The station with the UK’s longest train platform is so big it would have enough room for a 34-carriage train, should one that long ever need to pass through. Gloucester station has the country’s longest continuous platform at 602 metres, the length of six Premier League football pitches put end-to-end.
It has just four platforms in total but one of them makes up for this with its incredible length. The average train carriage length in the UK is around 18 metres meaning more than 33 carriages could fit onto the one platform.
Trains generally have no more than 12 carriages, though, in the UK so the platform could comfortably fit two trains back to back.
The platform was lengthened in 1977 as part of a rebuild by British Rail. It was intended to be able to handle two InterCity 125 trains at the same time.
Gloucester station itself is somewhat small, with three rail lines, a car park and a cafe.
Operators that use the station include Transport for Wales, CrossCountry and Great Western Rail.
Services go from Gloucester to Cardiff, Nottingham, Birmingham, London and Bristol.
There are ongoing improvement works to the station, with the forecourt, car park and subway being redeveloped and upgraded as part of a multi-million-pound project.
There is an even longer platform in the UK – at Colchester station – which is 620 metres long, but it is split into two.
