On 4 Aug, 11:39, "Peter Masson" wrote:
"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.

That doesn't sound quite right. There must have been plenty of twelve-
coach trains through London Bridge before 1990 (although they used to
hang over the end at Charing Cross at 5 and 6, and couldn't have
fitted in the others).

As far as I know, the changes around 1993 were to extend all platforms
at Charing Cross to take twelve coaches comfortably and to extend
platforms at London Bridge so that there was a long distance between
the subways and where the trains stopped, so that people wouldn't jump
out of hiding and try to open the door of a train.

That was what encroached on the country end of the former platform 7.

Now that there are no slam-door trains, I don't really see the need
for the long walk which could be used for longer trains but, as you
say, there are no platforms long enough at Charing Cross anyway.


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