In message
, at
04:28:08 on Sun, 3 Aug 2008,
remarked:
Other stations similarly constrained include London Bridge (no
platform can take more than 12 cars), Liverpool Street, Kings Cross
and Cambridge. Glasgow Central also has a number of short platforms.

The through platform at Cambridge needs extending by about half a
carriage (either end) to accommodate 12-car trains in the Thameslink
plan [maybe they were originally designed for a loco +10]. But if they
are thinking of running 12-car trains then presumably these will be made
of 4-cars from Kings Lynn joining the rear of a fresh 8-cars, and the
northern half of the platform will therefore be blocked by this
operation for five minutes. [And the converse in the evening].

The peak FCC trains tend to use main KX platforms these days, which are
already accommodating a few 12-car trains to Peterborough. In the
distant future they may run through to the south (unless TLK-2012 turns
out not to incorporate this much-awaited feature).

--
Roland Perry

In message , at 14:03:48 on
Sun, 3 Aug 2008, David Hansen
remarked:
Some years ago a lady got off a HST at Markinch. She had not checked
to see if there was a platform to put her feet on and as a result
she broke her ankle when she landed on the lineside. Such things
are/were not common, but are a reason to slowly eliminate the
possibility.

On lines equipped with conductor rails the result might be worse. In
some places, generally in built up areas, lines come together
quickly after the platform and someone could fall onto or near
another line. Some platforms are near bridges and there is the
possibility of people stepping off into a river or over a large
drop, or onto a bridge parapet which they then fall off. The
relatively well known case of the former was at Bath Spa, with a
soldier stepping out of a train and falling into the river.

I've seen people almost getting off an over-length slam-door southern
region train at Wokingham - the result would be landing on the level
crossing!
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote

I've seen people almost getting off an over-length slam-door southern
region train at Wokingham - the result would be landing on the level
crossing!

Overlength, or just stopped short? Anything over 8 coaches on the Windsor
Lines would be an embarrassment, as few if any of the platforms are longer,
and particularly nothing longer than 8 can use platforms 4A/4B at Reading -
indeed, they had to move the starting signals to get 8-car 458s in there.

Peter

On Sun, 3 Aug 2008 14:17:47 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote this gibberish:

In message , at 12:12:36 on Sun, 3
Aug 2008, Tim Ward remarked:
In slam door days there were three options:

4 - everybody just got onto the right carriage in the first place, as per
the notices and announcements at the point of embarkation - "front two
coaches for x" etc.

That's usually because the trains split, rather than a short platform.
For some reason this is regarded as less passenger-unfriendly than only
opening half the doors, presumably because at the station where the
train splits there's the ability to change units if it turns out you are
the wrong one.

Perhaps one of the options for the Cambridge trains is to run fast to
Letchworth then split into 8 & 4 car units. One running fast to
Cambridge and the other becoming an all station stopper.

One of the trains I take fairly often splits and even with many many
announcements there are always people swapping at the station where
the train splits (haywards heath).
--
Mark Varley
www.MarkVarleyPhoto.co.uk
www.TwistedPhotography.co.uk
London, England.

Roland Perry wrote:

The through platform at Cambridge needs extending by about half a
carriage (either end) to accommodate 12-car trains in the Thameslink
plan [maybe they were originally designed for a loco +10]. But if they
are thinking of running 12-car trains then presumably these will be made
of 4-cars from Kings Lynn joining the rear of a fresh 8-cars, and the
northern half of the platform will therefore be blocked by this
operation for five minutes. [And the converse in the evening].

How about building another platform, as at Wolverhampton and Rugby, or
is there something sacred about the Cambridge layout?
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9632982.html
(43 171 at Stockport, 1985)

In message , at 16:04:47 on
Sun, 3 Aug 2008, Peter Masson remarked:
I've seen people almost getting off an over-length slam-door southern
region train at Wokingham - the result would be landing on the level
crossing!

Overlength, or just stopped short? Anything over 8 coaches on the Windsor
Lines would be an embarrassment, as few if any of the platforms are longer,
and particularly nothing longer than 8 can use platforms 4A/4B at Reading -
indeed, they had to move the starting signals to get 8-car 458s in there.

This would have been about 1980. Does Wokingham normally have room for 8
cars?
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 16:10:03 on
Sun, 3 Aug 2008, Chris Tolley remarked:
The through platform at Cambridge needs extending by about half a
carriage (either end) to accommodate 12-car trains in the Thameslink
plan [maybe they were originally designed for a loco +10]. But if they
are thinking of running 12-car trains then presumably these will be made
of 4-cars from Kings Lynn joining the rear of a fresh 8-cars, and the
northern half of the platform will therefore be blocked by this
operation for five minutes. [And the converse in the evening].

How about building another platform, as at Wolverhampton and Rugby, or
is there something sacred about the Cambridge layout?

There are apparently plans for an island platform, but that may be more
because they want to shift the terminus a couple of miles north to
Chesterton Sidings.
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote

This would have been about 1980. Does Wokingham normally have room for 8
cars?

It's had 8-car trains for many years - although IIRC until the 1970s the
more common arrangement was for 8-car trains to split at Ascot into Reading
and Guildford via Aldershot portions.

Peter

On 3 Aug, 12:00, "Peter Masson" wrote:

3 - Passengers climb down to track level. I've done this at Culrain, and at
Corrour, when the Saturday evening train used to have a 6 coach seats and
sleeper portion for London, plus a 6 coach portion for Glasgow. I alighted
somewhere in the vicinity of the loop points.

On a recent trip on the IoMR the one passenger for Ronaldsway climbed
down to track level and walked back to the "platform".

Ian

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...

How about building another platform, as at Wolverhampton and Rugby, or
is there something sacred about the Cambridge layout?

There are apparently plans for an island platform, but that may be more
because they want to shift the terminus a couple of miles north to
Chesterton Sidings.

Alternatively there are some people who think the island platform scheme is
designed to scupper Chesterton Parkway, as if you get one you won't need the
other. But understanding rail conspiracy theories is beyond me, so please
don't shoot the messenger!

--
Tim Ward - posting as an individual unless otherwise clear
Brett Ward Limited - www.brettward.co.uk
Cambridge Accommodation Notice Board - www.brettward.co.uk/canb
Cambridge City Councillor