Yellow line, red line

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Just seen a picture of one (pair) of platforms at Manchester Piccadilly where there's the "usual" yellow line and then further back a red line, with the area between the the red and yellow lines reserve for people getting on to the next train.   

Do we have any such platforms in the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) (or perhaps TfL^» (Transport for London - about) / SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) areas) where such a system would be appropriate, or is even in place?

[ray951]

This could be useful at Oxford especially P3 and P4, if there is room.

The general pattern at Oxford (going towards to London) is a fast London service at 01, 31 and a slow Didcot/Reading service at 07, 37 followed by a Cross Country at 15, 45.

If any of those run out of sequence it is often quite a hassle having to 'climb' over passengers awaiting the other services, this is especially true for those passengers awaiting the fast London services who tend to congregate at the London end of the platform where the other services stop rather than spread themselves out down the platform.

And this could probably be another topic but why do so many passengers not listen to announcements and/or read the displays? For example the station staff are forever announcing that standard class passengers for the fast London services should move down the platform to beyond the footbridge, only for them to ignore this and all try to use the same two standard class doors with attendant big queues while all the other carriages and carriage doors are empty. Maybe if they cut out all the 'nonsense' safety announcements, 'tie your laces', 'please use the stairs', 'please use the lift', 'don't eat a pasty while boarding the train', etc, passengers would listen to the announcements rather than switch off.

[Bob_Blakey]

Along the same lines (no pun intended) Exeter Central platform 3 now has a 'yellow box' (as per some road junctions) between the waiting room and platform edge with notices instructing passengers not to stand in the marked zone. This I think can only be to try and avoid / reduce congestion in the restricted platform width area when passengers are alighting and heading for the exits.

[ChrisB]

Just seen a picture of one (pair) of platforms at Manchester Piccadilly where there's the "usual" yellow line and then further back a red line, with the area between the the red and yellow lines reserve for people getting on to the next train.

Any chance of posting that picture here or providing a link? Would like to see the distance betweenn them....I'm guessing this is to keep those waiting to board away from the arriving train & allow those getting off to alight into space, rather than waiting passengers?

This could be useful at Oxford especially P3 and P4, if there is room.

If any of those run out of sequence it is often quite a hassle having to 'climb' over passengers awaiting the other services, this is especially true for those passengers awaiting the fast London services who tend to congregate at the London end of the platform where the other services stop rather than spread themselves out down the platform.

I don't think there is room on Platform 3 - certainly not LOndon end of the platform which is narrow enough already for busy times. Platform 4 has a tad more width, but still not enough a la Manchester Piccadilly.

But I do share your grumble about not moving down - somewhat surprising now that PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) has two ways of leaving the platforms there - the overbridge to the tube being one where being at the front isn't where you want to board anyway!

And this could probably be another topic but why do so many passengers not listen to announcements and/or read the displays? For example the station staff are forever announcing that standard class passengers for the fast London services should move down the platform to beyond the footbridge, only for them to ignore this and all try to use the same two standard class doors with attendant big queues while all the other carriages and carriage doors are empty. Maybe if they cut out all the 'nonsense' safety announcements, 'tie your laces', 'please use the stairs', 'please use the lift', 'don't eat a pasty while boarding the train', etc, passengers would listen to the announcements rather than switch off.
[/quote]

[grahame]

Just seen a picture of one (pair) of platforms at Manchester Piccadilly where there's the "usual" yellow line and then further back a red line, with the area between the the red and yellow lines reserve for people getting on to the next train.

Any chance of posting that picture here or providing a link? Would like to see the distance betweenn them....I'm guessing this is to keep those waiting to board away from the arriving train & allow those getting off to alight into space, rather than waiting passengers?

[ChrisB]

Definitely not that amount of space available on Oxford's platform 3 & 4!!

I'm guessing that the picture is of through platforms 13/14 at Piccadilly....

[Phil]

Signage at Melksham station clearly tells people they must stand behind the yellow line, but unfortunately those who are on the tubby side, such as myself, are at a considerable disadvantage given the proximity of the fence 

[grahame]

Signage at Melksham station clearly tells people they must stand behind the yellow line, but unfortunately those who are on the tubby side, such as myself, are at a considerable disadvantage given the proximity of the fence 

It'll be particularly interesting when they bring the Bristol Metro into the side / bay currently fenced off and there's an hourly train from there to Lacock, round the curve to Corsham, Box, Bathampton, Bath Spa and stations to Bristol and beyond

[paul7575]

For some reason I’m reminded of the most ridiculous yellow lines I ever saw.  Immediately before the major rebuild, the eastern-most pair of terminating platforms at the old Blackfriars station tapered away to a very narrow end, and someone had decided that the best way to do the yellow lines was to merge them together as a single line down the centre for about the last coach length...

Paul

[Electric train]

Signage at Melksham station clearly tells people they must stand behind the yellow line, but unfortunately those who are on the tubby side, such as myself, are at a considerable disadvantage given the proximity of the fence 

Not as daft as it seems, this used to be a standard type of marking in BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) days to indicate the spring rating for the light column lowering device.  Not sure if that system is being continued; of course the other purpose is break up the silver / grey column to make it more visible, so folk don't walk into them

[onthecushions]

The platform lines are surely now the wrong colours and need to be reversed; red indicates danger, yellow is advisory.

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), the yellow lines were originally (1970´s) to indicate 125mph trains passing. Then other regions became jealous (like the Southern) and painted them everywhere.

OTC

[Electric train]

The platform lines are surely now the wrong colours and need to be reversed; red indicates danger, yellow is advisory.

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), the yellow lines were originally (1970´s) to indicate 125mph trains passing. Then other regions became jealous (like the Southern) and painted them everywhere.

OTC

Agreed that the original intent was for 125 trains, however the RSSB^▸ (Rail Safety and Standards Board) have made it a requirement as a visual warning on most platforms, even on LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd) platforms. Part of this is to all the Driver a clear sight along the platform.

Red (other than signals) is always a no no in the sight line of a Driver

[paul7575]

The platform lines are surely now the wrong colours and need to be reversed; red indicates danger, yellow is advisory.

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), the yellow lines were originally (1970´s) to indicate 125mph trains passing. Then other regions became jealous (like the Southern) and painted them everywhere.

OTC

When I tracked down the RSSB^▸ (Rail Safety and Standards Board)’s rail group standard a few months ago, the requirement for yellow lines is still all about trains passing at speed namely “aerodynamic effects” of passenger trains above 100 mph, and freight above 60 mph.

I think this is the current reference:
https://www.rssb.co.uk/rgs/standards/RIS-7016-INS%20Iss%201.pdf

There are a high number of platforms which from my interpretation of those rules do not need yellow lines, however tactile strips for those with poor visibility are a separate requirement, and these are usually given a contrasting colour.

I suspect at some stage a separate trend to use yellow lines as a guard against opened slam doors confused the overall situation...

Paul