Two platform-related questions

[jamesthegill]

Ok, two things have been puzzling me about my daily commute, and I thought I'd throw them out here in the hope that either one of the people who work on the railways, or someone who doesn't but pays a lot of attention to them in their spare time, might be able to help.

Firstly, is there any specific order to numbering platforms? I always assume that looking in the "up" direction, the platforms are numbered sequentially from left to right (e.g. at Three Bridges, if I stand facing London on platform 3, platforms 1 and 2 are on my left and platforms 4 and 5 are on my right). However I've noticed that other stations - Haywards Heath, for instance - are the opposite; facing "up", the platform numbers go 4-3-2-1 from left to right. Is this an oddity, or are there no set rules?

Secondly, Hassocks station has a sign at the London end of the down platform calling it "Hassocks station". Is this the only superfluous suffix on the network?

[tubeguru]

There is, nor has there been any logical sequence to platform numbering. The issue is made all the more confusing by modifications over the years which end up with some strange re-numberings.

Hassocks - no idea. Is it an old sign? If so, it could be listed, like the "Hanwell and Elthorne" platform sign.

[moley]

The Southern region numbered their platforms beginging with the London bound platform being platform 1 and then working sequentially from there. Various stations have been renumbered over the time and various stations seem to have always been "wrong". Most of those that are "wrong" have platform 1 as the platform with their main booking office on and then sequentially from there onwards.

[tubeguru]

Exactly - different railway companies had different systems. As the lines were gradually brought under central control of BR, it appeared as though there was no one system of platform numbering, where it was simply a legacy of individual company policy.

[Steeevooo]

Regarding your Hassocks question, there is a solitary sign at Maryland station on platform 1 for "Maryland Station", which is of the same age (i.e. quite recent) as all the other signs in the station.

[jamesthegill]

Hassocks - no idea. Is it an old sign? If so, it could be listed, like the "Hanwell and Elthorne" platform sign.

It's not, it is (like the Maryland one) a recent addition - it matches the others with the Southern livery. Perhaps I'll find someone and ask when I'm killing time there next.

Thanks for the platform responses too.

[tubeguru]

The one at Hanwell is listed, so it can't be moved.