Midland Station. One of the Most Popular.

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

Anyway, the Friends of Platform 2C will be pleased to see they may be coming out of the cold one day.

Maybe not. A temperature of 2C is just above freezing.

[horribleblob 212]

Sheffield City Council does not design railway stations as can be seen from this artists impression.

The artist has managed to fit in a 10 carriage HS2 train into a trainshed on platform 2c which has the capacity for two car Derbyshire stoppers.

If the artist can use the same "magic" for platforms 3 and 4 then we could get new and longer trains...

 

 

That was my immediate thought, but the cyan-coloured, imagined building in front could obscure an HS2 trainshed running back as far as Granville Road.

[DerbyTup 10]

Sheffield's Midland Station has achieved a satisfaction rating of 91%.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44023411

 

I'm surprised Midland Station has the same rating as Manchester's Piccadilly which I'd consider far superior to our main station in Sheffield.

 

We don't know what questions the survey asked. With any survey the questions determine the outcome, subtle changes in wording can shape the responses considerably.

 

As an aside to that, I think Sheffield Railway Station is "decent". I think the work done as you emerge and see the wall of steel and water features is very attractive. It doesn't have one tenth of the features of Manchester Piccadilly though, I agree. Although the Sheffield Tap makes up for that.

[BigAl1 143]

The question asked is in the public domain you just need to look at the National Passenger survey - this was an analysis that was carried out over and above the normal level of reporting where it was based on the 56 stations where at least 100 people responded.

[Annie Bynnol 612]

That was my immediate thought, but the cyan-coloured, imagined building in front could obscure an HS2 trainshed running back as far as Granville Road.

 

This plan has nothing to do with the reality of a HS2 in Sheffield- this a purely an artist knowing that HS2 trains are going to use Sheffield Station then plonking the platforms at random that blocks/reduces the tracks to the south.

 

HS2 need two additional platforms at 400m+, longer than the length of the current platform 8 at 378m.

[horribleblob 212]

Well, yes, obviously.

 

[i just knew I should have spelt it out.]

[1978 14]

This plan has nothing to do with the reality of a HS2 in Sheffield- this a purely an artist knowing that HS2 trains are going to use Sheffield Station then plonking the platforms at random that blocks/reduces the tracks to the south.

 

HS2 need two additional platforms at 400m+, longer than the length of the current platform 8 at 378m.

 

That sounds like a very long train. Platform 8 was able to take a 19 coach train, and 6 could take 16 on summer Saturdays. If HS2 trains are going to be that long, or even longer, they won't fill them twice an hour, or even once an hour, wthout a very big increase in rail travel. Existing London train services must surely be cut back to even half fill the new ones.

 

For split platforms, like 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b and 2a, 2b and 2c it can be confusing for passengers. I often marvel at how they juggle late trains, sometimes 3 to a platform at Piccadilly. I'm not familiar with how well it works at the north end of Sheffield. Do they ever get into platforms in the wrong order and mess up punctual departures? Are the platforms long enough if Northern need to run longer trains? 3a and 3b may be able to take a 4 car and 2 car train, but 4a and 4b might not?

 

These questions may all become very relevant once the detailed plans get drawn up and actual construction starts. Interim arrangements may be needed, possibly terminating some services towards Chesterfield, or Meadowhall after running though Sheffield to avoid platform blocking.

Edited May 21, 2018 by 1978
corrected platform numbers

[Martin C 81]

One of my main gripes with Sheffield station is that with the majority of Cross Country northbound trains being booked to use Platform 1B, intending passengers naturally congregate in the area between the footbridge and the Sheffield Tap. Seven times out of ten though (at least on the busier services via Leeds) the first class coach is at the rear of the train. Despite being shown as such on the departure monitors (and also announced as such at least twice) the station staff are very 'inactive' as none of them ever encourage people to move further down the platform where the 3 (or 4) standard class coaches of the typical Cross Country train will stop.

