"Peter Masson" wrote in message
...

The only real advantage of having island platforms at SPILL will be if
trains arrive off the Midland and Great Northern Lines together they will
be
able to unload either side of the island, instead of one having to wait
outside.

Not quite the only advantage. If you have completely independent southbound
routes up to the starters at the end of the platform, then a train from the
ECML can pull into platform X as a train is leaving platform Y, even if the
two are not at the platform simultaneously. It makes it more likely that 24
trains per hour will be possible.

Regards

Jonathan