A rant about trains

[DarkestDreams]

I believe that Kings Cross is getting a Platform Zero soon. It's just easier than renumbering the existing ones that everyone's been used to.

I just find this to be quite absurd. Surely it wouldn't cause that much disruption to renumber the platforms? It's messed up as it is, they need a bit of a shake up. I know it's not getting redesigned to the extent that St Pancras was, but that's no reason not to improve the current system at Kings Cross.

[iSon]

Incidentally, I've since found out that the people on the phone just totally bullshitted me. I could have collected the tickets from the fast ticket machine using any debit card, as long as I had the correct reference number. I don't think I need to elaborate on my thoughts here.

Where did you "find out" this information? I'd be very surprised if this was the case - although as I said above there certainly should have been something they could do for you.

when i book my tickets through work, i collect them from the ticket machine in the reception area at work by simply punching in the reference number (no debit/credit cards required). if i forget to collect them however i can collect them from any station with fast ticket machines, in which case i can insert any credit/debit card even though it was booked on corporate account.

so i presumed the need for a debit card was just as a record of who had collected the tickets?

Corporate accounts work slightly different. If your corporate account is through theTrainline then you are able to specify the restrictions, or not, against ticket bookings made through the account. So if you want it, you can collect tickets with any card or no card at all. It's mostly done for ease of use as corporate accounts are a lot more "trusted" because generally you know who you're taking payment from and so on.

If you book through theTrainline proper or one of the many train operating companies that use its booking engine then you will need to insert the original debit/credit card. This is stop people using someone else's stolen card details over the phone/internet and then being able to collect tickets without having the original card.

[tillyoshea]

I've bought tickets via the East Coast website, pre and post nationalisation, and often picked them from the machines at the station with a different card: Booked on a credit card, which I don't always carry, and collected with my debit card, which I do.

It's never been a problem for me.

[Alexia]

I believe that Kings Cross is getting a Platform Zero soon. It's just easier than renumbering the existing ones that everyone's been used to.

I just find this to be quite absurd.

Yes, we know. However the numerical system actually goes 0123456789, so mathematically at least it's accurate, and easy to implement as the good Inspector says, and is the least disruptive (adding one 0 sign is better than removing and replacing the other squillions of platform signs) and most (i.e. non idiotic) people should understand it.

Darkest dreams imagine you had to replace ALL instances of platform numbers at Kings Cross. Bloody nightmare. So much easier to just add one 0 sign.

[scottishtv]

I don't like receiving automatic apologies from roboannouncers.

Not sure if it still happens, but the robo-lady at Edinburgh Waverley used to apologise for late arriving through-trains every minute until they eventually arrived.

It would not be uncommon to turn up at the station and hear "I'm sorry that the 1130 service to London King's Cross is running thirty six minutes late. GNER apologises for this late running and any inconvenience it may cause you."

About 40 seconds later the announcement would repeat, but she'd say thirty seven obviously.

The other trains would have their departures automatically announced three minutes before they left, and these announcements would take priority over the apologies. However, you then had a situation where the apology was in a queue behind normal service announcements and could go from one apology straight into another for the same train.

Drove me bonkers, but theybut had this running for months - and may still do. I'm not a regular at the station these days. I know in times of severe disruption they switched off most of it altogether and had platform alterations etc. announced by a human. Scotrail uses a human at Haymarket.

[steddenm]

Bristol Temple Meads also has odd platform numbering...

Platform 1 - Services to Severn Beach/Avonmouth (Was platform 12)
Platform 2 - No longer signalled for passenger use (Was platform 11)
Platform 3 - Bi-directional (Was platform 9)
Platform 4 - Bi-directional (Was platform 10)
Platform 5 - Bi-directional (Was platform 6)
Platform 6 - Bi-directional (Was platform 8)
Platform 7 - Loco stabling (was never used before)
Platform 8 - Split to become platform 7a and 8 (Was platform 6, then 8)
Platform 9 - Split to become platforms 9 and 10 (was platform 5)
Platform 10 - See Platform 9
Platform 11 - Bi-directional (Was platform 4)
Platform 12 - Bi-directional (Was platform 3)
Platform 13 - Bi-directional (Was platform 2)
Platform 14 - Doesn't exist
Platform 15 - Services to London Paddington (Was platform 1)

The old platforms 13, 14 and 15 were closed to passenger traffic in 1965 and are now used to store departmental stock as well as loco stablling.

Exeter Central has three numbered platforms, however Platform 1, a bay platform on the London Waterloo end is no longer in use.

Exeter St Davids has two 'up' (London) platforms however these are in different directions. First Great Western depart towards Taunton for London Paddington, whilst South West Trains depart towards Exeter Central for London Waterloo.

Hinckley (Leics)
Hinckley station used to be numbered Platforms L and N but in 1992 were re-numbered 1 and 2. L (1) went to Leicester and N (2) went towards Nuneaton and Birmingham.

London Waterloo
London Waterloo is also an odd station. Before the Eurostar International station was built they had 26 platforms (however platforms 22-26 were at Waterloo East station). Platforms 1-20 were used for Network South East (now SWT) services and 21 and 22 were the Network South East's Waterloo & City Line station (Underground). Today London Waterloo has 30 platforms, with 1-20 used by SWT, 20-24 are in the International (unused) Station, A, B, C and D are now in Waterloo East and another A and B are now used for the Waterloo & City Underground Line.

Also, once the refurb work is carried out at Sunderland station, the platforms will be renumbered A, B, C and D. A and C will be used for Northern and Grand Central services, whilst B and C will be used for Newcastle Metro services.

At Manchester Piccadilly, they have 14 National Rail platforms (Platforms 13 and 14 are on an overbridge to the west of the station and these are split into 13A, 13B and 14A and 14B). Officially there are also Platforms 15 and 16 but these are used by the Stagecoach Metrolink services and renumbered A and B respectively. A is a platform for terminating services, whilst B is used for services to Eccles, Bury and Altrincham.

[cdd]

But then that could be a load of old hogwash like your web site couldn't it?

[James H]

Eh?

[Pete]

Eh?

http://www.tvforum.co.uk/forums/topic30710/

[Nick Harvey]

He's probably right about Hinkley. After all, he does have connections near there, doesn't he.

[Inspector Sands]

I believe that Kings Cross is getting a Platform Zero soon. It's just easier than renumbering the existing ones that everyone's been used to.

I just find this to be quite absurd. Surely it wouldn't cause that much disruption to renumber the platforms? It's messed up as it is, they need a bit of a shake up. I know it's not getting redesigned to the extent that St Pancras was, but that's no reason not to improve the current system at Kings Cross.

Except for Platform 9 3/4 (the sign for which was between 8 and 9) they aren't messed up are they? they go 1 on one side to 11 on the other. St Pancras is confusing despite being rebuilt, the platforms are split into 4 different sections

I've never understood why most tube stations have platform numbering, most people even the staff refer to them as 'north/southbound or east/westbound'