Visiting All Platform Zeros (Part 1) - Cardiff | Redhill | Rainham | Gravesend | King's Cross
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- čas přidán 2. 01. 2020
- There are EIGHT stations is Great Britain that have a 'Platform 0' and the time finally came to go and visit them all, meet people along the way, discuss why they are there and see what else we can find out!
Teaming up with me is Matt Parker from StandUpMaths, give his channel a follow and watch his video here: • Visiting every Platfor...
There's a Part 2 coming up, where you see in more detail what happened at Doncaster, Stockport and how we got to Edinburgh amongst all the delays! #WeStopAtNothing
Our thanks to LNER for the complimentary tickets for travel on their services, all our other tickets we bought and paid for ourselves.
Interesting fact... In Cardiff, Platform 0 not only refers to this little annex for trains to stop at... but also the number of trains that Transport for Wales manage to run on schedule.
Oof
It's funny cos it's true!
LMFAO
Also references the number of trains that go from North to South Wales
Queensland Rail idolizes them and tries to copy them in this regard.
Seeing Geoff with his mother is heartwarming.
5:10
Me: Wow, that lady really looks like Geoff!
Geoff: "This is my Mum, everyone"
Me: Aww...
class 377 : I don't want see it again
Class 165: I guess I need to deal with it
313: glad I never saw it
Did anyone notice that Geoff made Nero Express as in cafe Nero into zero express for platform 0. 11:53 timing.
Nup!
I certainly did. I thought it was real and thought of visiting it
There is a “Track Zero Taproom” at North Station in Boston, MA.
I've always thought from a distance those Café Nero signs look like Café Nerd !! 🤣🤣🤣
But I still wonder: When there is a Zero platform at Kings Cross - why not a 9 3/4 :D
The Gravesend story. The current platform 0 was platform 1 and there were two tracks through the middle for freight trains or non-stop Javelins if they were 12 cars long. The only way to extend the 10 car platforms was to remove the junctions at the county end so they built the new platform 1 where the up through line was, extended the original platforms to the bridge and changed the original up to platform 0. This was all completed in a week long possession where local trains terminated at Northfleet and a shuttle ran from Strood to Gillingham with buses in the middle.
But do we know why they renamed platform 1 to 0 instead of platform 2 to 3?
It can vary, of course, but quite often it's to simplify the requirement for signalling. To shift all the routes and platform numbers around, might mean re programming all of the signals etc etc, including for interlocking. Just adding a 0 removes a lot of that complexity.
It was actually more than a week Mike, as I remember it was more like 2 weeks either side of Christmas, 3 to 4 weeks in total. I remember this distinctly as I was driving some of the replacement buses between Greenhithe and Strood !!
Also at Gravesend, the quaint old lattice footbridge was replaced by the modern structure that is there today, this was installed before the remodelling work took place, as the old bridge had to be removed before the work could start. There was a sealed-off opening at the appropriate point in the middle of the new bridge, so that the 3rd staircase could be added to provide access to the new platform 1 when built. I actually saw one of the staircases being delivered on a low loader prior to assembly, on the Overcliff outside the high level entrance to Asda's in Gravesend!! I also witnessed sections of the old bridge being craned out of position one afternoon, I believe this went to a preserved railway somewhere. This all took place towards the end of 2013.
@@bloomcomputing That only makes sense when the existing signalling has been adapted and remains in use. In the case of Rainham (Kent) however the new platform 0 was only brought in with brand new signalling controlled from Gillingham. Platform 0 was brought into use shortly after the commissioning of the new signalling, but the platform itself together with the new associated trackwork, had already been built well before the commissioning date.
Your mum bringing that flask of tea was so sweet and lovely - I hope I have a relationship with my mum like that when we're both older :)
She's one of the loveliest people you're likely to meet. Had a nice chat with her doing the Human Tube Map last summer.
"All the platform zeros are starting to add up".Nice.
That doesn't work on my calculator
@@greghilton7797 Whatever you do, don't divide by zero... The results can be catastrophic!
Stormkeeper at Geeked Up & Played Up
#DocBrown
They add up ... to a total of zero. On one day you visited zero platforms. So did I (and I didn't even go to a station)!
