Highgate platforms

[Deleted]

Desiring to travel from Highgate to Warren Street earlier to-day I walked to the northern end of the Southbound platform. In came the train and those of you familiar with the station will know what I had to do next.

Why is the platform so long? It seems to be a good deal longer than those found on the stations to the south. And why isn't there a barrier blocking off the end of the platform?

Presumably this state of affairs holds good of both platforms but I only saw the southbound. And please forgive me if this query has already been answered

[kabsonline]

My knowledge is not great so this might be utter rubbish but vaguely remember it from the Video 125 DEV. 9 car trains used to run (when it first opened) and Highgate was one of the stations these trains stopped at. Or there were plans to run 9 car trains. The platforms were definetly designed to handle 9 car trains anyway

[Deleted]

It was planned to run 9-car trains on the Barnet branch, but it never happened. But Highgate (low level) station was built for 9-car trains. East Finchley was also built for 9 cars. Other Barnet line stations would either be lengthened or adapted. If you look carefully today at, say, Woodside Park and Totteridge northbound station starting signals, these are in the position where the bottom of the extended platform ramp would have been - put there when the line opened in 1940.

The plan was for 4x9 Edgware branch (which happened until WW2) and 4x9 Barnet branch. There were 10x9 trains of 1938 Stock ordered for this service 8x9 for service and one spare each branch.

A maximum of 4x9-car trains did operate Edgware - Kennington (too long a story for here!), but only two 9-car 1938s operated as they were intended - the rest became 7-car 'block' trains.

[Deleted]

Thankyou both.

That's my first question answered

[Jerome H]

Not my video, but the quality could be nicer.

[Deleted]

Jul 12, 2012 21:08:26 GMT Jerome H said:

Not my video, but the quality could be nicer.

Thanks. The "gap" is clearly visible at about 20 seconds in.

[angelislington]

It's a good point, guys - why isn't the extra bit of platform barriered off?

(yes I know 'barriered' isn't a word, but I don't care. S'there.)

[Rich32]

Jul 17, 2012 18:36:33 GMT angelislington said:

(yes I know 'barriered' isn't a word, but I don't care. S'there.)

Is it not We use it at work.

[Ben]

Dont give them ideas; theyre barrier-happy enough as it is (with all the costs involved for relocation, etc.)!

[rincew1nd]

It's not really a huge amount of platform. On the Bury line of Manchester Metrolink only a third of platform is used by the trams, so they're barriered. Perhaps a sign would be sufficient "trains do not stop here, please move down the platform.

[trt]

Yellow platform hashing like they use at Moorgate to indicate that you cannot board the train at that point.

[Jerome H]

I thought the yellow hashing at moorgate was because the train did stop there but the platform wasn't wide enough to accomodate standing passengers and ones exiting the train.

Nevertheless, I can't imagine it would be too much of a fuss to get it sorted. Are there connections or exits at the parts of the platform where the train doesn't stop?

[trt]

Jul 18, 2012 9:37:19 GMT trt said:

... to indicate that you cannot board the train at that point ...

[superteacher]

Jul 18, 2012 16:16:04 GMT Jerome H said:

I thought the yellow hashing at moorgate was because the train did stop there but the platform wasn't wide enough to accomodate standing passengers and ones exiting the train.

Nevertheless, I can't imagine it would be too much of a fuss to get it sorted. Are there connections or exits at the parts of the platform where the train doesn't stop?

You are correct about Moorgate. As for Highgate, there are no exits on those parts of the platform, although I do believe there is a cross passage.

[fleetline]

As my old home station I know it well. Both ends of the platforms have cross passageways hence why they aren't taped off. And yes I've seen people use them!

You can always tell an outside at Highgate by when they stand outside the train area!

However I believe 9 car trains did indeed run with Highgate being the last station for the extra carriages but I believe the trick at Leicester Square was to have the front two in the tunnel allowing the theatre loving masses to have a more private jounery from the further reaches of the system. The same applied on the way back as well, not not sure of the time frame for this.

I'm surprised no signs have appeared to move own but it's not that busy as station for non locals (Archway onwards it gets really busy) and I like the Northern Heights look to be kept as much as possible as it was built.

The difference between this and the trams is the platforms were new build where Metrolink simply has platforms that used to be served by peak six car EMU's!

[Deleted]

Nine-car trains never ran on the Highgate branch. They ran on the Edgware branch for a short time, but were withdrawn at the outbreak of war. The extension to East Finchley came into use around the start of the war, with Highgate brought into use some time later.

After the war, LT decided that 9-car trains were too much trouble to operate; and they required expensive special trains that would make only two fully-loaded runs each day.