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Tonbridge Platform 4
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Farigiraf
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Today it has Southeastern Tonbridge to New Cross, a Tonbridge to Orpington, and a few Tonbridge to London terminals and back (some of these appear to run empty)
I think it is used for trains coming out of the sidings towards London, but as there are not much Tonbridge-London start/terminators (most go ahead to Hastings or Ashford and further,) the platform doesn't see much use
This is just gathered from some RTT research so excuse me if I'm wrong!
I think it is used for trains coming out of the sidings towards London, but as there are not much Tonbridge-London start/terminators (most go ahead to Hastings or Ashford and further,) the platform doesn't see much use
This is just gathered from some RTT research so excuse me if I'm wrong!
swt_passenger
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RTT detailed view will tell you what’s booked, as just mentioned. This link should last a few days, it should give you an all day list:
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Realtime Trains | Departures from Tonbridge all day on 18/10/2023
Train information at Tonbridge all day on 18/10/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
swt_passenger
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You can go back a week with realtimetrains, (RTT), but there are other online sources that I’m not familiar with. However one thing to bear in mind is that although all services have a planned platform in the working timetable, the signallers can do other things on the actual day. RTT will usually show this if it can by marking the platform number in red.
Trainguy34
Established Member
Anyone know what these sources are? Or anything that allows you to filter by platform when searching?
Sorry I meant long term history, IE alternative uses many years ago
The layout at the West end of the station was altered in the 90s in preparation for the Channel Tunnel services. Before that Platforms 3 and 4 were accessible from the original route via Redhill as well as from the Sevenoaks direction.
The station was considerably rebuilt by the SR in the 1930s and from then on P4 (but not 3) was signalled for passenger departures to both routes, which made it more useful, though I don't ever recall it being heavily used. I would imagine it was an ideal place to place parcels vans for unloading/loading.
Without access to the station workings, I can't be more specific, but in the electric/diesel era as well as the Redhill trains there was a school train from/to the Sevenoaks route which probably used it, and in steam days there were random Sevenoaks-Tonbridge trains that could have used it as well as Redhill trains.
There's lots of info here: https://kentrail.org.uk/tonbridge 3.htm
GatwickDepress
Established Member
I believe platform 4 was used quite considerably for mail traffic before the (now disused) platform at the Royal Mail sorting centre was constructed. Destinations included such exotic locales as Crewe and Preston, among others.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Platform 4 also sees some use during engineering works (i.e. Tonbridge - Paddock Wood) where some trains are extended from Sevenoaks to Tonbridge along with the Hastings 'fast'.
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