Trivia: Examples of Stations Where a Train Stops Twice in a Row on Different Platforms

[Full Standing]

Inspired by @stadler's interesting trivia threads, I have come up with yet another such idea.

I am looking for stations where a train stops with passengers being able to board or get off, then departs and immediately thereafter calls again at the same station, but on a different platform. Also for the second call, passengers must me able to board or get off.
I can't come up with examples in the UK, but my prime example is in Germany: Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf on the Aachen to Cologne line (among other lines). Trains of the "Euregiobahn" line, coming from Aachen, split in two on the main line platforms (with passengers being able to change units there). One unit then continues to Langerwehe (some services even further), and the other unit travels for a few hundred metres into a railyard, reverses, and enters the branch line towards Stolberg city centre. But on this branch line, there is yet another platform of Stolberg Hbf which is served by the unit. The same is done Aachen-bound in reverse (with the exception that the units are not coupled together at a platform but in the railyard).

JFYI, Monday to Friday, the "Euregiobahn" trains operate every 30 minutes.

The map below details the situation, it's a screenshot from OpenStreetMap: The line to the botton left is towards Aachen, the one on the top right to Cologne, and the one on the bottom is the one to Stolberg city centre. Also the railyard is clearly visible.

 

[DanielB]

There aren't such train stations in the Netherlands AFAIK, though it is possible by tram. Route 20 and 21 in Utrecht first stop at CS Jaarbeurszijde and then go via the rollercoaster* towards the other side of the station where they stop at CS Centrumzijde again, which takes 4 minutes according to the timetable (compared to 7 minutes on foot)

*) I call it the rollercoaster as the tram first turns left onto a bridge over a road and cycle path, then turns right and dives into a tunnel under the railways, turns right again to pass under an appartment building, then passes a bridge over a cycle path again and eventually stop underneath the station building.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I can't come up with examples in the UK...

When the main Windsor side lines are closed due to engineering works, Reading to Waterloo trains will sometimes call at Virginia Water twice due to the V-shaped platform arrangement requiring a shunt to maneuver between the Reading line and the Chertsey line (for travel to London via the main line).

 

[A S Leib]

If they count as separate stations (and S1 and S11 call at both), Marktplatz (Kaiserstraße) and Marktplatz (Pyramide) in Karlsruhe are barely a hundred metres apart.

Marktplatz in Karlsruhe is somewhere I've used as an example in a different thread; looking at a map, I think the same applies to lines 2, 3 and 4 at Europaplatz.

 

[Segedunum]

Inspired by @stadler's interesting trivia threads, I have come up with yet another such idea.

I am looking for stations where a train stops with passengers being able to board or get off, then departs and immediately thereafter calls again at the same station, but on a different platform. Also for the second call, passengers must me able to board or get off.
I can't come up with examples in the UK, but my prime example is in Germany: Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf on the Aachen to Cologne line (among other lines). Trains of the "Euregiobahn" line, coming from Aachen, split in two on the main line platforms (with passengers being able to change units there). One unit then continues to Langerwehe (some services even further), and the other unit travels for a few hundred metres into a railyard, reverses, and enters the branch line towards Stolberg city centre. But on this branch line, there is yet another platform of Stolberg Hbf which is served by the unit. The same is done Aachen-bound in reverse (with the exception that the units are not coupled together at a platform but in the railyard).

JFYI, Monday to Friday, the "Euregiobahn" trains operate every 30 minutes.

The map below details the situation, it's a screenshot from OpenStreetMap: The line to the botton left is towards Aachen, the one on the top right to Cologne, and the one on the bottom is the one to Stolberg city centre. Also the railyard is clearly visible.View attachment 193956

Some RB20 services actually start at Stolberg Rathaus, serve the Hbf (Pl. 27), do the reversal move you speak of, call again, then do a full loop via Aachen/Alsdorf and terminate at Stolberg Hbf, calling a third time.

 

[pdeaves]

Many, many moons ago I had a train leave Inverness, go round the triangle and call again at Inverness, the other side of the station. That was a one off, not a regular move, though.

 

[nwales58]

It happens where portions split and recombine. Gorna Orjahovica (Bulgaria) comes to mind. Edit: Bohumin e.g. through coach shunted from EC113 to IC(wasR)213.

 

[andy33gmail]

Shame you explicitly said *different* platforms.

Otherwise I could claim the regular splitting dividing of services (e.g. at Cambridge), where routinely they will stop & release the doors, then lock the doors to couple/decouple, then stop & release the doors once more

 

[stadler]

As well as the already mentioned Virginia Water it also occasionally happens at Lewes during engineering work when London to Brighton trains are diverted. They will sometimes call twice. Southbound it will call at P1 and then reverse at the junction and then call at P4 or P5. Northbound it will call at P3 and then reverse at the junction and then call at P2. I remember one such occasion i even alighted and then reboarded the same train on a different platform a few minutes later.

