Why does Stirling Station have so many platforms?

[Transilien]

I use Stirling often and I often wonder why in this day and age there are so many platforms that seemingly are never used. It probably made more sense in the Victorian era as the station was used a lot more. These platforms have been fully electrified and are signed. How did they survive all modernisation and rationalisation efforts?

 

[30907]

I use Stirling often and I often wonder why in this day and age there are so many platforms that seemingly are never used. It probably made more sense in the Victorian era as the station was used a lot more. These platforms have been fully electrified and are signed. How did they survive all modernisation and rationalisation efforts?

Some are used for stabling: 5 and 7-10 this morning seemingly - by electric stock of course.

 

[matchmaker]

Stirling is/was two stations in one. The NBR/LNER "S&D line" on the north - platfoms 6 & 9, the Caledonian/LMS lines on the south - platfoms 2 & 3. The various bay platfoms were used for local services. There were 3 loco sheds - Burghmuir (later South), Shore Road (later North) and Cowpark. There were also separate goods yards for the different companies.

 

[QueensCurve]

I use Stirling often and I often wonder why in this day and age there are so many platforms that seemingly are never used. It probably made more sense in the Victorian era as the station was used a lot more. These platforms have been fully electrified and are signed. How did they survive all modernisation and rationalisation efforts?

Why does Dundee station have so few platforms?

 

[The exile]

Why does Dundee station have so few platforms?

Because it was originally only one of three stations in the city.

 

[QueensCurve]

Because it was originally only one of three stations in the city.

Yes. I remember the former Dundee West having a small Freightliner terminal

 

[andy33gmail]

Consequence of it being organised as two termini rather than a large through station

 

[MadMac]

Yes. I remember the former Dundee West having a small Freightliner terminal

At the time of the resignalling some 41 years ago (!), there were plans to have Dundee become something of a Freightliner “hub” for Tayside.

 

[QueensCurve]

At the time of the resignalling some 41 years ago (!), there were plans to have Dundee become something of a Freightliner “hub” for Tayside.

I remember the remodelling, but I didn't know that

 

[AMD]

Platform one hasn't survived

 

[Transilien]

Platform one hasn't survived

Does anyone know when it was removed?

 

[Dfatcontroller]

I use Stirling often and I often wonder why in this day and age there are so many platforms that seemingly are never used. It probably made more sense in the Victorian era as the station was used a lot more. These platforms have been fully electrified and are signed. How did they survive all modernisation and rationalisation efforts?

During disruption all the south facing bay platforms are very welcome!

 

[Transilien]

During disruption all the south facing bay platforms are very welcome!

I'll give you that. But do we really need 3 of them? However, have never seen the north-facing ones used, ever.

 

[Macwomble]

However, have never seen the north-facing ones used, ever.

Fully used every night for both Alloa & Dunblane (ECS) early morning starters.

 

[Iron_Duke]

The capacity is very useful in disruption, to an extent. If you wanted to terminate a Dunblane service you can restart it from one of the south facing bays. There used to require a shunt movement into those platforms but may have changed after some resignalling in 2010ish. Looking at RTT, Lumo will make use of P6 and P10 for their services. P10 was always the motorail platform back in the day.

 

[numtot12345]

Might the additional platforms also be useful for when they hopefully electrify the Dunblane-Perth section?

 

[Snow1964]

I'll give you that. But do we really need 3 of them? However, have never seen the north-facing ones used, ever.

Useful for disruption, have you seen threads eg why does it take Thameslink so long to recover. If don't keep spare reversing points then it can take hours, or remainder of day to restore a service, or start doing passenger unfriendly things like skipping stations (even if served at low frequency, and north of Stirling if a train is axed it is epic wait for next one).

 

[waverley47]

Basically it boils down to historical reasons, that the station was built as an amalgam of different companies.

Since then, it's never been rationalised, with the exception of the old platform 1, which became the servicing and cleaning siding for a while, at least until the early 90s.

