Trivia: Most Platforms lost.

[crispy1978]

Skegness? Space for 7 or 8, but usually only 2 used I think. Whether any more can be used I don't know.

 

[glbotu]

So:

Addison Road (Olympia) - 8 platforms -> 3
Nottingham Victoria - 12 platforms -> 0 (ok, I know it's shut down, but still impressive)
Birmingham Snow Hill - 10 platforms -> 3

I've been going based on the "effective platforms" metric. So if a long platform has a scissors crossover in the middle, turning into two platforms, then it's two platforms.

 

[70014IronDuke]

I am sure it won't be the winner, but I was amazed to see how big and impressive Pontypridd station had been when I went through there 20 odd years ago. I would guess there are 3? platforms in use today?

Oh, and someone will surely come up with the ravages of Grt Yarmouth sooner or later.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

So:

Addison Road (Olympia) - 8 platforms -> 3
Nottingham Victoria - 12 platforms -> 0 (ok, I know it's shut down, but still impressive)
Birmingham Snow Hill - 10 platforms -> 3

I've been going based on the "effective platforms" metric. So if a long platform has a scissors crossover in the middle, turning into two platforms, then it's two platforms.

As far as I am aware Snow Hill is going back up to four platforms once the Metro stop (two tram platforms currently occupying where platform 4 once was) is rerouted to the upper level of the station complex. I'm not sure of the timescale but I think we are only talking months now.

 

[HLE]

I am sure it won't be the winner, but I was amazed to see how big and impressive Pontypridd station had been when I went through there 20 odd years ago. I would guess there are 3? platforms in use today?

Oh, and someone will surely come up with the ravages of Grt Yarmouth sooner or later.

1 or 2 now in use at Yarmouth?

As well as the carriage sidings at the north end. (Off topic I know)

 

[rf_ioliver]

I am sure it won't be the winner, but I was amazed to see how big and impressive Pontypridd station had been when I went through there 20 odd years ago. I would guess there are 3? platforms in use today?

Two in use today, used to be one until early 90s, late 80s. Before that, seven (Wikipedia YMMV) but two of those platforms could hold 'full length' trains - so would that effectively make 9 'platforms' ?

In which case after rationalisation, Pontypridd at one time went from 9 to 1 (or 7 to 1 depending upon how you count)

t.

Ian

 

[ge-gn]

1 or 2 now in use at Yarmouth?

As well as the carriage sidings at the north end. (Off topic I know)

Still 4 at Great Yarmouth (Vauxhall). But the carriage sidings are OOU.

 

[W-on-Sea]

March has gone from seven platforms down to two

 

[markindurham]

How about Bridlington? That's a shadow of its former self

 

[RichmondCommu]

Ambergate; I'm pretty certain that it once had six platforms but now only has one.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Duffield has lost some platforms over the years as well but I am not sure how many.

Just the one on the 'down' side.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Both Bradford stations?

A bit of digging suggests Forster Square went from 6 to 3, with Exchange/Interchange going from 10 to 4, so a total loss of 9 platforms. Including Adolphus Street brings the total loss for the city to 11, but that's cheating a bit!

 

[martinsh]

Uttoxeter used to have 3 stations each with many platforms at least 6 but now it only has 1 with 2 platforms.

Uttoxeter has never had 3 stations open at once. The current station replaced 2 back in the 19th century. Current station had 4 platforms until c1965 when Leek line closed
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

A serious contender must be Normanton W Yorks been the interchange station for multiple companies. Now is just one island with 2 platforms

Er, that's all it ever was, think ...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Preston 13 down to 7 (and used to be 6).

How many platforms did Morecambe used to have ?

 

[reb0118]

Edinburgh has lost (and gained) many platforms in its time.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Taking the town as a whole, Halifax might be a contender with the massive reduction at the surviving station plus the loss of North Bridge and St. Paul's stations...

 

[tsr]

Wikipedia tells me Tunbridge Wells West once had 5 platforms. This sounds approximately accurate to me (someone will no doubt confirm shortly). It now has one, and that's not even really in the right place.

Ashurst (the Kent one) has halved from 4 to 2 in its time. And the usable part of the country end of the current Down platform is now only about a quarter of the width it used to be.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Two in use today, used to be one until early 90s, late 80s. Before that, seven (Wikipedia YMMV) but two of those platforms could hold 'full length' trains - so would that effectively make 9 'platforms' ?

In which case after rationalisation, Pontypridd at one time went from 9 to 1 (or 7 to 1 depending upon how you count) t. Ian

Pontypridd is now back up to three platforms, as a new bay has opened at the Cardiff end of the old island platform.

Therefore, there's now the bay (for services down the valley), the Cardiff bound platform on the other side of the old island platform, and the "new" (well, about 20 years old!) northbound platform which is isolated from the rest of the station.

 

[Trainfan344]

Nottingham Midland strikes me as a station that would have been bigger in it's glory days.

 

[krus_aragon]

Pontypridd is a slippery one to caclulate, given that its 1907 reconstruction saw it rebuilt as a single island with numerous bays along each side.

Llandudno Junction is the other significant loser in Wales, going from eight platforms (4 through and 4 bay) to four (3 and 1).

 

[Scouseinmanc]

Preston has lost 5 platforms I think (most East Lancs side, now car parking).

Nottingham Victoria & Blackpool Central were probably the most notable, as both were extremely large stations with 12 & 14 platforms respectively.