The only place abroad when i have seen it happen was once in Penrose in New Zealand about fifteen years ago when they were running an unusual Onehunga to Papakura service all day due to the line ahead being closed because if some issue. Southbound the trains called at P3 and then reversed at the junction and then called at P1. Northbound the trains called at P2 and then reversed at the junction and then called at P3. But this was a one off thing for one day only and has never been scheduled to happen.

 

[Full Standing]

OK, so it seems that regular services doing such a maneuver are rather rare, which is in line with my expectation. But maybe we get some more ideas as the thread progresses.

Marktplatz in Karlsruhe is somewhere I've used as an example in a different thread; looking at a map, I think the same applies to lines 2, 3 and 4 at Europaplatz.

Yes, I think so. I've been there in 2022 and believe that I have seen the trains doing this. Karlsruhe is special since it's a special tram-train arrangement (but the example fits the description). The example in my OP is a heavy rail service*.

Some RB20 services actually start at Stolberg Rathaus, serve the Hbf (Pl. 27), do the reversal move you speak of, call again, then do a full loop via Aachen/Alsdorf and terminate at Stolberg Hbf, calling a third time.

True! And I think that trains calling at a station three times (excluding ring lines that loop all-day without changing directions) are quite rare as well. This also makes it hard to properly display the train's destination: A train to Stolberg Hbf may not be the fastest service taking you to Stolberg Hbf even if you're just one stop down the line if the train goes round the loop. Last Sunday, when the stretch between Stolberg Hbf and Eschweiler-West reopended after 4.5 years of closure due to the 2021 floods, people were seemingly puzzled as new train destinations occured on the screens (I was on one of the first services).

Shame you explicitly said *different* platforms.

Yes, relieving this condition would give rise to many more examples. Trier Hbf (where services from Luxembourg and Saarbrücken join to go to Koblenz) is another prominent example.

*Well, when the RB20 service was inaugurated, there were plans to extend service to Aachen city centre in a tramway-like manner. The trains were even fitted with the required equipment to comply with German tram regulations (direction indicators, side mirrors etc.). Not much is left but the direction indicator lights are still in place I believe.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Would it ever have happened at Manchester Victoria/Exchange? And what about the 'old' Limerick Junction in Ireland?

Also, while probably not what the original poster had in mind, it is possible to travel on Paris Metro line 4 between Les Halles and Chatalet and still be within the Chatalet-Les Halles interchange - a place where I always get profoundly lost.

 

[[.n]]

Not as a regular thing - but I've been on trains at Bournemouth (during disruption) that have stopped at both platforms 3 and 4 to allow passengers on/off. Also at Colchester (also disruption) between 3 and 4 (? - the London bound ones) as well

 

[70014IronDuke]

I haven't been there for some years, but it used to happen at Pragersko, Slovenia, up to a decade ago, with at least one evening train from Ljubljana, and I suspect with the corresponding morning train(s).

The train would stop at platform 1 (I think it was), and there the rear three carriages would be uncoupled. The main train would then head north to Maribor. A GE diesel would then attach at the front, and propel the train back towards Ljubljana maybe 300 metres, stop, and then run forwards to platform 3, which was the route for Ptuj, to the east. The shortened train would stop again in platform 3 before powering off across the plain and on towards the Hungarian border.

The route was fully electrified some (10?) years ago, so I assume the diesel has given way to electric traction if the service still runs that way.

 

[Steddenm]

There was some CrossCountry services a long time ago that would be booked ...Teignmouth - Newton Abbot - Torquay - Paignton - Torquay - Newton Abbot - Totnes - Plymouth calling at different platforms twice in Newton Abbot and Torquay.

Aren't there also Southern services that called at Hampden Park twice in and out of Eastbourne, and of course the ScotRail services that call at Georgemas Junction twice (although not sure if that is two different platforms or a single platform).

 

[steamybrian]

Hampden Park-
for example a Brighton to Hastings train calls at the down platform for passengers, then goes to Eastbourne where it reverses and then calls at the up platform before going to Hastings.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Are there any services left which call at Osnabrück (Germany) low-level platforms and then the high-level platforms? I recall, back in the day, being on a Hoek v H to Hamburg (Copenhagen) service which stopped in the low-level and then reversed in the high-level.

 

[Taunton]

Back in the 1960s the through carriages from Plymouth to Glasgow stopped three times at Crewe.

Train from Plymouth to Liverpool, via Hereford, with front two carriages through to Glasgow, arrived at Crewe. That's one stop. First two coaches detached, the Warship drew forward and propelled them back into the bay alongside. That's two stops. Warship uncoupled, Class 40 came on and attached. Then the 'Caledonian', Euston to Glasgow, arrived at the through platform, electric loco detached, Class 40 drew the two Plymouth carriages forward and back onto the main train. That's three stops. Coupled, and departed. Passengers sometimes got out to visit the bookstall or even a cup of tea in the refreshment room.

