David Cantrell wrote in news:20130218142221.GF1562
@bytemark.barnyard.co.uk:


On which subject, I see that Southern are extending the platforms at
places like Balham, Thornton Heath etc to allow for 10 carriage trains.

This would make a lot of sense, except that all those platforms (except
Battersea Park as previously noted) are already long enough for 8
carriages, and yet even at the busiest times of day they still run
plenty of 4 carriage trains. Longer platforms are no damned good unless
you've also got the carriages to put next to them, and the space in
sidings to service and store them overnight, and Southern are obviously
missing at least one of these.

Did I miss some announcement about Southern buying loads of carriages?


Yes, and they will be five car units, hence the need for ten car platforms.

http://www.rail.co/2012/12/20/first-...rs-completion/