“All platform zeros starting add up...” they accumulate to zero. Sum of any numbers of zeros is always zero - so they can’t add up - oxymoronic
A couple of years ago when visiting London from the US during Christmas, we decided to go up to Cambridge. When we looked at the display board at Kings Cross, the platform number was "0". We thought certainly that must be an error. No train station has a platform 0. We went to the information desk, and of course, platform 0 was correct. How odd. Now I find out there are seven other stations in the UK with platform 0. Really odd!
"How odd." Zero Odds...
Another way the UK is unique!!! 👍❤️
Literature told me to expect at King's Cross a platform 9¾.
Is it odd though? I think zero is an even number.
@@jiffyhelper
Or is it?
Is it either?
Hi Geoff's mum!
To be continued? Should have said part 0 of 1.....
Yes I get it!
"0 of 1" would not work, and let me explain why.
1. When someone or something uses "0", what they normally mean is an *index* into something (an offset from something, a distance from some origin, or the amount of elements preceding it), not a *count*/rank.
2. Example: Sector #0 on a harddisk is still the *first* sector. "First" here specifies a rank in an ordered sequence (the set of all sectors), and you should not imply any relation to the number "1". In fact, the first rank has the property that no elements precede it (which means we could imply "0" instead of 1, too).
3. The expression "part X of Y" is grammatically, in English and many other languages, used with ranks/counts for X and counts/sizes for Y, not indexes.
4. If you did want to express Y as an index, a _different_ expression is needed. Something like "This is video #0, and the last video is #4095".
5. Incidentally, some harddisk partition table editors have done exactly that (present Y as an index), which of course did nothing to help establish the size, and you had to calculate Y-X+1.
Doncaster is in Melbourne Australia and Bayswater and croydon
@@roflmagister5 You must be great at parties
@@TomStorey96 If only there were parties right now.
Love your videos, Geoff. Happy New Year and many happy train journeys.
Yay first Geoff train adventure video of 2020. Put a smile on my face again just when I needed it. Love the adventure! Interesting journey 🙂
Happy New Year to everyone. Geoff and fans 🥳
5:04 - It's 9 minutes past eight, it's Sunday.
6:20 - It's now the next day, it's Tuesday...
Um.
Maybe he hadn't had his cup of tea by then?
Geoff doesn’t like Mondays 👍😳
Never thought I'd see a crossover with Matt! And then Bec shows up too. Excellent stuff!
This is such a wonderfully nerdy idea, and I absolutely love it. #WeStopAtNothing
Just been through Kings Cross 😂 Love the videos... Keep em coming.
have got no idea why this was top of my recommendeds but it was v. enjoyable!
Good to see you putting redhill on the map! (Something has to!) I live in Reigate and I still haven’t gone from Redhill’s platform 0 yet..,
If I remember rightly, the former parcels platform at Preston Station has actually been used as Platform 0 at least once during engineering work.
We got to meet your mum! This video made me smile so much! Happy new year Geoff
Happy New Year Geoff. Emotional scenes there meeting your mum on a Platform 0!
Really good backing track choice, goes with the chilled out, night travel vibe of the video
It's a pity J. R. Bowling didn't come up with "platform 0" at King's Cross rather than Platform 9 3/4, as then it would have actually come true a few years later and reality and fiction would have come together and we'd probably have all been transported to Hogwarts
Two of my favourite hobbies (and channels) joining forces once again!
Very good. Looking forward to part 2.
Happy New Year Geoff Marshall & Happy New Year Everyone Else Too
I'm loving the collaborations with the other youtubers!
Superb fun & good idea to do very good information thanks
Honestly Geoff - when I first watched your videos I thought you were really boring. But then I kept on watching and now can’t stop.
I can't believe this was the first video of yours that I ever saw and then never came back to leave a thumbs-up!
Rest assured, my tardiness has now been rectified.
Cardiff Central was my home station as I am a Cardiff boy original I was also under the impression that Platform 0 was really created not just as a relief platform but especially as a VIP platform after the Senedd (the Welsh Govermnent) was created particularly for the likes of the Royal Train when members of the Royal Family visit Cardiff, Llandaff Cathedral and South Wales.
