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Post by stuartroy on May 18, 2014 12:26:25 GMT
First, I think I'm right in saying that platforms are numbered 1-4 from north to south, but if it's the other way around please excuse and re-interpret accordingly!
Is it the case (since the introduction of the tea-cup Circle) that, in normal service, through Circle and H&C trains use p1 and p4, while terminating Circle and District trains use p2 and p3? Is it also the case the reversing District trains normally use p3, while reversing Circles use p2, or is it completely random?
I recently took a District train from Paddington (Praed Street) arriving at p3 and wanted to continue on the Circle towards Kings Cross, so had to cross the footbridge at Edgware Road. By the time I had negotiated the stairs with my heavy luggage, the following (reversing) Circle had already arrived on p2. Had I known about likely platform allocation, I could have saved myself a difficult change by waiting for the next Circle at Paddington.
If what I have said is indeed true in normal service, does any one have any idea how often "normal service" wouldn't apply? And would it not be a good idea to find some way of suggesting that passengers (especially those with luggage) who wish to continue on the outer rail Circle wait (or change) for a Circle train at Paddington? Not only would that have benefited me, I can't imagine that my slow progress over the footbridge was exactly a help to smooth traffic flow.
Were I travelling in the reverse direction, I would almost certainly have done the cross-platform change from p4 to p3 and changed again later if necessary.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2014 12:39:36 GMT
This is very normal and you may notices that platform 2 is signposted exclusively as the circle and platform 3 may well be signposted exclusively as the district. However, obviously when things go up the wall, or even with minor troubles then I'm sure circles can be put into platform 3 and the district into platform 2 - whatever works best to keep the service going. For ease, I'll attach a diagram from my blog that some may find useful    N.B.: This represents standard service patterns only (also I should point out that the 1st and 3rd Paddingtons are Paddington (Suburban) (thence to Hammersmith) and the middle Paddington is Paddington (Praed Street) (thence towards High Street Kensington). The track layout here is much more complicated and trains can go east to Baker from platforms 2 & 3 and can arrive in platform 3 on the west. This just shows what usually happens Obviously as stressed the line allocation of these platforms is flexible in reality, but this is the norm. |
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Post by crusty54 on May 18, 2014 15:49:15 GMT
At Paddington anyone travelling towards King's Cross should always use the H&C/Circle platform.
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Post by superteacher on May 18, 2014 16:09:02 GMT
Although it's a long walk from the main station entrance.
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Post by stuartroy on May 18, 2014 16:22:23 GMT
tut - Thank you, this confirms what I suspected to be the case. Didn't work up the enthusiasm to study the signage at Edgware Road, but I'm sure you're right!
crusty - Purely from the tube point of view, I agree. However, arriving at Paddington on the National Rail concourse at the buffer end of the platform, the simple one-escalator straight-ahead route to Praed Street is a much more attractive proposition. On arriving at Paddington on the Circle/H&C platforms a few days previously, I had found the route to the main National Rail concourse rather long and tortuous. Praed Street was probably quicker, even with the change at Edgware Road.
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Post by stuartroy on May 18, 2014 16:28:06 GMT
One further thought, looking at tut's diagram, is that while I'm sure the ability to route services to/from the Baker Street direction into p2 and p3 is occasionally valuable operationally, how much easier things would be from the passenger point of view if these platforms were indeed bay platforms with the ability to walk around on the level at the east end!
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Post by crusty54 on May 18, 2014 17:13:50 GMT
There is a bridge at the half way point on the National Rail platforms which provides a short cut to/from the H&C/Circle platforms.
It is a longer walk than it used to be but better than the long way round.
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Post by Hassaan on May 19, 2014 2:35:27 GMT
There is a bridge at the half way point on the National Rail platforms which provides a short cut to/from the H&C/Circle platforms. It is a longer walk than it used to be but better than the long way round. Ah yes, they closed off the end of the rickety old footbridge linking P10/11 & 13/14 so you can't go easily to the H&C, you have to double back to where the barriers and ramp down to P7/8 are and turn left immediately after the barriers. Mind you, Paddington station needs a lot of getting used to. It is better to use the ramp up from P7/8 which links to the place by the taxi rank rather than use the escalator by P12, and if you do arrive on it then follow the signs for P13/14 if you need the H&C. I've only just got used to this, however then today I managed to end up at the rear of a SB Bakerloo as there are cctv monitors for a bang road start and I thought it was the front  |
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2014 15:40:55 GMT
Today, I was heading back to Edgware Road from Wimbledon and our train was held for a little while short of Praed St. Junction. The T/Op informed us that this was due to blocking back caused/aggravated by door problems at Edgware Rd (I'm paraphrasing). When we made our way into the platform I noticed an S7 standing at westbound platform 4 up as a District line train to Wimbledon.
Am I right in thinking that this must have taking quite some shuffling of trains to achieve? I didn't think the District used platform 4 much (obviously this was the result of the blocking back), but I believe platform 4 cannot be accessed from the eastbound District am I right? Meaning that this train must surely have come from the siding - 26 road? As it happens I went through Edgware Rd before this and saw a shiny train in the siding which was not there when I returned, so I presume that's what happened, but I just wanted confirmation, since the only other way I know of to reach platform 4 is from platform 6 at Baker Street. Is it possible to shunt there from platform 3? Also could anyone give details of the move to get a train from 26 rd into platform 4?
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Colin
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Post by Colin on May 30, 2014 14:31:21 GMT
May well have been a simple reform - make a westbound Hammersmith bound train into a Westbound District.......swap drivers and hey presto, you now have a District technically on the wrong platform.
I don't know without digging around for info, but the likely scenario is a District had door issues and it was reformed with a Hammersmith bound train which would have then gone to the depot at Hammersmith to be looked at.
Its unlikely that any shunting would have been done as the inevitable severe delay would affect three different lines.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2014 14:55:18 GMT
May well have been a simple reform - make a westbound Hammersmith bound train into a Westbound District.......swap drivers and hey presto, you now have a District technically on the wrong platform. I don't know without digging around for info, but the likely scenario is a District had door issues and it was reformed with a Hammersmith bound train which would have then gone to the depot at Hammersmith to be looked at. Its unlikely that any shunting would have been done as the inevitable severe delay would affect three different lines. Thanks The thought had crossed my mind but I dismissed it as unlikely. I suppose the S stock offers much more flexibility in that regard and it's interesting to hear how it can assist reforming even across lines (of course I'm sure Circles becoming H&Cs was very common). The train on 26 rd definitely went somewhere mind but it obviously could have gone anywhere. |
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Post by norbitonflyer on May 31, 2014 10:03:38 GMT
I suppose the S stock offers much more flexibility in that regard It wasn't unheard of with C stock either. On my most recent journey along the north side of the Circle (a couple of years ago) I boarded a Wimbledon train at Baker Street. Of course S stock would also allow District "main" services to be reformed as Circle, H&C or Edgware Road services |
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