# Glendale Station: Which side of platform for Surfliner North?



## D Salvini (Nov 17, 2016)

We are planning on taking the Surfliner north starting at Glendale station. Which side of the platform should we stand on? The side nearest the station or the side farthest from the station?

There is no attendant at that station. The signage is poor. There are some folks that sit there and watch the trains, but they don't seem to know any particulars.

I've seen people wait on the wrong side of the train. The doors don't open. The train goes on it's merry way, and the people are justifiably upset.

Any help would be much appreciated.


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## chakk (Nov 22, 2016)

Train typically runs on the right hand track in each direction. So for a northbound train, stand on the east side


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## the_traveler (Nov 22, 2016)

Normally yes, but some stations are opposite.

An example is OSB. Every other station on the NEC is southbound on the right and northbound on the left. At OSB, it's southbound on the left and northbound on the right.


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## TinCan782 (Nov 22, 2016)

Passenger trains at Glendale and Burbank NORMALLY run northbound on Track 1, the track on the east...both Amtrak and Metrolink.


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## Devil's Advocate (Nov 22, 2016)

I'd love to hear whatever excuse there is for why basic information like this isn't provided at time of purchase or on signs in the boarding area. Seems like an obvious problem that should have been solved years if not decades ago.


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## BCL (Nov 22, 2016)

the_traveler said:


> Normally yes, but some stations are opposite.
> 
> An example is OSB. Every other station on the NEC is southbound on the right and northbound on the left. At OSB, it's southbound on the left and northbound on the right.


I know of one station with a station building' but unstaffed. There's a full length platform on that side. The other side has a small shelter and a short length of asphalt. The majority of passenger trains in both directions stop on the station building side. The exception is when two trains are at the station at the same time.


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## Salvini (Nov 23, 2016)

Thanks for the replies, but knowing which track is not enough. For some reason even though the trains have doors on both sides they often only open doors on one side. So you don't just have to be on the right track, you have to be on the right side of the right track.

I'm planning on going to the station the day before and see what side the passengers board from. I'll post my findings here.


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## MikefromCrete (Nov 23, 2016)

I don't know the layout of the Glendale station, but stations with two tracks either have two platforms, each on the outside of the tracks, or in the middle of the two tracks. Outside of Jamaica on the Long Island Railroad (which has high level platforms designed to allow passengers to transfer between trains), I've never heard of trains opening doors on both sides of the cars. Normal train operation would be a train running on the right hand side track, and opening the doors on the right hand side of the train. It would be dangerous to open doors on the other side of the cars, focusing people to walk across an active track in order to load.


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## trainman74 (Nov 23, 2016)

MikefromCrete said:


> I don't know the layout of the Glendale station, but stations with two tracks either have two platforms, each on the outside of the tracks, or in the middle of the two tracks.


Glendale actually has an outside platform on the east side, as well as a center platform that's set up to serve both tracks. I can't vouch for the signage, though, and I don't think I've ever noticed on which side the doors open on northbound trains.


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## BCL (Nov 23, 2016)

I've seen a train staggered while another train was at the station. There was zero overlap, although it did require walking around the near side train. The doors opened on the near side.

That does require a really long platform, especially when one is a long distance train.


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## CCC1007 (Nov 23, 2016)

It seems that if you stay next to the station it won't matter which track it comes on, as the doors on the eastern side of the train should be the ones that will open.


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