Trivia: Current stations which used to have more platforms.

[talltim]

Chesterfield Midland used to have north and south facing bays as well as the two through platforms. After a period of two platforms it now has three through ones.

 

[Controller1701]

Uckfield 2 now reduced to 1, Buxted 2 now reduced to 1, Eridge 4 reduced to 2 (1 Preserved Line, 1 Network Rail), Cowden 2 now reduced to 1, Robertsbridge 3 reduced to 2, Headcorn 3 reduced to 2, Polegate 4 reduced to 2, Three Oaks 2 reduced to 1, Doleham 2 reduced to 1, Winchelsea 2 reduced to 1, St Johns 2 islands reduced to 1 island, Paddock Wood 4 reduced to 3, Ford 3 reduced to 2.

Paul

 

[Springs Branch]

Hindley and Atherton.

Until the mid-1960s, Manchester-Atherton-Wigan Wallgate was quadruple track for most of the way.
Majority of stations on this line had platforms on the slow lines only, except for Hindley North, Atherton Central (and Pendleton Broad St) which each had four platforms.

 

[higthomas]

A few of the stations along the Cambrian Coast line used to have two platforms, but have been reduced to one.

 

[RichardN]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Clapham Juntion:

17 platforms listed but Platform 1 never used and track removed.

Whitby used to have 4 platforms and now just the one (until the NYMR extrnsion is finished then there will be 2)

Being pedantic, Clapham Junction now has a platform 1 again, which is where the former platform 2 was. Platform 2 is newly built. Network Rail produced a poster explaining it which contained the information that the former platform 1 was now platform 0, which as it has no track, was not useful information to the majority of travelers.

 

[asylumxl]

Surely most stations used to have more platforms? The general trend is for a reduction, as branch lines closed and such.

 

[steamybrian]

Surely most stations used to have more platforms? The general trend is for a reduction, as branch lines closed and such.

Here are some increases-
Gatwick Airport increased from 6 to 7
Ashford International increased from 4 to 6
Orpington increased from 6 to 8
Marylebone increased from 4 to 6
Dartford increased from 3 to 4 back in the 1970s
London Victoria was 17 now 19 (exclude the old South platforms)
Crystal Palace increased from 4 to 6
Cambridge- additional island platform
Peterborough has had a number of additional platforms over the years.
Gravesend recently increased from 2 to 3

..and finally Reading.. Many a reader can tell us how many extra platforms with the recent rebuilding..?

 

[IanXC]

Bridlington used to have 8 platforms, two through platforms and a bay 1-3 on the west side and two through platforms, 4&5 and three excursion bay platforms 6,7,8 on the east side. 1-3 were taken out of use about 1980 and short-sightedly sold for housing. Excursion platforms 7&8 were decommissioned at about the same time but still present and derelict in 2007 leaving only three platforms 4,5,6.

I'm not sure how the sale of the area once occupied by platforms 1-3, can be described as 'short sighted'? The current arrangement is perfectly adequate, and if there were significant growth its hard to see how 2 through platforms and up to 3 bays would not be sufficient?

 

[Tom2521]

The original Snow Hill (or rather, the 1912 rebuild) did indeed have 8 platform faces, however the long through platforms were numbered 1/2, 5/6, 7/8 and 11/12. As well as the platform tracks, there were through lines between the islands with scissors crossings enabling trains independent access to each end of the platforms. This was not available on the outer faces which had only the single platform line. This vast station spent it's last few years housing a few peak hours only DMU's to Wolverhampton Low Level, surely the greatest over provision of station facilities in British railway history!

Not sure if these have been mentioned yet, if so I missed them whilst reading through but going south towards Leamington/Stratford-on-Avon from Snow Hill there's a whole collection of stations that have lost platforms, mostly down to the loss of the up and down relief lines that once ran from Moor Street to Lapworth:

Bordesley (I think had 4)

Small Heath and Tyseley still have both island platform but the fast lines one at Small Heath are rarely used AFAIK.

Then from south of Tyseley: Acocks Green, Olton, Solihull, Widney Manor (all losing an island platform with the loss of the relief lines), Dorridge (I believe had 4 but now has 3) and finally Lapworth (again down from 4 to 2). Leamington used to have at least one bay facing the down direction back towards Birmingham I think.

On the North Warwickshire Line Henley-in-Arden appears to have lost at least one platform with the far side of it's Island platform appearing out of use.

Off the ex-GWR lines in Birmingham the only two stations that spring to my mind that have lost platforms are one of Duddeston's island platforms and possibly the side of the island platform at Stechford facing the UP Aston avoiding line though I'm not sure if there was ever used as a platform and if it could still be should circumstances dictate.

I'm sure there's plenty more stations in Birmingham/West Midlands alone that have lost platforms but the fact that there's so many on the ex-GW mainline almost accounts for the loss of a lot of platforms at one station.

 

[IanXC]

On the North Warwickshire Line Henley-in-Arden appears to have lost at least one platform with the far side of it's Island platform appearing out of use.

Indeed. My understanding from people who saw it in use, is that it, and the goods loop alongside, were generally used to loop local stopping services (and freight) out of the way of the Birmingham-Bristol expresses.

 

[Tom2521]

Indeed. My understanding from people who saw it in use, is that it, and the goods loop alongside, were generally used to loop local stopping services (and freight) out of the way of the Birmingham-Bristol expresses.

Yep I thought it's use would be something similar to that, I think that's what P3 at Stratford used to be used for until the line was closed south of there towards Cheltenham.

 

[waterlooroader]

Norton Bridge used to have 4 in the 1960s, but now in reality has 0.