[Annie Bynnol 612]

One of my main gripes with Sheffield station is that with the majority of Cross Country northbound trains being booked to use Platform 1B, intending passengers naturally congregate in the area between the footbridge and the Sheffield Tap. Seven times out of ten though (at least on the busier services via Leeds) the first class coach is at the rear of the train. Despite being shown as such on the departure monitors (and also announced as such at least twice) the station staff are very 'inactive' as none of them ever encourage people to move further down the platform where the 3 (or 4) standard class coaches of the typical Cross Country train will stop.

 

There is no requirement for the Cross Country trains (mostly class 221/222) to arrive at Sheffield with First Class at the front or rear- its pretty random. Platform staff are not informed, but they are aware of the congestion on that platform.

If you really want to be a smart person, look at the bar above the coupling as the train approaches, if it's yellow that is the first class end of a 221/222.

[smiggs 10]

That sounds like a very long train. Platform 8 was able to take a 19 coach train, and 6 could take 16 on summer Saturdays. If HS2 trains are going to be that long, or even longer, they won't fill them twice an hour, or even once an hour, wthout a very big increase in rail travel. Existing London train services must surely be cut back to even half fill the new ones.

 

Most of Britain's railway expansion plans are based upon increased passenger numbers and the likelihood that they will keep increasing. The Midland Mainline and Cross Country services will almost certainly not decrease in numbers but instead will add additional stops to their timetables and perhaps in the case of Cross Country be broken up to provide more local services.

[Annie Bynnol 612]

That sounds like a very long train. Platform 8 was able to take a 19 coach train, and 6 could take 16 on summer Saturdays. If HS2 trains are going to be that long, or even longer, they won't fill them twice an hour, or even once an hour, wthout a very big increase in rail travel. Existing London train services must surely be cut back to even half fill the new ones.

 

For split platforms, like 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b and 2a, 2b and 2c it can be confusing for passengers. I often marvel at how they juggle late trains, sometimes 3 to a platform at Piccadilly. I'm not familiar with how well it works at the north end of Sheffield. Do they ever get into platforms in the wrong order and mess up punctual departures? Are the platforms long enough if Northern need to run longer trains? 3a and 3b may be able to take a 4 car and 2 car train, but 4a and 4b might not?

 

These questions may all become very relevant once the detailed plans get drawn up and actual construction starts. Interim arrangements may be needed, possibly terminating some services towards Chesterfield, or Meadowhall after running though Sheffield to avoid platform blocking.

 

Two platforms need to be 400m long because HS2 trains will be 200m long, with the ability to run in pairs when capacity demands- they do stop on the way and pick up more passengers.

 

HS2 will allow for better services towards London. The existing London service will change, with room for new stops, stations and routes eg, via Bedford, Oxford and South Coast. Via Nottingham, Cambridge and Essex. Via Retford or Nottingham to Peterborough and Kings Cross.

 

Currently platforms 1a, 3a/b and 4a/b can accommodate services to the north. There is no room on for new three car trains or any increase in services.

 

There is very little capacity to add more train movements through the Northern throat of Sheffield station and unless the short two track section is widened up to Nunnery Junction there will be little scope to park trains at Brightside and Nunnery or have any more services.

(They have squeezed the last pip with the new Retford services and reinstatement of the Brightside station loop.)

Reinstatement of platform 9 is possible- but this shortens platform 8.

 

Apart from 2c Platform numbering is pretty standard with displays above each section. Edinburgh Waverley is the station to go to if you want confusion.

 

The situation in Piccadilly is this. Departure boards only show platforms when the train is actually there . This allows signallers to be very flexible.

[1978 14]

 

Currently platforms 1a, 3a/b and 4a/b can accommodate services to the north. There is no room on for new three car trains or any increase in services.

 

There is very little capacity to add more train movements through the Northern throat of Sheffield station and unless the short two track section is widened up to Nunnery Junction there will be little scope to park trains at Brightside and Nunnery or have any more services.

(They have squeezed the last pip with the new Retford services and reinstatement of the Brightside station loop.)

Reinstatement of platform 9 is possible- but this shortens platform 8.

 

So no room to the north, but there is to the south where there used to be 4 tracks as far as Dore. Some have said this should be used for tram train, but a park and ride station at Millhouses could serve as a terminus for some of those stopping services coming in from the north and east.