You will note VIPs can be easily whisked in and out of Platform 0 to the outside of the station easily without the security risks of having to battle through the rest of the station.
With that use established it then can also act as a relief on special days like major international events at Millennium Stadium or elsewhere in South Wales (particularly on occasions such as when Cardiff has hosted Rugby World Cup, Six Nations Rugby, the FA Cup, the Olympic Games and even when Newport has hosted the NATO summit and the Ryder Cup).
But just imagine how easily, say for example a member of the Royal Family visiting an international rugby match at the Millennium Stadium can be safely ensconced on the Royal Train whilst also keeping them separate more easily from drunken rugby fans trying to get on more local Valley line trains. You see, it’s quite cleverly thought out really!
It may have that function now, but the Senedd and the Welsh assembly existed long before Cardiff had a platform 0. There are also two exit tunnels from the main platforms, leaving one to be easily secured for the royal train if they travelled via that method. Last I heard of royalty visiting, they travelled via road via a system of rolling road blocks straight down the M4.
On international days the front of the station turns into a giant queuing system. Featuring cross country drunkards. That any royal would need to navigate past to access platform 0.
Local drunkards for TFW trains will be found around the back as those trains tend to leave from the rear few platforms.
Console Thanks for this. Interesting points to add to the debate!
8:56 “they’re really starting to add up!° :D
Nice to see this adventure from a different perspective after watching Matt's version!
My Dad should have been studying for O-levels and A-levels when a lot of branch lines were closing down all over the country in the 1950s-60s and he had to go off travelling at weekends to try to get to them all before it was too late! I think he would have enyoyed your platform Zero adventure. I think he would be more interested in train numbers than platform numbers. How many of those have zeros in I wonder?
I was surprised to find someone interested in his collection of tickets - Surprising how much railway memorabilia could sell on ebay!
5:10 "Hello Mum!" ✋😊
I live at rainham where platform 0 is quite new, wish I knew you were coming, love your work.
You should do more 'Geoff and Mom' Train meetups!
@tinaonions-marshall Every video that features you and Geoff is good. I especially enjoyed the Faygate video
RE imaginatively numbered platforms, I did once read in a railway magazine of a plan to build platforms 0, -1 and -2 at Manchester Piccadilly! Not sure whether the plan was to do a complete renumbering as well, though.
Great video, was good to run into you at Cardiff!
Geoff & Mum drinking tea from a flask was such a wholesome moment
Cool! Love your channel!
Very nice. I really enjoyed seeing stations in Kent too. I didn't know Rainham and Gravesend had a platform 0
Oh my goodness. MMXX! I hadn't seen it until now :O
@@ann_onn only a matter of time before someone posted this!!
Really looking forward to part 2.
There is a platform zero at Lidcombe station in Sydney. It is only used by the Olympic Park shuttle, but is busy thanks to the increasing number of people who live and work there now. Obviously during sporting events, concerts and the Easter Show it is incredibly busy. The other five platforms existed before the 2000 Olympics so platform 0 it became.
You must visit Leeds when the platform 0 opens
I didn't know Leeds was getting one
Was just about to say this haha. It should be finished by the end of this year. I was working at Leeds during the demolition ready for it
@@robkennedy3000 ah
*if* it seems like it will never be completed 😂
@@cam43002 seems likes the road works on the M6
Can't wait to see Geoff's Part 2. Seen Doncaster to Edinburgh Haymarket from Matt's channel
Must cost a fortune doing all these train journeys
IP Freely you are our new prime minister
I recently caught a Pacer Class 144 at Doncaster platform 0 to Hull.
platform 0 at hooton does have charter trains actually stopping and starting from it so has been used in the latter days
I live in Rainham. Southeastern, previous Connex, previous NSE have always used platforms 1&2. When Thameslink wanted to expand to Rainham, a bay platform was created to accomodate the GTL trains.
It’s cool how he goes “heeeeeeere’s *someone’s name here* !” As he approaches his friend I think.
