"R.C. Payne" wrote

Are you sure about London Bridge? I'd have thought that the through
platforms (1-6) can accomodate more. IIRC, there are 12 car Kent Coast
trains that call at 6 on the way up to Charing Cross, and 6 has a whole
section fenced off because it's redundant for current train lengths.

Platforms then numbered 1-4, 6 and 7 were extended from 8- to 10-car length
in the mid 1950s for the South Eastern Suburban '10-car scheme' (ater
Bulleid's 4DDs were found not to be the answer to peak overcrowding). To do
this the No. 5 Up Through Line was removed.

In the mid-1970s as part of the London Bridge resignalling a new Up
Passenger Loop was created asjacent to the platform 6 (renumbered from 7)
track. At the same time platform 6 was renumbered 5. The Up Passenger Loop
and platform 6 line converge immediately beyond the station, with an overlap
measured in inches rather than metres. Around 1990 platforms were again
extended to 12-car length, and the opportunity was taken to set the starting
signals back to provide a slightly more satisfactory overlap.

I'm not sure ifr platform 5 could take a train longer than 12 cars in the
down direction, but apart from that the statement that London Bridge has no
platform that can take a train longer than 12 cars is correct. Anyway, a
longer train could not be accommodated at Charing Cross or Cannon Street.

AIUI the only 'Southern' termini able to take a train longer than 12x20m are
platform 2 at Victoria (which used to cope with the Night Ferry, which could
load to 17 vehicles behind the loco), the ex-E* platforms at Waterloo, and
the northbound platform at Kensington Olympia.

Peter