The Anonymous Widower

Before Crossrail – The Overground And Lea Valley Platforms At Stratford

After yesterday’s exploration from the bridge across Stratford station, I just had to get down on and see it from the ground.

There are two Overground terminal platforms, numbered 1 and 2, at the Eastfield side of the station, with the two long Lea Valley Lines platforms, numbered 12 and 11, curving around them. A driver told me that the only trains that used the platform on the Overground side, 12, in normal circumstances, was the last arrival of the day and the first departure of the next morning. So it would appear that except when there are diversions or trouble, these platforms are seriously under-used.

As the pictures show they are well-appointed and even have a piece of expensive art-work in the large triangular area between platforms 10 and 11, which could probably only be nicked by the use of one of those Russian very heavy lift helicopters.

Whilst I was there, a Norwich-bound train stopped at platform 10. I suspect there are very few transfer passengers between platform 10 and 11, although you might decide to use the walk-across if you were going from say Stansted Airport to East Anglia.

But it does seem to me, that there could be some more efficient way to provide the current services or perhaps to add some extra ones to the station.

October 10, 2014 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Before Crossrail, London Overground, Stratford Station, Trains