INTRESTING........I JUST LOVE YOUR VIDEOS
Oct 2019 was the first time in over 30 years I hopped on a train to London, from Norfolk, the last few times always arriving and departing platform one at kings cross. however on Friday, I almost missed my train back as it was at platform zero and it was only by chance that I found the platform, as I was looking for somewhere to sit!
A mad and wonderful quest!
So now we need to wait for Part 2: Northern Boogaloo
I used to work on the Royal Mail platform in Tonbridge years ago. It was part of the then Tonbridge Mail Center. After Royal Mail retired the TPO's we stopped using the platform. It is still there and can be viewed from a couple of near by road bridges.
looks satisfying that roman numeral MMXX. happy new year (just in case i forget)
Your mum is the sweetest taking you tea 🥰
You'll have to make a new video soon since Leeds has one (well, zero) under construction right now.
This is great - I wonder, will they introduce more...? Nice touch bringing your Mum into it...!
Stockport is my local station, I didn’t realise how rare platform zeros were because I see platform zero quite often
A few years ago I got on the Virgin East coast train from platform 0 at King's Cross!
27 CENTRAL What are you a virgin? I hope not
@@dettrains Virgin doesn't run our trains any more
It was before LNER took over virgin
No more VIRGIN trains!
Love your New 2020 Video End Credits!
This is great, love it,
11:58 The Lovely Makeaway Takeaway presenter Bec Hill on a Geoff Marshall video, love it👍
Brilliant video. Loved the guest appearance of Geoff's lovely mum, and the zero shaped snacks! Any polo mints on the day? 😁
A topic dear to my heart - I painted the 'Platform 0' sign for Horsted Keynes back in the 1990s, when we were rebuilding the canopy. The platforms were subsequently renumbered 1-5.
Somehow I find it mental that you went to Rainham, my local station 😂 I can safely say that the only platform zero that I’ve used is at Rainham - the Thameslink trains are actually quite nice!
Nothing but fond memories of Redhill.
Hey hey! Yeah our platform 0 on Cardiff is in a bit of an odd place! I need to point out... There's a Platform 4A also... It's been some years since I've been to Cardiff Central station but it's definitely there!
Ahh good old Rainham! when South Eastern trains dont run on Sundays sometimes and theres always engineering workds I always get stuck at Rainham and have to get either a bus replacement or wait for a different train home to Ramsgate lol.
7.47"Birmingham Moob "Moor" Street"....I died🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Gravesend and Rainham both came about as part of the Thameslink program. The previous half hourly Charing Cross - Gillingham semi fast were replaced by Luton - Rainham Thameslink trains. With the associated timetable changes, neither station could manage with only two platforms (the Gravesend terminating trains used to reverse in platform 1 as was, necessitating Gillingham and high speed services to use 2 in both directions). There are over bridges as each end of Gravesend, and all Thameslink stations need to be 12 car, and the junctions needed to run platform 2 in both directions wouldn’t fit.
Oh we love our British mums, always got a mug of tea to hand 😊❤
Very informational Geoff
3:26 just for the sake of clarification, Geoff says "the new Hitachi trains... they really shift."
SHIFT. With an F.
Just to clarify.
yeah, that F is for sure hiding there.
HAHA! I GET IT!
We have a platform 0 or O in Australia, it is at Lidcombe Station in Sydney's west, it was originally built for the Sydney 2000 Olympic games (knowen then as the sprint platfrom and smetines is still called that today and the station signage reflects both names of the platform. Lidcombe is still used and a major interchange for Sydney Olympic park for the people who now live there and visitors to major sporting and public events to transfer onto Olympic park services running every 10 minutes from early till late 7 days a week. It's is one of the most successful Olympic park rail networks still in operation in the world and is about to get connected to a new metro system in the mid 2020's.
Gutted i missed you at Redhill! Home overlooks Platform 0!
If you've ever been to Cardiff on a match day (we went to see a Wales v Ireland world cup warm up match) and you want to get back to your car that you've parked at Newport... you'll be very familiar with Platform 0. I think they put on extra trains on match days and use that platform to ease congestion. We were in a queue in that car park behind Gareth for over an hour after the match.