In addition; Liverpool Exchange had 10 platforms

 

[martinsh]

Dore, 1 down from 4
Acocks Green, Olton, Solihull, Bordesley all 2 down from 4.

How many platforms did Templecombe used to have ?

 

[Scouseinmanc]

I think Templecombe had 4: 2 on Upper & 2 on Lower levels. Now just one

 

[thenorthern]

Wolverhampton used to have 5 more platforms if you count the now closed Low Level.

 

[Parallel]

I'm pretty sure Barmouth Junction/Morfa Mawddach used to have four platforms before the line to Ruabon closed. The station now has one platform served by request only.

 

[70014IronDuke]

I think Templecombe had 4: 2 on Upper & 2 on Lower levels. Now just one

It was a long time ago, but AIRI surely it had 3 on the upper station?

Down LSW, up LSW and S&D. (the latter two being two sides of the same physical platform.)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Pontypridd is now back up to three platforms, as a new bay has opened at the Cardiff end of the old island platform.

Therefore, there's now the bay (for services down the valley), the Cardiff bound platform on the other side of the old island platform, and the "new" (well, about 20 years old!) northbound platform which is isolated from the rest of the station.

Why was Pontypridd so large in days of yore? Were there long summer specials to Barry Island or some such?

It looked as if it was a really major station.

 

[swt_passenger]

Newcastle is much reduced from how I remember it in th early 80's..

Newcastle is an odd one, at least in the context of this thread, because immediately prior to removal of most of the east end bays (due to the Metro) there were 14 numbered platforms, and now because of the sleight of hand in giving the new island 'double numbering' there are 12 numbered platforms.

So the overall reduction is proportionally much less than many other examples...

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Why was Pontypridd so large in days of yore? Were there long summer specials to Barry Island or some such? It looked as if it was a really major station.

Well, it was a major junction on the Valley network. This is what Wiki says (I have emphasised the bold bits):

"The station was built by the Taff Vale Railway (TVR) and opened on 9 October 1840. It was known as Newbridge Junction until March 1866 when it was renamed Pontypridd.

It was progressively remodelled during the 19th century, but its present appearance derives largely from reconstruction carried out between 1907 and 1914. Reflecting both the narrow steep sided topography of the valley, and the need to accommodate many converging passenger routes and passing coal trains, it is effectively designed as two back-to-back termini. This gave it the then longest island platform in the world, around which were arranged seven platforms.

The west side of the island platform has two, stepped platform faces (originally platforms 1 & 2) each originally capable of accommodating a full-length train. The east side of the island platform has three stepped platform faces (originally platforms 5, 6 & 7) arranged as a north bay platform, a through platform and a south bay platform. The north end of the island platform accommodated two bay platforms (originally platforms 3 & 4), now filled in. The north end bay platforms were used for services to Aberdare, Nelson and Ynysybwl, and the south bay platform (originally platform 7) for services to Llantrisant and Cowbridge.

The modernisation of 2014/2015 brought former through platform 6 back into use as a bay platform, now numbered platform 1, for southbound services to Cardiff. (Due to loss of railway land to road widening, the southern end of the concourse of new bay platform 1 (old platform 6) has been cut back and re-profiled, and its track has been slewed partly into the adjacent trackbed of former bay platform 7.)

Architecturally, the 1912 station still includes all the original red brick and terracotta buildings on the island platform, some of which remain in public use, e.g. as ticket office and waiting room. The elaborate 1912 main station façade in the same art nouveau style was destroyed during modernisation in the mid 1970s and replaced by a featureless red brick wall. The station subsequently achieved Listed Building status in 1990 for architectural interest as a fine Edwardian railway station retaining original character. The 1970s façade was itself replaced by a mainly blue brick wall in the 1990s, temporarily exposing the severely damaged Edwardian façade."

The station is still for the most part a major junction, hence the recent remodelling. The current northbound services are to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr, and the southbound services are to Cardiff, Barry and Penarth.

I always feel quite sad when I go there, as it's very easy to imagine (if not see) what it must have been like "in the old days". As the Wiki article says, most of the current station buildings are still there, and they are even now very impressive, even though most of them aren't used and are locked.

 

[Y961 XBU]

Ormskirk is one, i think it had 4 Platforms and now only has 1 and thats not exactly a through Platform as Merseyrail use one side and Northern use the other

Rainford used to have 4 or 6 Platforms and is left with 2

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Ambergate has been mentioned a couple of times, being a former triangular station. One of the surviving triangles is Shipley which lost one face on the Bradford to Skipton arm but gained two (over a period of 40 years or so!) on the Leeds to Skipton arm in order to create the triangle layout. Prior to the current P2, Leeds to Skipton services called at what is now 4, then reversed back out to take the then platformless side of the triangle towards Bingley.

 

[34087]

It was a long time ago, but AIRI surely it had 3 on the upper station?

Down LSW, up LSW and S&D. (the latter two being two sides of the same physical platform.)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Templecombe Lower had one platform on the up (west) side of the S&D single track.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Pontypridd is now back up to three platforms, as a new bay has opened at the Cardiff end of the old island platform.

Therefore, there's now the bay (for services down the valley), the Cardiff bound platform on the other side of the old island platform, and the "new" (well, about 20 years old!) northbound platform which is isolated from the rest of the station.

I knew the bay was being built but as I don't live anywhere near there any more had no idea it was finally open.

I can however remember the "new" platform (on the up line) being built taking the station to 2 platforms...

So the question is now, how long was Pontypridd operated as single platform station?

t.

Ian