The station needs the full assortment of platforms because it's relatively unique for large Scottish stations in that there isn't a depot nearby. Bear in mind there is no access from platforms 2 or 3 to Alloa, so you basically have five bays and one through road available for use for stabling on any given night, and there's overnight services through the station using the through roads.

The lack of a depot means that in order to start units at Alloa or Dunblane, you'd need to shuttle them up early morning from Eastfield or Waverley/Millerhill, whereas parking them in the bays and having the station as a driver depot means you save on that. All the bays are used, although not necessarily in passenger service.

 

[InOban]

Originally there was to be a new depot S of Stirling but there was local opposition and stabling in the station saved money but presumably means that only cleaning can take place. I assume that they have to visit either Eastfield or Millerhill for toilet discharge and water.

 

[Dfatcontroller]

I'll give you that. But do we really need 3 of them? However, have never seen the north-facing ones used, ever.

North facing bays are utilised for unit stabling. Not suitable for passenger use though for services running late from the north that could be turned back at Stirling.

 

[Parallel]

Platform 10 is used regularly on Sundays for terminating services from Glasgow Queen Street.

 

[drb61]

Extension of the Dalmuir - Cumbernauld services to Stirling has been on my wish list for some time, but I appreciate this isn't currently operationally feasible (as I understand the 318s/320s are not suitable for conductor operation which would be required north of Cumbernauld), but may be when their replacement fleet comes into service. These will likely be 5 or 6 car units and may be too long for the bay platforms at Stirling, so having the 'surplus' platforms such as 10 might be useful for an hourly Dalmuir - Stirling (via Hamilton) service, which based on the current timetable could have a long turnaround time of around 40 minutes at Stirling.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Does anyone know when it was removed?

Don't have a definitive date, but the nearby Regal Cinema in Stirling was demolished in March 1968 to enable the Southbound A9 (Burghmuir Road) to be built/widened in due course, so likely the former (north-facing bay?) Platform 1 at Stirling went sometime shortly after then (now part of the station car park?)

 

[matchmaker]

North facing bays are utilised for unit stabling. Not suitable for passenger use though for services running late from the north that could be turned back at Stirling.

Unlike the south facing bays, they are not signalled for passenger use - the point separating them is a hand point.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Don't have a definitive date, but the nearby Regal Cinema in Stirling was demolished in March 1968 to enable the Southbound A9 (Burghmuir Road) to be built/widened in due course, so likely the former (north-facing bay?) Platform 1 at Stirling went sometime shortly after then (now part of the station car park?)

There's a pic in the "Scottish Railways - Then & Now" book by Gavin Morrison, published 1999, showing Stirling station, taken in October 1998, which appears to show Platform 1 and adjacent sidings still 'in situ'. However, they are no longer there in the 2007 (5th) edition of "Railway Track Diagrams" - Scotland & Isle of Man.

 

[AMD]

Platform 1 was still in non passenger use in the early 90's - it was used to stable the 158s when train crew were being trained on their introduction. After that I don't think it saw much use other than the odd tamper?

 

[Ian Hardy]

There's a pic in the "Scottish Railways - Then & Now" book by Gavin Morrison, published 1999, showing Stirling station, taken in October 1998, which appears to show Platform 1 and adjacent sidings still 'in situ'. However, they are no longer there in the 2007 (5th) edition of "Railway Track Diagrams" - Scotland & Isle of Man.

Platform 1 and adjacent sidings are shown in the Quail "Railway Track Diagrams" - Scotland & Isle of Man editions 1st - 1987; 2nd 1993, 3rd 1996

However edn 4 - 2001 & edn 5 - 2007 only has a single siding shown, which gained the name DN North Siding in edn 6 - 2017 & the current edn 7 - 2021.

 

[BeijingDave]

Why does Dundee station have so few platforms?

Besides it having been one of three stations in the city, as I recall (from my one visit), there probably isn't any way it could be expanded unless possibly by using the sidings at the side of platform 4, which are on a higher level, so would make for a very awkward station arrangement (like Portsmouth & Southsea in reverse).