 

[MarcVD]

This happened daily in Liège Guillemins 40 years ago. International trains with portions coming from Paris and Oostende were merged together to continue towards Aachen and further. Each portion stopped at a different track first and then one of the two portions was moved to the other track to be attached to the other portion. In peak season, portions were too big and thus continued independently.

 

[Acathater]

Some historic Morecambe-Leeds services ran via Bradford Forster Square (reverse) stopping at Frizinghall and Shipley in both directions.
Also in the past the occasional Lancaster - Barrow train was routed via Lancaster-Morecambe-Carnforth, calling at Bare Lane in both directions. Nowadays that would need the same platform in both directions, but historically it used platform 2 then 1

 

[Royston Vasey]

Kennington Loop! You're not supposed to board southbound or alight northbound between platform stops but it's still entirely possible, by all accounts!

 

[duesselmartin]

Would it ever have happened at Manchester Victoria/Exchange? And what about the 'old' Limerick Junction in Ireland?

Also, while probably not what the original poster had in mind, it is possible to travel on Paris Metro line 4 between Les Halles and Chatalet and still be within the Chatalet-Les Halles interchange - a place where I always get profoundly lost.

I don't see it at the old Limerick Junction. While the train to Rosslare literally shunted all the way around the station building, it only stopped at platform 4. Unless I miss something?

In the last years of the south Wexford line, the service from Waterford stopped at Rosslare Strand, continued to Rosslare Europort and returned to Rosslare Strand (opposite platform) to continue to Wexford.

 

[stadler]

Hove is another UK one similar to the already mentioned Hampden Park example. It is quite common for the 00:02 from London Victoria to Worthing via Brighton and Eastbourne via Lewes to call at Hove twice during engineering work. It calls at P1 or P2 the first time and then P3 the second time. It is scheduled to run as Haywards Heath - Brighton - Hove - Worthing. But often during enginnering work it runs as Haywards Heath - Hove - Brighton - Hove - Worthing. The last time this happened was two weeks ago on Sunday 07/12/2025. The next time this will happen is in two weeks on Sunday 28/12/2025. So fairly common.

 

[Royston Vasey]

SWR Salisbury to Romsey services call at Romsey twice, at different platforms, but over 40 minutes apart.

 

[A S Leib]

but over 40 minutes apart

And with other stations between the calls.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Also, while probably not what the original poster had in mind, it is possible to travel on Paris Metro line 4 between Les Halles and Chatalet and still be within the Chatalet-Les Halles interchange - a place where I always get profoundly lost.

That does raise a question of what is the same station. I know this is the international forum and my example is in the UK, but would a Circle Line train calling at Moorgate and Liverpool Street count as stopping at different platforms in the same station? Since Crossrail it’s now all one complex.

 

[Springs Branch]

In the “Electric Scot” era of the mid to late 1970s, there were several InterCity trains per day between Manchester Victoria/Liverpool Lime St and Glasgow Central/Edinburgh which ran as portions at either end, combining & dividing at Preston and Carstairs, with diesel haulage to Man Vic, Lime St & Edinburgh.

Northbound at Carstairs was easy - the Edinburgh carriages were uncoupled from the back, then the front portion with the electric loco departed for Glasgow. Southbound, however, I *think* the portion from Edinburgh arrived first at Carstairs, pointing towards Glasgow of course. When the half from Glasgow arrived, electric loco already on the front, the ex-Edinburgh portion was drawn forward and shunted back onto the ex-Glasgow portion on the adjacent platform. I’m not sure if it happened this way all the time, or if there were other options with the track layout at Carstairs at the time.

At Preston, the portions from Liverpool and Manchester were booked to arrive within 5 mins or so of each other. The first in (possibly the half from Liverpool) was drawn out of the platform towards Fylde Junction while the diesel loco was detached from the second arrival, and then shunted back into the platform and coupled up. All with passengers on board and the Mk.1/Mk.2 doors unlocked.

I saw this done with both portions using the same platform (no. 3) and also with the first arriving on no. 4, then shunted back onto the second arrival which was on platform 3. I also witnessed a couple of hairy occasions at Preston when a passenger or two from the first portion had stepped off the train for a smoke or to buy something from the platform buffet - aware there would be a bit of a wait at Preston, but not understanding the shunting manoeuvres involved - then seeing their train (possibly with their luggage and family onboard) apparently starting to move off early and making a desperate attempt to open a door and board the moving train - accompanied by much yelling and gesticulating from the platform staff.

 

[Full Standing]

That does raise a question of what is the same station. I know this is the international forum and my example is in the UK, but would a Circle Line train calling at Moorgate and Liverpool Street count as stopping at different platforms in the same station? Since Crossrail it’s now all one complex.

I don't really know what counts as the same station either... But my gut feeling is that - for UK stations - if you can walk from one platform to the other without passing a gateline, that this should definitely count as example. We have the same with Barbican and Farringdon I believe as there's a lift from the Barbican platform down to the Elizabeth line.