Amusing announcement at Maidenhead

[whole diary]

[johoare]

I was waiting for a train at Maidenhead on Thursday evening about 5.15pm.. There was an announcement that there was a fast train coming through platform 3 so to stand well clear of the platform edge.. (there are 4 through platforms by the way  )..

Within a minute of the announcement, fast trains had past through platforms 1,2 and 4, but nothing at all through platform 3...

It kept me amused, whilst I waited for my train, wondering if these announcements were automatic (in which case they weren't working), or manual (in which case someone pressed the wrong button!  )

[Chris from Nailsea]

In the past, I've heard similar announcements (clearly pre-recorded) about trains that 'will not be stopping' at certain platforms at Bristol Temple Meads.

Rather intrigued, bearing in mind this is apparently a train which goes through BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains), but does not stop there, I've then been amused to see a train arrive and terminate there.

The wonders of pre-recorded announcements, eh? 

[JayMac]

In the past, I've heard similar announcements (clearly pre-recorded) about trains that 'will not be stopping' at certain platforms at Bristol Temple Meads.

Rather intrigued, bearing in mind this is apparently a train which goes through BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains), but does not stop there, I've then been amused to see a train arrive and terminate there.

The wonders of pre-recorded announcements, eh? 

I'm guessing that the announcements at Temple Meads usually refer to trains passing one 'platform' to stop at another. Most 'platform' rail faces at Temple Meads are actually two numbered platforms. Excepting 1, 13 and 15. I believe their are similar announcements at most stations where there is more than one 'platform' per rail face.

BTW^▸ (by the way), has anyone yet discovered platform 14 at Temple Meads? Perhaps it is a mysterious portal to another world like Platform 8 3/4 at Kings Cross. I would try running at various walls on 13/15 in an effort to find it, but aside from the injuries, I'd probably be asked, kindly but firmly, to leave the station premises. 

[devon_metro]

And here is the explanation.

All south platforms at Temple Meads are even numbers, 2,4,6,8,10,12. 13 has buffers, so if it was a through line, 14 would be at the southern end of it 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From wikipedia:

The platforms are numbered from 1 to 15, but passenger trains are confined to just eight tracks. The numbering system means that most are numbered separately at each end with odd numbers at the east end, and even numbers at the west end. To further complicate matters, platform 2 is not signalled for passenger trains, and platform 14 does not exist.

and,

Bristol Panel Signal Box was built on the site of the Platform 14 after it closed. When opened it controlled 280 multiple-aspect signals and 243 motor-worked points on 114 miles (183 km) of routes around Bristol, the largest area controlled by a single signal box on British Rail at the time.

[bemmy]

From wikipedia:

Bristol Panel Signal Box was built on the site of the Platform 14 after it closed. When opened it controlled 280 multiple-aspect signals and 243 motor-worked points on 114 miles (183 km) of routes around Bristol, the largest area controlled by a single signal box on British Rail at the time.

That was Platform 14 under the old numbering system - the signal box is opposite the present day Platform 1, which is the rump of the old Platform 12 coming out of Brunel's original station, the rest of which is a covered car park.