on shaving thirty seconds journey time between stations etc but there are low hanging fruit at stations where you could make dwells faster and make passengers a lot more confident about where to stand - put yourself in the shoes of an irregular passenger who is overwhelmed by all of the options at a big station, dozens of platforms/ several routes/ various suffixes etc - how do you know where to go? Even if you find platform 2a, how long will the train be? Do you stand in the centre of the platform or are you confident enough to go towards an end of it, anticipating a long train that will fill the platform? Because then we waste time with passengers dashing along the platform once the train has pulled in rather than standing at the correct place ready to board

A less confusing version of the OP's idea would be to number islands in major stations in multiples of 10, so island 20 might contain through platforms 21 and 22, as well as bay platforms 23,24 and 25 for example. That would make for clearer signage, easier to remember numbers, and no confusion with platforms divided into A and B sections. I don't think there is a massive issue with the current system that would make it worthwhile doing though.

That's an interesting idea - one I'd not heard before - could work well at stations with multiple "islands" like Sheffield/ Leeds

Why not number platforms with Greek letters. Everybody should know their Greek alphabet by now

Then after 3 years switch over to Egyptian hieroglyphs?

I hope there are no mssng vwls on the station signs though

 

[YorksLad12]

Forget numbering or lettering platforms.
Just colour code them, so you have a green platform, a red platform, a purple one and so on.
Avoids discrimination against passengers who are illiterate or innumerate. It's the next logical step after PRM compliance.
Following that we could start colour coding the trains.............
black could be for Euston-Birmingham
tartan for Anglo-Scots
steel-grey for Sheffield
and so on

Is tartan a colour?

What about those who are colour blind? You can't discriminate against them...

You'd have to use shapes as well. Red circle, green square, purple haze triangle. If anyone is of an age, and remembers The Adventure Game on the BBC, that's how the currency worked; five colours and five shapes.

 

[HSTEd]

You'd have to use shapes as well. Red circle, green square, purple haze triangle. If anyone is of an age, and remembers The Adventure Game on the BBC, that's how the currency worked; five colours and five shapes.

"The delayed service from King's Cross is now arriving at the Pink Polkadot platform"

 

[swt_passenger]

Is tartan a colour?

Definitely, as any apprentice who was ever sent to get some mixed will testify…

 

[6Gman]

Then after 3 years switch over to Egyptian hieroglyphs?

Only for connections though.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Using Crewe as a base, the through platforms would be renumbered 1 through 5.
P1 - P1
P5 - P2
P6 - P3
P11 - P4
P12 - P5

The terminating platforms would take up the remaining numbers.
P2 - P6
P3 - P7
P4 - P8
P7 - P9
P8 - P10
P9 - P11
P10 - P12

The station would the be split into the following areas;
A - P1, P2, P6, P7, P8
B - P3, P9, P10
C - P4, P5, P11, P12

Platforms would then be broken up into blocks of 60 metres using colour coding. These block can then be used to tell you where your train will be and in cases of longer trains, where they wind up, and even where emptier carriages are.

So if I want coach B on the Avanti service to Manchester, I know I must head to Area A, Platform 2, Blue Zone. Coach D is quieter? Ok, I'll head to Red Zone.

 

[mrgreen]

How about naming plaftorrms after animals? That way even toddlers could find them. All platforms on an island could be animals from the same continent. And platforms used by express services could be fast animals/bird like hawks and cheetahs. Whereas local branchline bays could sloths or cows. Unusually long platforms (e.g. Gloucester) would be snakes, short platforms could be rodents.
It could get abusive. though, with XC being given the skunk and hyena platforms.

 

[mmh]

You'd have to use shapes as well. Red circle, green square, purple haze triangle. If anyone is of an age, and remembers The Adventure Game on the BBC, that's how the currency worked; five colours and five shapes.

I do remember it. Fantastic theme music, I can't remember the name but I have it on a CD somewhere. And if anyone else remembers it, I'd suggest the unknown peril of "The Vortex" is not that far removed from trying to find a platform at Waverley. It is a very complicated station for the non-regular passenger!