RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted November 12, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 12, 2013 Hello all, Having just passed through Finsbury Park I found myself wondering why it has two single through tracks with platforms on both. Indeed, the second appears to have been just built, and is not yet in service. Cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 As far as I'm aware, the platform additions and alterations are to allow trains from the Hertford loop to run independently of the ECML. There should also be some track and alignment alterations going on as well. Any bets on whether the new platform will be numbered "zero"? Tracks with platform faces on either side are (or were) a pain. Platforms 1&2 at Norwood Junction spring to mind. No bother with sliding door trains, as you just release the doors on the side you want the passengers to use, but back in the days of slam door EPBs and VEPs, the guard needed eyes in the back of his head when trying to give the right away. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted November 12, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 12, 2013 I know the new arrangements at Finsbury Park were covered in Modern Railways a couple of months ago but I can't remember the details. Apart from an increase in track capacity, I think that there was concern about platforms at Finsbury Park becoming overcrowded at times. Many commuters for the West End prefer to change onto the Underground at FP than face the underground maze that is Kings Cross St Pancras. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 >>>Tracks with platform faces on either side are (or were) a pain..... As exemplified at Templecombe not long after the new platform was brought into service. Lots of passengers stood on new (Down)platform waiting to board. Guard opens doors on the wrong side, looks out, see no-one on the (now disused) Up platform, so shuts doors and train departs! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 I've read somewhere that they were designed that way so that commutors could pass through the trains (slam door compartment stock) to reach other platforms. Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Is this of help? http://www.londonreconnections.com/2013/the-past-and-future-of-finsbury-park/ Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted November 13, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 13, 2013 Thanks to all who've answered my query. Cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Going off topic (by about 15 miles north-south), I personally remember Norwood Junction from just before the dawn of sliding door units having used the station since the late 70s. A train from West Croydon would run into Platform 1 (& 2) and those leaving the station would get off the left side (in the direction of travel) and the vast majority would get off on Platform 2 and wait for the connection with the fast London Bridge service timed to arrive soon after on Platform 3. No steps required. A great idea back in the day of station staff. There were plenty on Platform 1 and always at least two staff on Platforms 2 & 3. Problems truly arose when there were no station staff to assist the guard. I'm not sure double-face platforms were designed in particular to allow passengers to use a stationary train as a cut-through, but they certainly did... Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 96701 Posted November 14, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 14, 2013 Getting back to topic. In the days of slam door non corridor stock, my boss travelled from York with the express intention of getting to Hornsey. On arrival at the Cross, he got on a semi-fast non-corridor to Finsbury Park to change to a suburban to Hornsey. The train he got from the Cross was very quiet and he was in a compartment on his own. He knew that the train from Finsbury Park to Hornsey was a bit of a tight connection, and he knew where to be on the train so that he could nip quickly down the stairs and under the subway onto the adjacent platform to board the Hornsey train. Anybody know where this is going? He got off the train right by the subway, nipped down the stairs, under the tracks and back up the other side. He was delighted to see his train in and got on board. Just in time, because the train set off as soon as he got aboard. He was just thinking how well he had done to catch his train, and looking around began to have a feeling of deja vu. He recognised the compartment he was in as the one he had just left when the train failed to stop at Haringey. He'd managed to leave one platform, nip down the stairs, back up the other side and board the same train from the other side before it left. The only redeeming feature was that nobody else was in the compartment to watch him do it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted November 14, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 14, 2013 Is this of help? http://www.londonreconnections.com/2013/the-past-and-future-of-finsbury-park/ Jon That's an interesting link, not just for Finsbury Pk but for wider discussion of London issues. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipstream Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 >>>Tracks with platform faces on either side are (or were) a pain..... As exemplified at Templecombe not long after the new platform was brought into service. Lots of passengers stood on new (Down)platform waiting to board. Guard opens doors on the wrong side, looks out, see no-one on the (now disused) Up platform, so shuts doors and train departs! Now that is funny. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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