2:04 your pizza is here 🤣
There are also stations with missing or unnumbered platforms.
Off the top of my head (in Scotland, where I live and work on the railways) I can think of
Stirling - which has no platform 1 (was a north facing bay platform, now part of the staff car park)
Aberdeen - only the passenger platforms are numbered (3,4,5,6 N&S and 7 N&S) but platform faces for platforms 1,2 and 8,9 are still in situ (albeit with only one track running down the former double formation to 8 and 9 as access to and from the wash road at Clayhills depot).
Up until recently, Edinburgh Waverley had no platforms 5 and 6 but these were recently rebuilt as east / south bound bay platforms.
I recently caught a train from King's Cross Platform 0. My home station of Leeds is also getting a Platform 0, but it won't be in use until later this year.
In the 1970s the bay Platform 5 at Cardiff General/Central was easy to recognise as there was a slight dip in the platform level and it was a slightly different shade of grey
Glad to see our brief cameo
Great to see my home town, Rainham!!!
But you're already there
In a Geoff video I mean!!!
7.43 John Forster mentions Audley End; from what I remember, that bay platform for the Bartlow line did have a number, but I don't recall how it was labelled.
Travelling North and you get a cancelled train. Now you know how we feel.
If they ever get around to changing Platform 0 at King's Cross to Platform 1, Platform 1 to Platform 2 etc, then the Platform 9 3/4 Harry Potter tourist trap would actually be in the right place.
Didn't the Harry Potter movies actually use St. Pancras (pretending it was Kings Cross)?
Mike Nash for the Front
@@mikenash7049 Yeah outside is St Pancras but inside is King's Cross. We'll let them off though, St Pancras is only 50 yards away and is arguably one of the most beautiful stations anywhere in the world.
love yr vids!
Thanks for putting my tweet in the video and what do you think to the possible change of northern.
Platform 5 was a bay platform from which the Portcawl & Measteg train service used - closed by Beeching in 1963
Hi Geoff, platform 0 in Cardiff used to be what they called the "fish jetty". And apparently used for parcels and the old platforms 8&9 (riverside platforms) were parcels too. Wish they would reopen platform 5 though.
I know of a platform 0 at Lidcombe station in the western Suburbs of Sydney. I been there numerous times especially for a cosplay conventions and trains on that platform is a bay platform there and most of the trains on the Olympic Park train Line which is between Lidcombe and Olympic Park stations arrive and depart from platform 0. Despite sometimes and as a fursuiter would much prefer the Sydney Central to Olympic Park as I only need to catch 2 trains from The Newcastle Interchange to Strathfield then straight to Olympic Park. Which rarely in service and that is only for State of Origin, The royal easter show and the other nrl games. But most of the time, to get to Olympic Park by train, I had to catch the train to Lidcombe on the western suburbs lines from Strathfield for a train to Olympic Park but to do that, I had to change at Lidcombe and get to platform 0 to get to Olympic Park station by train.
Congrats Geoff, video is currently trending
There are three Platform 0s (0A, 0B, 0C) in Kumamoto.
Rainham my local station! Had I'd known you was there I'd of come said hi!
Charing Cross and Victoria trains both terminate at Gravesend on platform 0. Platform 0 is the end of the line stop. If you walk to the end of platform 0 you can get to platform 1 via lift and step free access.
Happy new year Geoff and I’ve visited Redhill before
I live in Gravesend. It used to be a station with a Platform one and two, two lines passed through the middle without platforms, so the platforms were loops off of the mainline. When the re-developed the station to increase platform length to 12 carriages, they essentially took out the up main line, put a platform where it used to be and named it one. Original platform one became a bay platform lengthened and called platform zero and platform two was also lengthened. The main reason they numbered them this way was to avoid passenger confusion I think, everyone knows one is for London and two is for Country. All stopping services via Sidcup to CHX and Bexelyheath to Victoria terminate on zero. See this picture for old station: s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/61/47/3614715_6cedd8b5.jpg
Think, I said this before, but again: your mom is awesome! 🤗