Operational guidance for applying to the Department under the Railways Act 2005 for a Minor Modification determination. The guidance applies to England and Wales. Minor Modifications in Scotland are handled by Transport Scotland (link below.)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/stations/minoropguide

Interestingly , it looks like the removal of a platform could be treated as a "Minor Modification."

It depends on "whether the use of that part of the network is necessary for the operation or use of the network in connection with the provision of railway passenger services."

If we were to use (say) Melksham as an example , then the answer to the above question would clearly be "yes." In that case , then it is not a minor modification within this provision , and the removal would have to be considered under the full closures process.

If we were talking about (say) the redundant platform at Severn Tunnel Junction , for which proposals exist to bring it back into use , then a proposal to remove the platform would be eligible to be treated as a minor modification. In this case , once eligibility has been established , the proposer should carry out a consultation with stakeholders. The consultees should include :

- Other operators using the station or network
- Network Rail
- Passenger Focus / London TravelWatch
- Welsh Assembly Government (if applicable)
- Relevant Passenger Transport Executives (if applicable)

Not the general public or local rail user groups (perish the thought.) Or , for that matter , local authorities (unless they are part of a PTE.)

The proposer should allow 4 weeks for those organisations to make representations on the proposal to the proposer. A nil response will be deemed to be agreement to the proposal.

Once all consultation responses are received , a formal application for a determination should be made to the Department enclosing full details (including plans) of the proposal for minor modification and copies of the consultation responses.

The Department will then consider the proposal against the criteria as set out in the Act and decide whether to make a determination for a minor modification based on the information provided in support of the application , and further investigation and analysis by the Department. The Secretary of State will consult further if it is felt necessary to clarify any matter , or because of potential wider impact , for example on integrated travel.

However , let me point you in the direction of Norton Bridge station in Staffordshire , where the passenger train service has been replaced by two substitution bus services. These started off as "rail - replacement" , but are now classed as "conventional." The platforms serving the Manchester via Stoke-on-Trent branch of the West Coast Main Line have been out of use since 2004 and the footbridge leading to the island platform (the only means of access to the station) has been removed in order to improve clearances. Despite this , the station is still officially regarded as being open.

Ironically , Graham used the very same example in a seperate post just a couple of days ago :